WFW Expands Dubai Office: Four New Partners Join

Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) revealed a significant enhancement to its Dubai office with the addition of four new partners: Natalie Jensen, Rita Al Semaani Jansen, Khalid Hamed, and Alastair Holland (all pictured above left to right). This expansion also includes a team consisting of a senior associate, an associate, a trainee, and three paralegals, all joining from Ince Dubai, with Holland’s start date yet to be confirmed. 

Natalie Jensen: With a rich background in maritime, international trade, and energy sectors spanning the UK and UAE markets, Natalie brings invaluable insights from her tenure at an International Group P&I Club. Her expertise lies in advising on contractual and charterparty disputes, offering commercial advice to shipowners, charterers, cargo interests, P&I clubs, and insurers. She handles disputes arising from charterparties, bills of lading, contracts of affreightment, and other carriage contracts, including collisions and allisions. 

Khalid Hamed: Qualified in Egypt, Khalid boasts over three decades of experience advising banks, insurance companies, and manufacturing and trading entities across the Middle East. His focus lies in insurance and re-insurance disputes, particularly in maritime insurance. Khalid’s practice includes advising on various insurance coverage disputes before the UAE courts, especially for hull and machinery and marine cargo insurers. 

Rita Al Semaani Jansen: A highly skilled corporate and commercial law specialist, Rita brings her expertise to WFW with a strong background in the UAE and wider MENA region. She advises clients on corporate and commercial law matters, including national and international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, restructuring, and franchising. 

Alastair Holland: With over two decades of experience in the Middle East, Alastair specializes in private M&A, equity capital markets, private equity, and joint ventures. His client portfolio includes multinational corporations, high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and family-owned businesses. 

WFW Dubai Office Head Charlotte Bijlani commented: “I am delighted to welcome Natalie, Rita, Khalid and Alastair to WFW. From a disputes perspective, Natalie and Khalid joining us further enhances our reputation for contentious work, including maritime. Rita and Alastair’s arrival meanwhile adds to the strength and depth of our current corporate offering in Dubai”. 

Natalie Jensen added: “It is wonderful to be joining WFW together with Rita, Khalid and Alastair and all our colleagues. We look forward to strengthening our own individual practices as well as collaborating together with new colleagues to help grow the firm’s already highly regarded disputes and corporate practices in Dubai”.