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March 22, 2024
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Christopher R. Williams
Christopher R. Williams is the Managing Partner of the Dubai office and a senior corporate and commercial lawyer with deep-rooted experience advising clients across the Middle East. Resident in the UAE since 2008, Chris combines strong regional insight with commercial pragmatism, guiding both the strategic leadership of the Dubai office and a broad, active legal practice.
Chris advises on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, complex commercial agreements, and general corporate advisory matters. He also has significant experience advising on labour and employment issues—both contentious and non-contentious—and in managing litigation and disputes within the UAE legal framework, including the DIFC and ADGM.
Clients value Chris’s ability to identify key commercial and legal risks quickly and to deliver clear, practical solutions in fast-moving and often high-stakes situations.
Rankings & Recognition
- Band 1, Commercial Contracts – UAE, Chambers Global (2025)
- Ranked, UAE Corporate/Commercial, Chambers Global (2014–2025)
- Ranked, UAE Commercial, Corporate & M&A, The Legal 500 EMEA (2013–2018, 2022–2023, 2025)
- Best Lawyers UAE, Corporate Law (2014–2023)
Chambers Global 2025 notes that Chris is:
“A brilliant lawyer and a pleasure to work with… responsive and practical. He is able to spot issues and address key items quickly.”
Expertise
- Corporate and commercial advisory
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Joint ventures
- Complex commercial agreements
- Labour and employment (contentious and non-contentious)
- Corporate governance and regulatory compliance
- Cryptocurrency and blockchain-related matters
Industry Focus
- Manufacturing
- Energy
- Defence and aerospace
- Media and entertainment
- Technology, IT and software
- Professional services
Representative Experience
Chris has advised a diverse range of international and regional clients, including:
- General Motors, across the Middle East on dealership arrangements, supply chain contracts, employment matters, compliance, and financing structures.
- ECF SAS on the acquisition of UAE-based Chabowski Trading LLC.
- Sony Music Entertainment on the acquisition of Egyptian superstar Amr Diab’s music catalogue—the first transaction of its kind in the Middle East—and subsequent album arrangements.
- Gravity Industries Limited on its UAE operations, including arrangements with the Dubai Sports Council.
- Publicly traded companies including ChampionX, Hoya Corporation, Allied Telesis, Brunswick Corporation, Brunel Energy, and Dynatrace on corporate transactions, commercial contracts, and employment matters.
- Dover Corporation and its operating groups on corporate, commercial, regulatory, and employment matters across the GCC.
- Defence contractors on UAE business operations and compliance with offset obligations.
- Employers and senior executives on employment contracts, LTIPs, restrictive covenants, investigations (including whistleblowing), redundancies, Emiratisation and pension obligations, disputes, and settlement agreements across onshore UAE, DIFC, and ADGM.
Credentials
Education
- Legal Practice Course (LPC), College of Law, Chester (2001)
- Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), University of Liverpool (2000)
Admissions
- Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England & Wales
Affiliations
- Law Society of England & Wales
Managing Partner – Dubai
Corporate & Commercial | M&A | Employment
đź“Ť Dubai