John is an international disputes lawyer and now based in Riyadh.
He qualified as a solicitor with Eversheds in 1995 and became a partner in the firm’s London office in 2006. In 2008, he relocated to Abu Dhabi, when Eversheds set up its first office in the UAE, before returning to London in 2012.
Whilst back in the UK, a significant proportion of his practice remained in the Middle East and Africa. In 2018, he became head of Eversheds Sutherland’s Africa Group, responsible for the firm’s strategy across Africa as well as its engagement with the firm’s offices and alliance firms in over 35 jurisdictions across the continent.
In April 2023, John relocated to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to become the Senior Office Partner of Mohammed AlDhabaan & Partners Eversheds Sutherland.
For nearly 20 years, his practice has been focused on managing disputes across the Middle East and Africa. His practice in the UK has been focused mainly on disputes in the real estate sector.
John has also developed a particular specialism in the retirement living sector. In addition to advising on dispute related matters, John provides “front-end” advice on lease structures which accord with best practice in this sector.
Latest News
- firm newsEversheds Sutherland and AlDhabaan and Partners welcomes Musab Aljammaz as a partner in Riyadh
- firm newsCelebrating Collaborative Success - Our South Africa TMT team wins ‘TMT Team of the Year’ at the African Legal Awards 2022
- firm newsThe Eversheds Sutherland Africa Alliance hosts meeting in Dubai at Global Relationship Firm Conference 2020
firm news
November 11, 2024
Eversheds Sutherland and AlDhabaan and Partners welcomes Musab Aljammaz as ...
firm news
September 15, 2022
Celebrating Collaborative Success - Our South Africa TMT team wins ‘TMT Tea...
firm news
March 02, 2020
The Eversheds Sutherland Africa Alliance hosts meeting in Dubai at Global R...
John's experience in the Middle East and Africa includes:
- advising international companies in defending proceedings with a total value of US$7 billion in the courts of the UAE, Qatar, Egypt and Iraq
- advising an Indian multi-national company in relation to a USD 30 million dispute with its employer and JV partner arising from a project in KSA
- representing a multi-national online legal research and proprietary database company in multi-million pound defending proceedings in the Commercial Court in London brought by a privately owned company in KSA
- advising Kuwaiti investors in relation to a +USD 100m financial services dispute in the DIFC Courts
- advising on a +USD 200m ICC arbitration, seated in the DIFC in Dubai, relating to a project in Iraq. The matter has also involved proceedings in the DIFC Courts
- advising in relation to the enforcement of a +USD 100 million Swiss seated arbitration award against an Iraqi state owned entity with enforcement issues in Iraq, the Middle East, Europe and North America
- advising an African bank on a circa USD 10 million dispute involving proceedings in the English Courts and the enforcement on security in East Africa
- advising a US based defence consultant in relation to a USD 10 million dispute in the Abu Dhabi Courts which involved obtaining attachment orders over multiple assets owned by the counterparty defendant
- advising extensively on the enforcement of judgements and arbitral awards across Europe, the Middle East and Africa
In the UK, his practice has focused primarily on the real estate sector. His experience has included:
- advising on the implementation of a vacant possession strategy on the entire 300 hectare site of the London 2012 Olympic Games
- acting in all the five of the judicial review proceedings and statutory challenges relating to the Compulsory Purchase Order affecting the London 2012 Olympic Site (high stakes cases in which, if the claimants had been successful, London’s ability to host the London 2012 Olympic Games would been called into question)
- advising a Qatar based financial service institution on a dispute in relation to a property in Luxembourg which was valued at +USD 130 million, and which involved proceedings in the English Courts and enforcement proceedings in Luxembourg
- advising in High Court proceedings relating to the renowned Selfridges building in Birmingham and
- advising on contentious issues arising from a number of high profile developments within the City and West End of London