Dual-qualified (England and Wales, Australia) partner in the international disputes practice.
Practice focuses on the largest, most complex and high-stakes commercial disputes—frequently “bet the company” matters—across arbitration and litigation, including shareholder and joint venture disputes, post M&A disputes, professional negligence, civil fraud and asset recovery.
Ranked as a Global Elite Thought Leader by Lexology for Arbitration and Professional Negligence, included in Lexology’s Arbitration 2026 – Most Highly Regarded in EMEA, and sits as arbitrator in both domestic and international arbitrations.
Experienced in sensitive internal investigations, and in global asset tracing and enforcement mandates.
His clients include sovereign and government-related entities, financial institutions, investment funds, listed and unlisted corporates and conglomerates and family offices.

Shane is a partner in Akin’s international disputes practice, based in the Dubai office. Shane co-heads our disputes offering in the Middle East, together with Graham Lovett. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb).

For over 13 years, Shane has acted for clients on their most significant, high-stakes and business critical disputes in the Middle East—frequently “bet the company” matters with values in the hundreds of millions to billions of dollars.

Shane regularly acts for governments and state-owned entities in the region, including advising the DIFC Authority on major reforms to the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Arbitration Law that went for consultation in 2026, defending a Middle Eastern government entity in International Court of Arbitration (ICC) arbitration proceedings relating to termination of a management contract, and advising a government entity on jurisdictional defences to a c. U.S $600 million claim in the English courts.

He has significant experience across both arbitration and litigation in the DIFC, Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), English and regional Middle Eastern courts. Shane has particular experience handling claims relating to shareholder and joint venture disputes, post mergers & acquisitions (M&A) disputes, professional negligence, civil fraud and asset recovery/enforcement mandates, and a range of related commercial claims across various industries.

Shane has a broad arbitration practice, advising clients on arbitrations under all major institutional rules (including Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), ArbitrateAD, Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) Rules). He has experience across a range of industries, including technology, telecommunications, financial services, funds, government and real estate. He regularly sits as an arbitrator, in both domestic and international arbitrations, and is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

In recognition of Shane’s market leading knowledge in arbitration (as both counsel and arbitrator), he is included in the Lexology Index: Arbitration 2026 – Most Highly Regarded in EMEA, an index of the most highly regarded arbitration practitioners worldwide.

Shane also assists clients with global asset tracing and enforcement mandates and the monetisation of judgments and arbitral awards. He is regularly called upon to advise on global enforcement strategy, utilising a variety of information gathering tools (including Norwich Pharmacal orders and § 1782 applications in the U.S Courts) and leveraging local and foreign court processes to achieve these aims. As a dual-qualified English solicitor based in the region, Shane is increasingly instructed by Middle Eastern clients to act on high-value litigation in the English courts, including jurisdiction and enforcement disputes, providing a seamless bridge between the two jurisdictions.

Additionally, Shane supports clients with sensitive internal investigations, including in relation to alleged fraud, wrongdoing and bribery and corruption.

Shane is recognised as a Leading Individual in Chambers & Partners’ UAE Dispute Resolution guide. Clients describe him as “exceptional” and “one of the cleverest lawyers they have worked with”. Legal 500 also recognised him as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ for Dispute Resolution: Arbitration and International Litigation.

Representative Work

Acted for a listed Middle Eastern entity on a U.S $1 billion joint venture dispute relating to the mismanagement of a telecommunications company in Iraq and misappropriation of shareholding, including DIFC Court injunction proceedings, ICC arbitration proceedings, Lebanese Arbitration and Mediation Center (LAMC) arbitration proceedings and DIFC Court derivative claims and enforcement applications.
Advised a regional entity on a c. U.S $4 billion fraudulent trading claim threatened in the ADGM Courts pursuant to the ADGM Insolvency Regulations, and an associated investigation.
Acted for a Middle Eastern developer in relation to a shareholder dispute with a minority shareholder concerning a major real estate venture in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including advising on parallel expert determination/valuation and DIAC arbitration processes.
Advised a Middle Eastern entity in relation to potential jurisdiction challenges in the English Courts in relation to a c. U.S $600 million claim.
Acted for an investment entity on a sensitive, high-value funds arbitration, including overseeing applications for urgent injunctive relief in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Cayman Islands Courts and acting on an expedited LCIA arbitration.

Acted for the DIFC Authority in relation to substantial amendments to the DIFC Arbitration Law that went to consultation in 2026.
Acted for a Syndicate of Banks in a U.S $300 million DIFC Court claim in respect of unpaid conventional, Islamic and hedging liabilities, including claims for permanent freezing orders and mandatory orders requiring the provision of security, and an application for an anti-suit injunction to restrain parallel proceedings in the onshore Dubai Courts.
Acted for a Middle Eastern conglomerate in ICC arbitral proceedings relating to the unlawful misappropriation of land in the Middle East, including acting as strategic counsel to coordinate various related proceedings in the onshore courts and advising on potential Investor-State claims for denial of justice.
Defended a Middle Eastern government entity in connection with a U.S $20+ million ICC arbitration for wrongful termination of a management agreement relating to the application of an Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) performance test.
Acted on a U.S $190 million professional negligence claim against a firm of solicitors relating to alleged negligence in the conduct of a financing transaction, including acting for the clients during a mediation of the claim.
Acted for a professional services firm in defence of a U.S $128 million claim in the DIFC Courts relating to the failure of a Middle Eastern Bank, involving allegations of failure to detect money laundering red flags, deceit and negligence.
Advised on a professional negligence claim, for amounts in excess of U.S $100 million, against an audit firm in the onshore UAE Courts.
Acted for a Bank in relation to a threatened U.S $75 million claim in the DIFC Courts and a threatened Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) investigation, relating to alleged breaches of the DIFC Regulatory Law, including in relation to client classification and suitability.
Acted on a c. U.S $50 million enforcement action in the English Courts to enforce two Dubai Court of Cassation Judgments, involving allegations of forgery, fraudulent misrepresentation and breaches of natural justice in the underlying Dubai Court proceedings.
Acted for a multinational corporation in connection with a major data breach, including injunctive relief proceedings in the DIFC Courts against ‘persons unknown’.
Acted for a high-net-worth individual in respect of potential proprietary and equitable claims relating to an insolvent entity in the Cayman Islands arising from the collapse of a private equity (PE) fund in the Middle East.
Acted for a Middle Eastern State in various Dispute Advisory Board proceedings and SIAC arbitral proceedings in relation to a stalled development project.

List may include matters worked on prior to joining Akin.

Acted for the DIFC Authority in relation to substantial amendments to the DIFC Arbitration Law that went to consultation in 2026.
Acted for a Syndicate of Banks in a U.S $300 million DIFC Court claim in respect of unpaid conventional, Islamic and hedging liabilities, including claims for permanent freezing orders and mandatory orders requiring the provision of security, and an application for an anti-suit injunction to restrain parallel proceedings in the onshore Dubai Courts.
Acted for a Middle Eastern conglomerate in ICC arbitral proceedings relating to the unlawful misappropriation of land in the Middle East, including acting as strategic counsel to coordinate various related proceedings in the onshore courts and advising on potential Investor-State claims for denial of justice.
Defended a Middle Eastern government entity in connection with a U.S $20+ million ICC arbitration for wrongful termination of a management agreement relating to the application of an Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) performance test.
Acted on a U.S $190 million professional negligence claim against a firm of solicitors relating to alleged negligence in the conduct of a financing transaction, including acting for the clients during a mediation of the claim.
Acted for a professional services firm in defence of a U.S $128 million claim in the DIFC Courts relating to the failure of a Middle Eastern Bank, involving allegations of failure to detect money laundering red flags, deceit and negligence.
Advised on a professional negligence claim, for amounts in excess of U.S $100 million, against an audit firm in the onshore UAE Courts.
Acted for a Bank in relation to a threatened U.S $75 million claim in the DIFC Courts and a threatened Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) investigation, relating to alleged breaches of the DIFC Regulatory Law, including in relation to client classification and suitability.
Acted on a c. U.S $50 million enforcement action in the English Courts to enforce two Dubai Court of Cassation Judgments, involving allegations of forgery, fraudulent misrepresentation and breaches of natural justice in the underlying Dubai Court proceedings.
Acted for a multinational corporation in connection with a major data breach, including injunctive relief proceedings in the DIFC Courts against ‘persons unknown’.
Acted for a high-net-worth individual in respect of potential proprietary and equitable claims relating to an insolvent entity in the Cayman Islands arising from the collapse of a private equity (PE) fund in the Middle East.
Acted for a Middle Eastern State in various Dispute Advisory Board proceedings and SIAC arbitral proceedings in relation to a stalled development project.

List may include matters worked on prior to joining Akin.

“He is very sharp, eloquent, insightful, strategic and absolutely motivated by client work and solving the problem by getting to the root of the issue.”

Chambers Global, 2025