Bahrain

Neale Downes

Trowers & Hamlins, Manama

Abdul-Haq Mohammed

Trowers & Hamlins, Manama

Dominic O'Neil

Trowers & Hamlins, Manama

Jalila Sayed Ahmed

Hassan Radhi & Associates, Manama

Ian R Siddell

Baker & McKenzie, Manama

Kuwait

Hossam Abdullah

Al-Sarraf & Al-Ruwayeh

PO Box 1448, Safat 13015, Kuwait
Salhiya Complex, Gate 1, 3rd Floor, Kuwait
Tel: (965) 2400061/2/3
Fax: (965) 2400064
Email: hossam@asarlegal.com
Website: www.asarlegal.com

Hossam Abdullah is a member with Al Sarraf & Al Ruwayeh, Kuwait. He was born in 1971 and received his LLB (1992) and Diploma in International Trade Law and Investment (1993 – with honours at Cairo University, Egypt), Diploma in Private Law (1996 at IARS- ALESCO), and LLM, International Business Law (1998 at Manchester University, UK). He is admitted to the Egyptian Bar Association since 1993.

Hossam has over 15 years of extensive legal experience in corporate, banking and finance sectors with emphasis on structuring and handling Islamic finance transactions, debt and equity, capital markets, investment funds, and mergers & acquisitions. He also has an in-depth knowledge of the shariah principles and has worked on leading Islamic and conventional transactions in Kuwait, the Gulf Cooperation Council region, and the US.

Hossam has been recently selected by Best Lawyers publication as among the best lawyers in Kuwait in various areas of expertise.

Hossam is fluent in English and Arabic.

Abdul Rahman Al Haroun

International Counsel Bureau, Safat

Sam Habbas

Al-Sarraf & Al-Ruwayeh, Safat

Malaysia

Ahmad Lutfi Abdull Mutalip

Azmi & Associates

14th Floor, Menara Keck Seng, 203 Jalan Bukit Bintang
55100 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3 2118 5000 ext 5002; (60) 3 2118 5002 (direct)
Fax: (60) 3 2118 5112
Email: alam@azmilaw.com
Website: www.azmilaw.com

Ahmad Lutfi graduated from the International Islamic University Malaysia with an LLB (Hons) in 1995. He was admitted to the Malaysian Bar in 1996. He has also obtained his professional qualification from the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) and graduated from the Institute in February 1996.

He joined one of the leading law firms in Kuala Lumpur before becoming one of the founding partners of Azmi & Associates in September 2000 and has advised various clients in numerous exercises ranging from private debt securities, syndicated financing, structured & project financing, trade facilities; both conventional and Islamic, Islamic banking product development, privatisation and build-operate-transfer/build-operate-own projects including water privatisation, mergers & acquisitions, energy & power related transactions, joint ventures to telecommunication projects and building contracts.

Among his notable assignments include:

• Advising AmInvestment Bank , CIMB Investment Bank and HSBC Bank Malaysia (Joint Lead Arrangers) on the issuance of up to RM2.5 billion ($750 million) murabahah (cost-plus financing) Medium Term Notes by a renowned company listed on Bursa Malaysia Securities involved in ship-owning, ship-operating and other activities relating to shipping service;
• Advising Affin Investment Bank on the issuance of RM180 million ($54 million) of Medium Term sukuk al-ijara programme (Islamic Leasing Bonds) comprising RM150 million senior sukuk and RM30 million junior sukuk by a special purpose vehicle company whose holding company is involved in the construction of telecommunication towers;
• Advising Affin Investment Bank on the issuance of RM738 million ($221 million) of Fixed Serial Bonds and RM360 million ($108 million) of Medium Term Notes programme by a company involved in investment holding activities;
• Advising Fortis Bank, Nederland (who also acted as coordinator and security trustee), The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ , BNP Paribas, ING Bank, Cooperative Centrale Raiffeissen-Boerenleen Bank, Mizuho Corporate Bank, Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and others as Malaysian counsel for syndicated loan facility up to $585 million to a Brazilian joint venture company (in which a Malaysian international shipping company has substantial interest) for the purchase and refurbishment of an FPSO (floating production, storage and offloading unit) which will be used offshore Brazil.
• Advising a syndicated international bank led by Fortis Bank as the Malaysian counsel with regard to the Final Advance under the financing of up to $415 million for a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) in Kikeh Field (FPSO Kikeh);
• Advising Merrill Lynch Business Financial Services, Merrill Lynch Capital Division on $8.725 million financing facility to finance the purchase of an aircraft by Malaysian company;
• Advising HVB Australia as the Malaysian counsel for a senior loan facility of $80 million, working capital facility of $15 million and mezzanine facility of $10 million to be made by HVB Australia to Lynas Malaysia and MT Weld Mining for its rare earth project in Australia and processing facility in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia.

Azmi Mohd Ali

Azmi & Associates, Kuala Lumpur

Andri Aidham bin Dato' Ahmad Badri

Kadir Andri & Partners

8th Floor, Menara Safuan
80, Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3 2078 2888
Fax: (60) 3 2078 8431
Email: andri@kaaplaw.com

Andri Aidham Badri is a partner at Kadir, Andri & Partners in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Andri graduated from the University of Nottingham in 1988 with Bachelor of Laws, Honours and was called as a Barrister of Lincoln's Inn in 1989. He holds a postgraduate diploma in Islamic Studies from the International Islamic University of Malaysia. Andri was called to the Malaysian Bar in November 1994. His work covers mainly banking and finance (both Islamic and conventional) and corporate matters. In Islamic banking and finance he has advised on sukuk structuring, Islamic finance product development, Islamic ETF, waqf, Islamic unit trust, takaful and Islamic investments. He heads the Islamic Banking and Finance practice of the Firm as well as the Islamic finance R&D unit.

Apart from authoring the chapter on "Judicial Review" for Malaysian Court Forms and co-authoring the Judicial Review Handbook, published by the Malayan Law Journal and LexisNexis respectively, he has also contributed articles for journals such as Rating Agency Malaysia's Islamic Finance Bulletin. Andri was a member of the Law Revision Committee on Islamic Banking and Finance of Bank Negara Malaysia including the sub-committee on Review of Contracts Act and the sub-committees of the Islamic capital market working group of the Securities Commission.

Megat Hizaini Hassan

Zaid Ibrahim & Co

Level 19 Menara Milenium, Jalan Damanlela
Pusat Bandar Damansara
50490 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3 2087 9999
Fax: (60) 3 2094 4888/4666
Email: info@zaidibrahim.com
Website: www.zaidibrahim.com.my

Megat Hizaini Hassan is a partner and heads the Islamic banking and finance practice of Zaid Ibrahim & Co, the largest law firm in Malaysia with offices in Singapore, Bangkok and Dubai, as well as associate offices in Jakarta, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He is also a director of ZI Shariah Advisory Services, an affiliate company of Zaid Ibrahim & Co, that provides advisory services on Islamic law and which has obtained recognition by the Securities Commission of Malaysia as an approved shariah adviser for Islamic securities/sukuk and Islamic investment funds.

Megat graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) degree from the International Islamic University Malaysia, as well as Master of Law (LLM) degrees from the University of Cambridge and Harvard Law School, respectively. He was a Cambridge Commonwealth Trust Scholar at the University of Cambridge, the International Islamic University Scholar at Harvard Law School and a Royal Dutch/Shell Scholar at the International Islamic University Malaysia. He was called to the Malaysian Bar as an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1991.

Megat advises on matters relating to Islamic banking and finance, as well as corporate legal and regulatory developments. He advises clients on the structure and documentation for Islamic financing facilities , and appropriate structures for Islamic financing and investments. In particular, he has advised institutional and corporate clients on Islamic financing and investment structures based on the application of shariah principles such as murabahah (cost plus sale), Commodity murabahah/tawarruq, ijara (Islamic lease/hire purchase), bai' istisna' (construction contracts), bai' salam (advance sale), bai' bithaman ajil (sale with deferred payment), bai' inah (sale and buyback transaction), musharakah (profit and loss sharing structure) and mudarabah (profit sharing structure). He has also advised domestic and international clients on issues relating to the legal and regulatory framework of Islamic banking and finance, as well as matters relating to applicable shariah standards for Islamic financial/investment transactions in Malaysia and abroad.

Megat is the co-author of the book entitled The Law and Practice of Islamic Banking and Finance published by Sweet & Maxwell and has authored articles on Islamic banking and finance for several publications. Prior to joining the firm, Megat was a lecturer at the Ahmad Ibrahim Kulliyyah of Laws, International Islamic University Malaysia, and he had subsequently continued to teach at the International Islamic University Malaysia on a guest lecturer/part time basis.

Mohd Shuhaimi Ismail

Hisham Sobri & Kadir, Kuala Lumpur

Tee Joe Lei

Shearn Delamore & Co, Kuala Lumpur

Dato' Dr Nik Norzrul Thani

Zaid Ibrahim & Co

Level 19 Menara Milenium, Jalan Damanlela
Pusat Bandar Damansara
50490 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3 2087 9999
Fax: (60) 3 2094 4888/4666
Email: info@zaidibrahim.com
Website: www.zaidibrahim.com

Dato' Dr Nik Norzrul Thani is chairman of Zaid Ibrahim & Co, Malaysia's largest and only international law firm, with offices in Singapore, Bangkok and Dubai as well as associate offices in Jakarta, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He is also chairman of ZI Shariah Advisory Services, an affiliate company of Zaid Ibrahim & Co that provides legal and advisory services on Islamic law. ZI Shariah has also obtained recognition from the Malaysian Securities Commission as an approved Shariah Adviser.

Dato' Dr Nik graduated with LLB (Hons) from University of Buckingham, LLM from Queen Mary College, University of London and PhD in Law from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London and is a Barrister of Lincoln's Inn. In addition, he also possesses a post-graduate diploma in Syariah [shariah] Law and Practice (with distinction) from the International Islamic University Malaysia. Dato' Dr Nik is also a Fellow of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia (FINSIA) and Chartered Institute of Marketing (UK).

Dato' Dr Nik advises on a wide range of legal matters incorporating Islamic finance, banking, offshore finance, debt restructuring, international corporate and commercial law. He has been a legal counsel for several mergers and acquisitions and advises generally on regulatory and compliance issues. In addition to general advice on Islamic banking and finance, Dato' Dr Nik has been involved in numerous award winning sukuk issuance transactions, structuring of Islamic products and funds, and has been a legal consultant on Islamic finance for various international and multilateral agencies, including the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB), & Islamic Development Bank (IDB). He has advised various governments in different jurisdictions on the implementation of Islamic financial systems in these countries.

Previously, he was working in a firm of accountants and at a bank in Kuala Lumpur. He was a Visiting Fulbright Scholar, Harvard Law School in 1996/1997, Chevening Visiting Fellow at the Oxford Centre of Islamic Studies, Oxford University in 2004/2005, and was formerly the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Laws, International Islamic University Malaysia. Prior to joining Zaid Ibrahim & Co he was practising with the international law firm, Baker & McKenzie.

He is the author of Legal Aspects of The Malaysian Financial System and the co-author of The Law and Practice of Islamic Banking & Finance and Law & Practice of Islamic Corporate and Investment Finance. Dato' Dr Nik is also co-authoring a book entitled Islamic Finance – Products and Concepts which will be published by John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd.

Dato' Dr Nik is proficient in English and Malay, and speaks Arabic, Mandarin, French, and Japanese fairly.

Jal Othman

Shook Lin & Bok

20th Floor, AmBank Group Building
No 55, Jalan Raja Chulan
50200 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3 2031 1788
Fax: (60) 3 2031 1775; 2031 1778; 2031 1779
Email: jal@shooklin.com.my
Website: www.shooklin.com.my

Jal Othman heads the Islamic finance practice in Shook Lin & Bok, one of the oldest and largest law firm in Malaysia. Jal was instrumental in setting up the Islamic Finance practice and continues to chart the course of this practice area within the firm. His task includes setting the policy direction for the incremental development of this area of practice within the firm and developing a structured research and development unit to promote an effective continuing legal education scheme within the firm.

Jal heads a team of approximately 20 lawyers advising on Islamic finance deals. Leveraging on 16 years of experience as a banking and finance lawyer, Jal guides and leads his team in the retail, mezzanine and tier one financing deals, both for onshore and cross-border clients. His portfolio of work includes advising on a wide range of sukuk issuances for financing power plants in Malaysia and China, vessel construction, project fnancing for the automotive industry, the textile and garment industry, the downstream and upstream palm oil industry, advising on Islamic structured products and Islamic syndicated financing.

Jal is also actively involved in the drive for innovation in the industry and in this respect Jal leads the team advising on various product developments for Islamic banks, both in Malaysia and abroad.

Jal started as a conventional banking and finance lawyer and kindled his passion for Islamic finance at the same time that Malaysia embraced this form of financing. Given the inherent interplay between shariah and Common Law in Malaysia, Jal's experience in conventional financing has held him in good stead in the area of Islamic finance.

In addition to Islamic finance, Jal's other major areas of practice are corporate commercial law and real estate. In this respect, Jal is the deputy head of these departments. His experience in advising on some major cross-border mergers and acquisition and real estate acquisitions have benefited him in his role as an Islamic finance lawyer.

Concurrent with managing his portfolio in the firm, Jal is also very much involved in the Islamic finance industry. Jal holds positions in INCEIF University (an institution established under the auspices of the Malaysian Central Bank). Jal has also been commissioned by the Malaysian Securities Commission and the Rating Agency of Malaysia in relation to product development and regulatory requirements. Jal is also involved in law reform with his involvement in the Malaysian Central Bank committee for Islamic Finance Law Reform.

Consistent with the firm's policy of driving a global presence, Jal has participated on various international platforms as a speaker, moderator, panellist and commentator. These include conferences, workshops and forums in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Egypt and Singapore.

Quite apart from the Islamic Finance industry, Jal is active in the Malaysian corporate scene, holding directorship positions in a company listed on the Malaysian Stock Exchange and in a subsidiary of an international financial institution.

After graduating from Queen Mary & Westfield College of the University of London and after completing the Malaysian Bar examinations, Jal commenced his pupilage in Shook Lin & Bok and continued his employment with the firm, culminating in his admission as a partner in 2001. He continued his progression within the firm with his elevation as a senior partner of the firm in 2004.

Mohamed Ridza

Mohamed Ridza & Co

50-10-9, Level 10, Wisma UOA Damansara
No. 50, Jalan Dungun, Damasara Heights
50490 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3 2092 4822
Fax: (60) 3 2092 5822
Email: ridza@ridzalaw.com.my
Website: www.ridzalaw.com.my

Mohamed Ridza is the managing partner of Mohamed Ridza & Co (MRCO). He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) degree from the International Islamic University Malaysia. Prior to setting up MRCO, he was a partner and head of the Islamic banking and finance division of Zaid Ibrahim & Co. He is also a graduate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (London). He is now a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (FCIS) and an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (ACI Arb.) He is a member of the Corporate Governance Committee and the National Investigation Committee of the Malaysian Association of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.

He was called to the Malaysian Bar as an Advocate & Solicitor of the High Court of Malaya in 1993. His current practice includes oil and gas, corporate and commercial law, construction law and Islamic banking and finance.

Being trained in shariah as well as common law, he has advised clients locally and internationally on Islamic banking documentation utilising various shariah concepts ranging from Islamic trade finance, Islamic corporate and retail banking and takaful. In addition, he also advises clients on Islamic offshore financing, Islamic securities and Islamic asset-backed debt securities. He is also instrumental in developing Islamic banking documents for several financial institutions. He has spoken extensively in seminars locally and internationally involving corporate matters and Islamic banking and finance, particularly Islamic securities.

He contributed a chapter on "The Contribution and Functions of Independent Directors" for the book Independent Director – Perceptions, Roles and Responsibilities by The Malaysian Institute of Corporate Governance (MICG) in collaboration with Securities Commission.

He has co-authored a book titled the Law & Practice of Islamic Banking & Finance that is published by one of the world's leading publishers of legal materials, Sweet & Maxwell. It is one of the few works available that deals with the legal aspects of the Islamic banking and finance system in practice.

Mohamed Ridza now sits on the board of Pelangi , Tabung Haji Travel and Services and KPI Land Corporation, Philipines and Lityan Holdings . He is also the chairman of the Audit Committee for Lityan Holdings and is a member of the Audit Committee of Pelangi and Tabung Haji Travel and Services. He also sits as a member of the Remuneration Committee and Nomination Committee of Lityan Holdings , a member of the Nomination Committee of Pelangi and a member of the Remuneration Committee of Tabung Haji Travel and Services.

Deepak Sadasivan

Adnan Sundra & Low

Level 11 Menara Olympia
No 8 Jalan Raja Chulan
50200 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: (60) 3 2070 0466
Fax: (60) 3 2078 3382
Email: deepak.sadasivan@asl.com.my

Deepak Sadasivan graduated with an LLB (Hons) from King's College, London, in 1992 and thereafter was admitted to the Bar of England and Wales in July, 1993 and to the Malaysian Bar on June 24 1994. He began his career as a legal assistant in Adnan Sundra & Low in January 1995 and became a partner in January 2000.

In the first five years of his practise, he was extensively involved in corporate work including acquisitions, listings, joint ventures and corporate restructuring exercises, as well as corporate and commercial litigation. Since 1999, he has been primarily involved in capital markets and finance work, and has advised extensively on numerous transactions involving project finance, Islamic finance, derivatives, structured finance and securitisation.

His Islamic finance experience includes advising the lead managers in relation to the issuance of $750 million exchangeable sukuk with recourse to Khazanah Nasional, being the world's first exchangeable sukuk (and also the largest ever exchangeable issuance in Malaysia), advising on the first Islamic stapled securities transaction in Malaysia, advising on the first municipal bonds in Malaysia (being also the first bonds to employ a parallel mudharabah Islamic structure) and advising the Central Bank of Malaysia on the template documentation for an Islamic Derivatives Master Agreement.

Mohamad Illiayas Seyed Ibrahim

Azmi & Associates, Kuala Lumpur

Mohamed Ismail Shariff

Mohamed Ismail & Co, Kuala Lumpur

Ronald Tan

Tay & Partners , Kuala Lumpur

Saudi Arabia

Mohammed Al-Jadaan

Al-Jadaan & Partners Law Firm in cooperation with Clifford Chance, Riyadh

Michael K Dunphy

King & Spalding, Riyadh

Nabil A Issa

King & Spalding, Dubai/Riyadh

Singapore

Kenneth Aboud

Allen & Overy Shook Lin & Bok

24 Raffles Place
#22-00 Clifford Centre
Singapore 048621
Tel: (65) 6435 7462
Fax: (65) 6435 7474
Email: ken.aboud@allenovery.com
Website: www.allenovery.com

Kenneth Aboud is a New York qualified attorney with extensive experience in advising on finance transactions throughout Asia.

Over the past twelve years in Asia, he has led numerous complex debt and equity transactions throughout Asia, with a focus on structured finance, Islamic finance and securitisation. Ken has been involved in high-profile deals such as sukuk issuances by Malaysia, the State of Qatar, Sarawak and the Republic of Indonesia; advising on credit card and mortgage securitisations throughout Asia; and also advising on numerous IPOs and REITs in various jurisdictions in South and Southeast Asia.

Crawford Brickley

Clifford Chance, Singapore

Krishna Ramachandra

Arfat Selvam Alliance

55 Market Street, #08-01
Singapore 048941
Tel: (65) 63110033
Email: krishna.ramachandra@asalliance.com.sg
Website: www.asalliance.com.sg

Krishna did his articles with a magic circle law firm in London over 10 year ago. He subsequently relocated to Singapore with another magic circle firm and has been in Singapore since. Krishna joined Arfat Selvam Alliance(ASA) as a partner in 2005.

Krishna now heads ASA's funds/private equity and capital markets practice group of Arfat Selvam Alliance. Krishna advises investment banks, listed and private companies in Asia, Europe and the US on a wide range of equity and debt securities issues, financial services regulatory issues, funds advisory and mergers, acquisitions and takeovers. His experience includes advising clients on innovative legal structures and has been actively involved in the Islamic finance practice in Singapore. Krishna has been named by AsiaLaw Leading Lawyers as one of the most highly recommended Asia-Pacific focused lawyers in the practice area of Corporate Law. Krishna was named by AsiaLaw Leading Lawyers as one of the most high acclaimed legal experts in the practice areas of capital markets and corporate finance.

Krishna sits on The Singapore Law Society's Corporate Practice Committee for Mergers & Acquisitions and Insolvency; Corporate Commercial Matters; and Listing Matters. He is also a member of the Singapore Institute of Directors.

Krishna graduated from Christ's College, Cambridge University with an LLM in Corporate Finance on a Freshfields scholarship. He is an Advocate & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore and is also a Solicitor of England and Wales.

".. Krishna Ramachandra has been instrumental in the success in the [firm's] equity markets.." IFLR1000, October 2007

"..clients are attracted to the international experience of Ramachandra.." IFLR1000, October 2007

"..wonderful interpersonal skills, and ability to see things from the client's perspective.." Chambers & Partners, Client Guide 2008

Hooman Sabeti-Rahmati

Allen & Overy Shook Lin & Bok

24 Raffles Place
#22-00 Clifford Centre
Singapore 048621
Tel: (65) 6435 7427
Fax: (65) 6435 7474
Email: hooman.sabeti@allenovery.com
Website: www.allenovery.com

Hooman Sabeti-Rahmati is a consultant in Allen & Overy's Singapore office. He has extensive experience in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the US in a wide range of capital markets transactions, securitisations, other structured financings and Islamic financings.

Hooman's Islamic finance practice began with advising the arrangers on the Malaysian and Qatari sovereign sukuk, the first two global sukuk, in 2002 and 2003. Since then he has been involved in the Asian, European and Middle Eastern markets in advising on Islamic securitisations, banking-style transactions, property financings, structured investment products, property and equity funds, reinsurance schemes and sukuk issuances. Notable Islamic transactions on which he has worked include inaugural global sukuk for sovereigns in Malaysia, Qatar and Indonesia and the first true shariah-compliant securitisation of home financings (for Tamweel PJSC in the UAE), transactions which received wide industry recognition.

Hooman's Asian experience ranges across Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, the PRC, Korea, Japan, India, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE. He speaks frequently on the topic of Islamic finance at various conferences and seminars.

Hooman is a member of the bar of the state of New York. He speaks Farsi fluently.

Arfat Selvam

Arfat Selvam Alliance

55 Market Street, #08-01
Singapore 048941
Tel: (65) 63110031
Email: arfat.selvam@asalliance.com.sg
Website: www.asalliance.com.sg

Arfat Selvam is the managing director of Arfat Selvam Alliance. She was admitted as an Advocate & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore in 1969.

Arfat has over thirty years experience in corporate finance having been at the forefront of the development of the financial services market in Singapore. Her wide array of experience includes mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructures, takeovers, funds raising, financial services and international joint ventures.

She handled the acquisition of POSB by DBS as well as the merger of Keppel Bank with OCBC. She also handled the initial public offerings of SIA, NOL and Creative Technology.

She has been closely involved in the legal changes driving the legal financial services sectors in Singapore. Most recently, she sat on the Company Law Reform Committee, which made major recommendations affecting the companies and securities laws in Singapore.

She is regularly cited in various legal publications as one of Singapore's top corporate finance lawyers.

She is also involved in the legal services for Islamic banking and finance in Singapore. In 2005 she launched a regional grouping for Islamic financing, called the Asian Islamic Finance Alliance (AIFA) – a strategic alliance with tie-ups with other law firms in Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, providing advice and support for the structuring of shariah-compliant financial products, and in the funding of mergers, acquisitions and infrastructure transactions.

Arfat was president of The Law Society of Singapore in 2003 and was a former Director of the Stock Exchange of Singapore Limited. She was also a member of the Senate of the Academy of Law and the Board of Legal Education. She was also on the Board of the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA).

She is a Fellow of the Singapore Institute of Directors. She is also a director of CapitaLand Limited (www.capitaland.com.sg) and Singapore Health Services (www.singhealth.com.sg).

United Arab Emirates

Robin Abraham

Clifford Chance

3rd Floor, The Exchange Building
Dubai International Financial Centre
PO Box 9380
Dubai
UAE
Tel: (971) 4 362 0609
Email: robin.abraham@cliffordchance.com
Website: www.cliffordchance.com

Robin Abraham is a partner in the finance and projects practice of Clifford Chance's Dubai office. Robin specialises in all aspects of banking and project finance work including both conventional and Islamic financing. His Islamic finance experience includes advising Nakheel PJSC on its $3.52 billion sukuk (as well as two subsequent sukuks) and a $1.85bn syndicated ijara facility. Robin also advised in connection with the Al Waha petrochemical project in Saudi Arabia, which was the first major project financing in Saudi to be structured without using any commercial bank debt. He has also advised on several financings using murabaha and musharaka structures. Robin has spoken at conferences and training events on Islamic finance and was one of the authors of the Loan Market Association's Islamic Finance User Guide.

Robin began his legal career in 1995 with Clifford Chance in London. He has spent short periods in the firm's Budapest and Amsterdam offices. He has been based in Dubai since 2004.

Oliver Agha

DLA Piper

Office 2, Level 7, Building No 1, Emaar Business Park
Sheikh Zayed Road, PO Box 121662
Dubai
UAE
Tel: (971) 4 363 6971; (971) 50 645 5502 (mobile); (44) 7738 295 410 (UK)
Fax: (971) 4 363 6901
Email: oliver.agha@dlapiper.com
Website: www.dlapiper.com

Oliver Agha is DLA Piper's global head of Islamic finance and also head of the Saudi Arabian practice. Oliver's award winning team was the recipient of the 2008 IIFF Global Recognition in Islamic Finance under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Oliver has a deep knowledge of shariah, and is on the board of two committees of the Accounting and Auditing Organization of Islamic Financial Institutions (Aaoifi). Oliver has served as a lead lawyer in some ground breaking Islamic project financings in the region including:

• Rabigh ($ 8.5 billion petrochemical project- recognised as Project Finance Deal of the Year in 2006 by IFLR ); Yansab ($ 5 billion petrochemicals complex in Saudi Arabia- awarded the Petrochemicals Deal of the Year in 2006 by Euromoney Magazine Middle East); Al Waha (greenfield project- awarded Middle East Islamic Deal of the Year in 2006, Project Finance Magazine and Project Finance Deal of the Year, Islamic Finance News Awards 2007); SABIC sukuk ($ 800 million deal, the first ever sukuk to be approved by the Capital Markets Authority in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – awarded the Islamic Finance News Deal of the Year 2006);
• Advising banks, sponsors and corporates on novel refinancings of conventional finance loans and restructuring of US based real estate funds into shariah-compliant financing structures; on diminishing musharaka aviation financing structures, murabaha, ijara, musharaka, istisna'a, wakala, and mudaraba infrastructure financings; he has also advised leading insurance companies on takaful structures and sponsors on shariah issues inherent in concession agreements and concession based project financings.

Oliver spent his early career (eight years) at Fulbright & Jaworski as a project finance and international finance lawyer in Washington DC, New Delhi, Hong Kong and Beijing including work on one of the earliest Islamic financing deal in South Asia. Subsequently, Oliver moved to Clifford Chance's affiliate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where he headed the projects team and co-headed the Islamic finance practice. Oliver then joined DLA Piper in early 2007 as the global head of Islamic finance.

Oliver graduated from New York Law School, New York in 1994 where he was on the Journal of International and Comparative Law. He obtained a BS in Management/International Affairs from New York University, New York in 1987.

Oliver is a member of the State Bars of New York and Connecticut and speaks at leading Islamic finance conferences worldwide and has authored papers and articles on salient Islamic finance topics.

Jawad I Ali

King & Spalding, Dubai

Rahail Ali

Lovells, Dubai

Bimal Desai

Allen & Overy

Level 2, The Gate Village Building GV08
Dubai International Financial Centre
PO Box 506678
Dubai
UAE
Tel: (971) 4 426 7103
Fax: (971) 4 426 7199
Email: bimal.desai@allenovery.com
Website: www.allenovery.com

Bimal Desai is head of Allen & Overy's banking practice in Dubai and a member of the firm's Islamic finance group. He has extensive experience of project financing, Islamic financing, acquisition financing, syndicated loans and ECA/multi-sourced financing in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Bimal acts for Islamic lenders, multi-lateral agencies and has considerable experience of Export Credit Agency led project financings.

Bimal was ranked in Band 1 of Chambers Global 2008's Leading Individuals and named as a Leading Lawyer by IFLR 1000 2008.

Bimal's recent Islamic finance experience includes advising: the Islamic lenders on the $2.2 billion Islamic facilities for the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority; the Islamic lenders on the $1 billion Dolphin Energy Limited Islamic financing in the UAE and Qatar; the Islamic and conventional lenders on the $1.5 billion Sohar Aluminium project in Oman; the project company on the Saudi Polyolefins Company on its $575 million Islamic refinancing of its project facilities and the Islamic financing of its expansion facility; the project company on the International Methanol Company Project Islamic refinancing in Saudi Arabia; the project company on the GACIC Petrochemical Project Islamic refinancing in Saudi Arabia; and the Islamic lenders on the Taweelah A2 IWPP refinancing in Abu Dhabi which included an Islamic tranche.

Debashis Dey

Clifford Chance

3rd Floor, The Exchange Building
Dubai International Financial Centre
PO Box 9380
Dubai
UAE
Tel: (971) 4 362 0624
Email: debashis.dey@cliffordchance.com
Website: www.cliffordchance.com

Debashis Dey is a partner in the capital markets practice of Clifford Chance. He is now based in the firm's offices in the United Arab Emirates. Debashis specialises in complex financings that access the international capital markets, including securitisation, conventional bond issues and Islamic finance sukuk issues. Debashis' recent high-profile work includes some of the largest, most complex and innovative sukuk structures done in the MENA region. These include sukuk issues by Aldar, JAFZA, the Government of RAK, DP World and others. Most recently, Debashis led a legal team on the largest Islamic true-sale securitisation ever done in capital markets history and the first ever to be done in Abu Dhabi.

Debashis began his legal career in Canada in 1992 and joined the London office of Clifford Chance in 1996. Debashis has been a partner with Clifford Chance since 2002.

Husam Hourani

Al Tamini & Company

Dubai International Financial Centre
6th floor, Building 4 East, Sheikh Zayed Road
PO Box 9275, Dubai
UAE
Tel: (971) 4 3641 641
Fax: (971) 4 3641 777
Email: h.hourani@tamimi.com
Website: www.tamimi.com

Husam Hourani is a partner and heads the banking and finance department of Al Tamimi & Company Advocates & Legal Consultants. Husam Hourani graduated from Kent University, England with an honours degree in law in 1992 and was subsequently awarded his Masters degree in 1993 from IISL in Spain.

Husam Hourani advises clients on banking and finance related matters in the United Arab Emirates. He also advises clients on major capital markets transactions in the United Arab Emirates, including, in particular listings and/or offerings of different financial products on the Dubai Financial Market, Dubai International Financial Exchange and the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, as well as continuing/reporting obligations and other regulatory matters related thereto. Some of relevant experiences of Husam include advising on listings of the following companies: Air Arabia, Deyaar Developments, Bank of Ajman, Tamweel, Drake & Scull, Dubai Financial Market, Kingdom Hotel Investments Limited, Citigold Corporation, Fortune Management, DP World, Depa and Damas International.

Along with being presented Best Lawyer award from Tamweel in 2005, he is also a member on the DIFX Listing Committee. Legal500 states that Husam Hourani has been described by clients as "the most knowledgeable banking lawyer in Dubai, insofar as the local market is concerned" and is noted for his expertise in relation to the newly established DIFC. Furthermore, Chambers Global affirms that Husam delivers superb commercial advice to his diverse client base. A "first name for finance," he is plugged in to the key institution, especially in Dubai.

Nabil A Issa

King & Spalding, Dubai/Riyadh

Ayman Khaleq

Vinson & Elkins

PO Box 504945
Emirates Towers Offices Sheikh Zayed Road
Dubai
UAE
Tel: (971) 4 403 6216
Fax: (971) 4 330 1300
Email: akhaleq@velaw.com
Website: www.velaw.com

Ayman Khaleq is a partner in Vinson & Elkins' Dubai office. Ayman's practice focuses on advising clients on corporate and structured finance transactions with a particular emphasis on the structuring and documentation of Islamic finance and investment products (including sukuk offerings backed by pools of global assets). In addition, he advises clients on regional M&A and private equity transactions and on the formation of innovative shariah-compliant funds including real estate development, private equity, capital protected and hedge funds. Some of the key sectors in which Ayman practises include infrastructure, telecommunications, media and technology and energy (including renewable energy). Ayman also has been involved in regional privatisation and deregulation transactions and initiatives across a number of Middle East jurisdictions such as Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan. Most recently Ayman advised on the first ever sukuk offering by a US corporate (East Cameron sukuk) as well as on a number of corporate sukuk transactions in the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. He has also been recently involved in the structuring and documentation of the largest real estate development fund in the Middle East which was sponsored by Al-Futtaim Capital (AED 1.8 billion), and on the first international shariah-compliant fund of REITs.

Ayman graduated from the University of Jordan, Faculty of Law, LLB with Highest Honours in 1993, and the George Washington University, LLM cum laude, in International and Comparative Law in 1994 and was, at the time, the youngest LLM graduate from the law school's prestigious LLM programme (a top 10 programme in the US). Ayman is admitted to the bar associations of Jordan and New York State. Ayman speaks frequently at leading regional and international conferences about Islamic finance, capital markets and investment funds in addition to regulatory and legal developments in the Middle East and North Africa. He has published extensively in the area of Islamic finance and the Middle Eastern legal and regulatory environment. He recently co-authored a law review article titled: "New Horizons for Islamic Securities: Emerging Trends in Sukuk Offerings" which was published in the Chicago Journal of International Law.

Ayman has been recognised by leading publications, including: European Legal Expert in corporate and finance, 2009 ; Who's Who Legal UAE in Islamic finance and capital markets, 2008; Best Lawyers International: United Arab Emirates in finance, 2008; and Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers in Banking & Finance: Islamic Finance (UAE), 2008.

Muneer Khan

Simmons & Simmons

Level 7, Building 10, The Gate Village
Dubai International Financial Centre
Dubai
UAE
Tel: (971) 4 709 6699
Fax: (971) 4 709 6601
Email: muneer.khan@simmons-simmons.com
Website: www.simmons-simmons.com

Muneer Khan is a partner at Simmons & Simmons and is head of the Islamic finance practice.

Muneer has extensive experience of advising on Islamic financing structures, with a particular focus on shariah-compliant investment funds, structured products and sukuk. He has spoken widely on the subject of shariah-compliant financing techniques and asset management. Muneer has also advised the UK Government on Islamic finance issues sitting on HM Treasury's Islamic Finance Technical Group. Muneer has also recently been appointed to HM Treasury's six-man Islamic Finance Standardisation committee.

Muneer joined Simmons & Simmons as a partner in 2006. Prior to joining Simmons & Simmons, Muneer was at Norton Rose in London and he has been based in Dubai for a total of just under five years.

Muneer is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales.

Nadim Khan

Herbert Smith

Dubai International Financial Centre
Gate Village 7, Level 4
PO Box 506631
Dubai
UAE
Tel: (971) 4 428 6305
Email: nadim.khan@herbertsmith.com
Website: www.herbertsmith.com

Nadim Khan leads Herbert Smith's finance practice in the Middle East and is head of the firm's Islamic finance practice. He has over eight years of on the ground experience of advising on banking and Islamic finance in the Middle East. He read Jurisprudence at Oxford University before studying for the LPC at the College of Law, Guildford.

Nadim advises a number of international and regional financial institutions, multi-lateral agencies, ECAs, sponsors and regional and multinational corporates on Islamic financing matters. He has been distinguished recently as "a top Islamic finance lawyer" by legal directory Chambers 2008 and "widely recognised for Islamic finance, advising on sizeable sukuk issuances and the Islamic finance elements of major projects inside and outside of the region" by legal directory Legal500 2008.

Nadim has advised on the structuring and development of a number of first of their kind financing products in the Islamic financing sector. He advised on the first financing to successfully integrate an Islamic tranche with a conventional export credit backed facility; the first Islamic facility to be covered by an ECA; numerous transactions comprising of a multi-sourced financing package integrating an Islamic tranche; the first ever non-resource Islamic sukuk issuance; and the first wholly Islamically financed project financing structure. He also led the team advising the banks on the Al Waha petrochemical plant financing in Saudi Arabia, a deal which was awarded Middle East Islamic Deal of the Year 2006 by Project Finance Magazine.

Herbert Smith's Dubai office is the hub for our work with clients throughout the Middle East and with practitioners also experienced in work in Africa, India, Pakistan, Australia and Asia, the office is ideally equipped to work with locally based clients investing in all these jurisdictions. Our recently established Abu Dhabi office already has an extensive track record of advising on major work in the region and our Middle East network is strengthened further by the establishment of a formal and exclusive association in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ghazzawi Professional Association, one of the Kingdom's largest and leading law firms with offices in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam.

Qudeer Latif

Clifford Chance

3rd Floor, The Exchange Building
Dubai International Financial Centre
PO Box 9380
Dubai
UAE
Tel: (971) 4 362 0675
Email: qudeer.latif@cliffordchance.com
Website: www.cliffordchance.com

Qudeer is head of Islamic finance at Clifford Chance and has worked in London and Riyadh and is now based in Dubai. Qudeer specialises in Islamic finance across a number of asset classes including project finance, acquisition finance, corporate finance, capital markets, real estate finance, structured products and funds. Qudeer has considerable experience in structuring, documenting and executing Islamic deals and has advised on a number of high profile, innovative and ground breaking Islamic finance transactions over the last few years. Qudeer is a member of HM Treasury Working Group on Islamic Finance and represents Clifford Chance at a number of Islamic finance organisations including IIFM and Aaoifi.

Paul McViety

Herbert Smith, Dubai

Amar Meher

Allen & Overy

Suite 101/202, Level 2, The Gate Village Building GV08
Dubai International Financial Centre
PO Box 506678
Dubai
UAE
Tel: (971) 4 426 7117
Fax: (971) 4 426 7199
Email: amar.meher@allenovery.com
Website: www.allenovery.com

Amar Meher is a senior associate in the banking group of Allen & Overy. Amar has spent time in both the Dubai and London offices of Allen & Overy and specialises in Islamic finance, corporate, project and general conventional banking finance.

Amar has worked on numerous high profile Islamic financings across various product areas ranging from the bank market to the capital markets and has been the lead associate on numerous innovative deals which have been the first of their type.

On the bank market side, Amar's recent experience includes advising the mandated lead arrangers on a $1.5 billion murabaha facility for Dubai Financial Group, the mandated lead arrangers on an AED2.2 billion ijara facility for Aldar Properties; Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) in relation to an AED7.3 billion and a $200 million ijara facility; Limitless and Limitless World in relation to a $1.2 billion mudaraba facility; and United Development Company as sponsor in establishing a shariah-compliant real estate development fund, and the debt raising, using a $300 million revolving musharaka, for the Qanat Quartier development on The Pearl, Qatar.

Most notably, Amar advised Deutsche Bank as mandated lead arranger in relation to the partial shariah refinancing of a $1.41 billion acquisition by Abraaj Capital of Egyptian Fertilisers Company (SAE). There were a number of notable milestones for this deal namely, the largest Islamically financed leverage deal in the Middle East and North Africa, the largest Islamic deal in Egypt, the first Islamically leveraged deal to use the forward sale (bai salam) structure and the first Islamically leveraged deal with structural and contractual subordination.

On the capital markets side, Amar's recent experience includes advising the mandated lead arrangers on an AED 3.75 billion sukuk issuance by Sukuk Funding (No. 2) Limited with Aldar Properties as obligor, Jebel Ali Free Zone FZE, as obligor and JAFZ Sukuk, as issuer, on an AED 7.5 billion sukuk – this is the first UAE dirham -denominated sukuk and, at US$2 billion, the largest non equity-linked sukuk ever; and DP World, as obligor and DP World Sukuk, as issuer, on a $1.5 billion sukuk – this is the first UAE corporate rated sukuk offered into the US and only the second Rule 144A sukuk offer to date.

Amar was admitted as a legal practitioner to the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia in 2001. Amar graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) and a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) in 2000. Amar worked with Blake Dawson Waldron in Sydney before joining Allen & Overy in May 2005.

Zubair Mir

Herbert Smith

Dubai International Financial Centre
Gate Village 7, Level 4
PO Box 506631
Dubai
UAE
Tel: (971) 4 428 6300
Email: zubair.mir@herbertsmith.com
Website: www.herbertsmith.com

Zubair Mir is an international corporate finance lawyer specialising in Islamic corportate finance including mergers & acquisitions, private equity and investment funds. He has acted in respect of a number of high profile transactions globally.

Zubair is qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales and Australia. He is a well recognised global market leader in his field. He has been distinguished in February 2008 by legal magazine The Brief as one of the 'Top 20 lawyers in the Middle East', and was recently named by Private Equity International in the list of "The 30 Most Influential Lawyers in Global Private Equity". Zubair was also named by The Practical Law Company as the leading investment funds lawyer in the UAE in its publication Investment Funds – The Law and Leading Lawyers Worldwide 2007/2008.

Zubair is based in Dubai and has worked in the Middle East for over seven years undertaking Islamic corporate finance transactions for major Islamic and conventional institutions in the region and internationally. He advises on the creation of innovative shariah-compliant investment funds/vehicles and undertaking corporate finance transactions on a shariah-compliant basis (including M&A, joint ventures, corporate reorganisations including restructuring conventional businesses to make them shariah compliant and Islamic private equity).

Zubair has advised on numerous market firsts and on some of the most complex shariah-compliant investments and investment funds in the region including: the $1 billion Global Investment House/Millennium Capital Islamic Buyout Fund, the $1 billion Investcorp (Islamic) Gulf Opportunity Funds; Millennium Financial Advisory/DIB and Dubai World US$5 billion shariah-compliant Family of Funds; and the Abraaj Capital and Deutsche Bank's $2 billion Islamic Infrastructure Private Equity Fund.

Herbert Smith's Dubai office is the hub for our work with clients throughout the Middle East and with practitioners also experienced in work in Africa, India, Pakistan, Australia and Asia, the office is ideally equipped to work with locally based clients investing in all these jurisdictions. Our recently established Abu Dhabi office already has an extensive track record of advising on major work in the region and our Middle East network is strengthened further by the establishment of a formal and exclusive association in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ghazzawi Professional Association, one of the Kingdom's largest and leading law firms with offices in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam.

Anzal Mohammed

Allen & Overy

Level 2, The Gate Village Building GV08
Dubai International Financial Centre
PO Box 506678
Dubai
UAE
Tel: (971) 4 426 7115
Fax: (971) 4 426 7199
Email: anzal.mohammed@allenovery.com
Website: www.allenovery.com

Anzal Mohammed is an international capital markets partner in the Dubai office of Allen & Overy. He is the head of the international capital markets group in the Middle East as well as having overall responsibility for the firm's global Islamic finance practice.

Anzal trained with the firm in London and qualified in 1999 into the international capital markets group. Prior to his move to the Middle East at the end of 2006, Anzal was based in London though he spent two years in Allen & Overy's Frankfurt office, where he assisted in the development of the firm's debt capital markets practice in Germany.

Anzal has been at the forefront of international Islamic sukuk transactions and international debt offerings in the Middle East in recent years. He also specialises in shariah-compliant finance structures, equity offerings (including hybrid capital issues), debt issuance programmes, convertible securities, securitisation and derivative securities.

Anzal has advised on a number of the major sukuk transactions to date including issues by Tamweel, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, the Government of Ras Al Khaimah, Tabreed, Dubai Islamic Bank, the Government of Pakistan and sukuk programmes established by Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, National Industries Group in Kuwait and Emirates Islamic Bank.

In the last quarter of 2007 alone, Anzal closed five high profile capital markets transactions in the region, with an aggregate nominal value of $14 billion, including the first UAE dirham-denominated sukuk and the largest non equity-linked sukuk ever (JAFZA sukuk) and the first Islamic capital markets issue in the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah (RAKIA sukuk). Other notable deals that Anzal advised on in 2007 included the Tamweel Islamic residential mortgage-backed securitisation (the first true-sale securitisation in the region), the DIFC sukuk (the first securities offering to be governed solely by DIFC law) and the first convertible sukuk issue in Kuwait (International Investment Group sukuk). Anzal also has a leading capital markets practice involving Pakistani issuers, having advised on the last three international capital markets issues by the Government of Pakistan.

Since his arrival in Dubai in 2006, Anzal has been recognised, both individually and as part of the Allen & Overy team, for his work on a number of high profile, innovative and market-first capital markets transactions. Chambers Global 2008 referred to Anzal as "the team's foremost Islamic finance specialist" and "a leading player in cross-border sukuks". His work on the DIFC sukuk saw the deal awarded Debt and Equity-linked Deal of the Year by IFLR for its Middle East Awards in October 2007, and seven of his sukuk and securitisation deals were recognised earlier this year by Islamic Finance News Awards as Deals of the Year in 2007.

Mark Morris

Norton Rose, Dubai

Imran Mufti

Lovells, Dubai

Anthony Pallett

Norton Rose, Dubai

Luma Saqqaf

Linklaters, Dubai

Imtiaz Shah

Lovells, Dubai

Rustum Shah

Lovells, Dubai

United Kingdom

Andrew Baird

Berwin Leighton Paisner, London

Farmida Bi

Norton Rose, London

Andrew Coats

Clifford Chance

10 Upper Bank Street
London E14 5JJ
UK
Tel: (44) 20 7006 2574
Email: andrew.coats@cliffordchance.com
Website: www.cliffordchance.com

Andrew Coats is a partner in Clifford Chance's finance and capital markets practices, specialising in structured capital markets products and derivatives. He regularly advises issuers and lead managers on a whole variety of products, including sukuk and other Islamic finance structures. Andrew has recently worked on a number of pioneering transactions involving issuers in the Middle East, including, in 2006, SABIC's SAR 3 billion sukuk issue, the first non-equity securities transaction to be publicly offered in Saudi Arabia under the new Capital Market Law. In 2007 Andrew advised on Saudi Electricity Corporation's SAR 5 billion and SABIC's SAR 7 billion sukuk issues, the latter being the largest sukuk issue to date by a Saudi company. Other recent significant transactions that Andrew has advised on include The Saudi British Bank's $1 billion Euro-Medium Term Note programme, the first EMTN programme ever established by a Saudi Arabian issuer.

Michael Duncan

Allen & Overy

One Bishops Square
London E1 6AD
UK
Tel: (44) 20 3088 0000
Fax: (44) 20 3088 0088
Email: michael.duncan@allenovery.com
Website: www.allenovery.com

Mike is chairman of the global banking practice at Allen & Overy. He has wide ranging corporate finance and banking experience, including the structuring, drafting and negotiation of debt transactions, advising banks and borrowers on syndicated loans, leveraged financing, asset financing and trade finance. Mike also specialises in Islamic finance. His Islamic finance experience includes advising the Islamic lenders on the Thuraya, Shuweihat, Umm Al Narr and Taweelah A2 project financings and more recently on financings for Bank TuranAlem, Dana Gas, DEWA and Nakheel.

Nicholas Edmondes

Trowers & Hamlins, London

Sarah Gooden

Trowers & Hamlins, London

Paul Holland

Denton Wilde Sapte, London

John Inglis

Ashurst, London

Abradat Kamalpour

Ashurst, London

Saleem Malik

Berwin Leighton Paisner, London

Neil D Miller

Norton Rose, London

Habib Motani

Clifford Chance

10 Upper Bank Street
London E14 5JJ
UK
Tel: (44) 20 7006 1718
Email: habib.motani@cliffordchance.com
Website: www.cliffordchance.com

Habib Motani is a partner in Clifford Chance's finance and capital markets practices, where he heads up its derivatives group. He specialises in derivatives, structured capital markets products and investment banking sales and trading advisory and infrastructure issues. He is involved in a number of market initiatives to prepare market standard documentation for shariah compliant derivatives transactions and shariah-compliant repo transactions. He has worked on several shariah-compliant structured products for financial institution clients.

Salim Nathoo

Allen & Overy

One Bishops Square
London E1 6AD
UK
Tel: (44) 20 3088 0000
Fax: (44) 20 3088 0088
Email: salim.nathoo@allenovery.com
Website: www.allenovery.com

Salim is a partner at Allen & Overy specialising in both securitisation and Islamic finance work with a particular focus on developing innovative structures in Islamic finance. As a leading securitisation lawyer, Salim has built up considerable experience of residential, consumer and commercial assets, big ticket CMBS transactions, whole of business deals, structured covered bonds, equipment lease and auto finance transactions, EV securitisations, Japanese securitisations and pan-European receivables transactions.

Salim's recent experience includes advising Tamweel on its $210 million issuance of asset-backed notes – the first true-sale securitisation in both the UAE and the GCC region as a whole. (Islamic Finance News Awards 2007 – Best Structured Finance) and HSBC Bank as arranger and lead manager on UAE CMBS Vehicle No 1 Limited – the issuance of $63 million secured floating rate notes, the first CMBS in the UAE.

Tim Plews

Clifford Chance

10 Upper Bank Street
London E14 5JJ
UK
Tel: (44) 20 7006 1411
Email: tim.plews@cliffordchance.com
Website: www.cliffordchance.com

Tim Plews is a partner in the finance and capital markets practices of Clifford Chance in London, advising many of the world's leading financial institutions on the implications of financial services law and regulation.

Mr Plews advised Islamic Bank of Britain on its establishment in the UK and the grant of its banking licence by the Financial Services Authority: the first shariah compliant bank to be established in Europe or North America and has more recently advised European Islamic Investment Bank on its establishment in the UK. Mr Plews is also engaged on a number of assignments in the Middle East that are connected with the further development and institutionalisation of Islamic finance. He advised the Dubai International Finance Centre on the establishment of its legal and regulatory framework and has also advised the Dubai International Financial Exchange. He is now advising several leading financial institutions on setting up in the DIFC.

Mr Plews is also advising the Qatar Financial Centre Authority and also advising organisations interested in the QFC.

Mr Plews joined Clifford Chance in 1985, having read law at Cambridge University.

Mike Rainey

King & Spalding, London

Simon Sinclair

Clifford Chance

10 Upper Bank Street
London E14 5JJ
UK
Tel: (44) 20 7006 2977
Email: simon.sinclair@cliffordchance.com
Website: www.cliffordchance.com

Simon Sinclair is a partner in Clifford Chance's London capital markets practice. He specialises in equity and debt capital markets, Islamic finance and regulatory capital. He has worked on a number of significant sukuk transaction for both issuer and investment banking clients and has been involved in applying Islamic finance techniques to products such as equity-linked instruments.

Roger Wedderburn-Day

Allen & Overy

One Bishops Square
London E1 6AD
UK
Tel: (44) 20 3088 0000
Fax: (44) 20 3088 0088
Email: roger.wedderburn-day@allenovery.com
Website: www.allenovery.com

Roger Wedderburn-Day is a capital markets partner in the London office of Allen & Overy. He heads the emerging markets practice and has extensive experience advising on shariah-compliant transactions. Roger has built up a pre-eminent emerging markets practice covering in particular the Central and Eastern Europe and Middle East and North Africa regions where he has advised on a number of innovative and market first transactions.

Roger has also been involved in numerous international Islamic sukuk offerings including debut issues by Bahrain, Pakistan and Ras Al Khaimah, the first convertible sukuk in Kuwait, the first sukuk programmes in the UAE and Kuwait and a debut sukuk for the Dubai International Financial Centre (IFN sukuk transaction of the year 2007).

Roger also has extensive experience advising on a wide range of capital markets transactions in emerging and developed markets. Among other notable transactions, Roger acted on debut issues by the Governments of Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, among others.

In October 2007, Roger gained the Islamic Finance Qualification awarded by the Securities & Investments Institute and Ecole Superieure des Affaires and he is now studying for his postgraduate diploma in Islamic Banking and Insurance.

Hamid Yunis

Taylor Wessing, London

United States

Michael J T McMillen

Fulbright & Jaworski, New York

Isam Salah

King & Spalding, New York