Leads the Middle East disputes practice.
Specializes in high-value, complex and cross-border commercial litigation and arbitration.
Regularly appears as an advocate before the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts and sits as an arbitrator in both domestic and international arbitrations.
Chair of the DIFC Authority Legislative Committee.
Based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since 2004.

Graham has been resident in Dubai for 22 years and co-leads Akin’s Middle East disputes practice.

He is a prominent figure in the region, focusing on high-value commercial litigation and arbitration, typically acting on complex and sensitive commercial disputes. The breadth of his client base includes international and regional blue-chip corporates, conglomerates, financial institutions and private equity houses, as well as companies across the power, energy and telecommunications sectors. Graham’s 30 years of disputes experience and seniority in the market enables him to interact effectively at senior management and board level, delivering pragmatic advice clearly and concisely.

Graham regularly appears as an advocate before the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts and has represented practitioners on the Court User’s Committee and Court Rules Committee. He also sits as an arbitrator in both domestic and international arbitrations, bringing an invaluable arbitrator’s perspective to the conduct and strategy of his cases.

Graham is recognized as a top-ranked, highly respected dispute practitioner in the region. He has been consistently ranked in Band 1 for Dispute Resolution in Chambers Global (both for the UAE and Middle East-wide) and is listed in the Hall of Fame for Dispute Resolution: Arbitration and International Litigation in The Legal 500 EMEA. He is further recommended by Who’s Who Legal as a leading litigation, arbitration and asset tracing lawyer in the UAE, and currently the only UAE lawyer ranked as a Thought Leader.

In addition to his practice, Graham is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), appointed by His Highness the Ruler of Dubai in 2019, and has chaired a number of sub-committees relating to the activities of DIAC and the DIAC Arbitration Court, including playing a key role in drafting the DIAC 2022 Rules (which introduced novel rules now copied by other arbitral institutions). He is also the Chairman of the DIFC Authority Legislative Committee, which reviews new and amended legislation in the DIFC for enactment into statute.

Outside of the law, Graham sits on the Board of Governors of Dubai College.

Representative Work

Acting for a claimant in several successful international arbitrations and DIFC Court claims, with a dispute value in excess of US $2.5 billion, connected to a failed telecommunications investment into Iraq.
Acting for the DIFC Authority in a US $500 million joint venture dispute (at the time, the largest dispute that went to trial in the DIFC).
Acting for a UAE conglomerate in a joint venture dispute concerning the alleged misappropriation of land that was contributed to the joint venture company.
Acting for a regional investment house in a dispute concerning financial arrangements under a complex US $100 million leasing arrangement.
Acting for a large regional bank in an investigation concerning alleged insider trading and market manipulation.
Acting in a multibillion-dollar ICC arbitration in Geneva concerning a dispute under a Shareholder’s Agreement relating to the initial public offering (IPO) of a European oil and gas company.
Acting for founding shareholders in a multimillion dollar dispute concerning the failed obligations of a minority shareholder to contribute debt-for-equity.

Education
L.P.C., College of Law, 1993
LL.B., Kingston University, London, 1992

Bar Admissions
Solicitor, England and Wales

Recognitions

Chambers Global, Dispute Resolution, Band 1 in both the Middle East-Wide and UAE, 2007-2025.
In 2025, Chambers cited client recommendations, “He is very well known, well respected and deservedly the market leader. He is an excellent advocate who is not easily rattled and he works very hard.” “He is a really pragmatic and goal-oriented lawyer.” “There is nobody who has a stronger depth of knowledge than Graham in terms of DIFC law.” “Graham is a very strong lawyer, a true strategist who is good at client relationships, and who has been at the forefront of arbitration changes in the region”
The Legal 500 EMEA, Dispute Resolution: Arbitration and International Litigation, UAE, 2021-2025.
The Legal 500 EMEA, Hall of Fame, Dispute Resolution: Arbitration and International Litigation, 2025.
Global Arbitration Review, GAR 100 Guide to Leading International Arbitration Practices, 2025.
Who’s Who Legal, Commercial Litigation Thought Leader, 2023; Recommended in Arbitration, 2023 and 2024; Commercial Litigation, 2023; Asset Recovery, 2023.
The Legal 500 UK, Fraud: Civil, 2024.
IFLR, Middle East Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, 2021.

Affiliations and Public Service

Member, Board of Directors of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC).
Chairman, DIFC Authority Legislative Committee.
Member, DIFC Court User’s Rules Sub-Committee.
Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (MCIArb).
Former Member, Steering Committee for the International Code Council (ICC) UAE.
Governor of Dubai College.