Joseph Chedrawe
DIFC
Office 1207 Index Tower
P.O. Box 504945
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Joseph Chedrawe is an accomplished disputes practitioner recognized as a Global Leader in Arbitration by Who’s Who Legal who describes that “he always impresses with his exceptional legal mind and laser focus on developing the very best strategy for a winning case” and “when it comes to construction and engineering disputes, he is an absolute powerhouse.” Joseph is the managing partner of the firm’s Dubai office. He has experience in more than 30 countries across four continents, particularly in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. He has acted as counsel in more than 40 international engineering, construction, and commercial arbitrations under all of the major arbitral institutions and in ad-hoc proceedings. He also litigates cross-border disputes and appears before the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts.
Joseph represents multinational corporations, state entities, and private clients in large-scale, high-value disputes, with a focus on mega projects in the energy, infrastructure, industrial, and residential sectors. Prior to the Middle East, Joseph practiced in Canada, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. He is a qualified barrister and solicitor and a skilled advocate before courts and arbitral tribunals. He is also regularly called upon to sit as an independent arbitrator, especially in relation to disputes in the Middle East, both in ad hoc claims and under the auspices of the major arbitral institutions. He has experience in investigations as well.
Experience Highlights
Advising a global contractor in an ICC arbitration regarding a major infrastructure project in Saudi Arabia
Advising a European contractor in litigation and arbitration regarding waste-to-energy facilities in Europe
Advising a group of shareholders before the Court of First Instance and Court of Appeal of the Dubai International Financial Centre in relation to a technology dispute
Advising a multinational pharmaceutical company in relation to Saudi regulation
Advising the majority shareholder of a major food delivery application in relation to a sale and purchase dispute in the Middle East
Acted on the Monitor Team for the Middle East and Africa in respect of a five-year United States Department of Justice monitorship of a major global financial institution
Advising a UAE contractor in an arbitration regarding a major housing project in Dubai
Advising a Hong Kong based company in a SIAC arbitration regarding an agreement in relation to one of the largest UAE energy projects
Advising a Japanese and South Korean engineering and construction consortium in an arbitration regarding the engineering and construction of a multibillion dollar fertiliser complex in North Africa
Advising a Gulf Cooperation Council government entity in two expert determinations and an arbitration regarding the construction and ongoing operations of a multibillion dollar independent water and power plant
Advising a Gulf Cooperation Council government entity in an arbitration regarding the termination of a waste management contract
Advising a consortium of South Korean contractors in an arbitration relating to the construction of a high-value coal-fired power plant in Africa
Advising a South Korean engineering and construction company in an arbitration regarding the construction of the world’s largest strategic water storage and recovery system in the Gulf Cooperation Council area
Advising a Middle Eastern telecommunications company in a matter before Saudi Arabian regulatory authorities
Advising a Gulf Cooperation Council government entity in an adjudication relating to the construction of a major housing project
Advising a Saudi Arabian metals company in a dispute regarding a high-value aluminium-rolling facility in Saudi Arabia
Advising an oil and gas joint venture in a dispute over the assignment of a production-sharing agreement
Advising a Bahraini company in an arbitration regarding the performance of a dredging contract
Advising a UAE developer in a dispute regarding the construction of two hotels in Dubai
Advising a Canadian telecommunications company in a dispute with an American signal provider
Advising a Canadian energy company in a cross-border litigation regarding the construction of an oil platform
Credentials
- University of Oxford, UK (master of philosophy in law, 2010)
- University of Oxford, UK (bachelor of civil law, 2009)
- Dalhousie Law School, Canada (bachelor of laws, 2005)
- Dalhousie University, Canada (bachelor of arts, 2002)
In 2005, Joseph was selected as a law clerk for the Honourable Justice Daniele Tremblay-Lamer at the Federal Court of Canada. He then practiced in Canada before working in the United Kingdom as a lecturer in law at the University of Oxford, and as a foreign lawyer with the Legal Resources Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has practiced in Dubai since 2012.
His country experience includes: Algeria, Bahrain, Dominican Republic, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Madagascar, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Tanzania, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, Yemen, and Zambia.
- Who’s Who Legal (Law Business Research Ltd.); Future Leaders – Non-Partners, 2018, 2019, and 2020; Future Leaders – Partners, 2021 (UAE); Global Leaders – Partners, 2022
- Visiting Lecturer in International Arbitration, Schulich Law School at Dalhousie University
- Founder and Co-Chair, YConstruction (Young International Construction Practitioners)
- Advisory Board of the Young Canadian Arbitration Practitioners
- Member, International Chamber of Commerce
- Member, ICC Canada Arbitration Committee
- Member, ICC Canada Arbitrator Nominations Committee
- Global Advisory Board, International Centre for Dispute Resolution, Young & International group
- Nova Scotia, Canada (Barrister and Solicitor)
- Dubai Legal Affairs Department (Legal Consultant)
- Dubai International Financial Centre Courts (Advocate)
- Solicitors Regulation Authority (Registered Foreign Lawyer)
- French (fluent)
- Arabic (fluent)
- InsightSeptember 29, 2021
- InsightMay 28, 2021
- InsightApril 8, 2021
- InsightMarch 29, 2021
- Rankings & AwardsDecember 16, 2020
- InsightOctober 14, 2020
- InsightJanuary 23, 2020
V&E International Dispute Resolution & Arbitration Update
- “FIDIC 2017 – A Golden Goose or the Curate’s Egg?” GAR Live Construction Disputes, April 12, 2018 (panelist)
- “New Developments in International Arbitration: Tour d’horizon,” ICC Canada International Arbitration Conference 2017: Arbitration in a Dangerous Time, November 9, 2017 (panelist)
- “4 Hot-Button Issues in Saudi all Project Owners and Contractors Should Know“
- “GAR’s Construction Arbitration Know-how – Saudi Arabia“
- “FIDIC Red Book 2017: Top 7 Changes,” V&E Construction Disputes Update E-communication, February 8, 2018
- “Liquidated Damages for Delay in the Middle East: Not Etched in Stone,” BCDR International Arbitration Review 4, no. 1, 2017
- “Enforcing Foreign Judgments in the UAE: The Uncertain Future of the DIFC Courts as a Conduit Jurisdiction,” Dispute Resolution International, Vol 11 No 2, September 2017
- “Overview: The Middle East”, Global Arbitration Review (updated February 2017) (co-author)
- “New Dubai PPP Law”, Construction Law International (June 2016) (co-author)
- “Arbitration Clauses and the Dubai Government”, International Law Office Publication (18 December 2014) (co-author)
- “Efficiency in Arbitration Clauses” Lex Arbitri: YCAP Newsletter (Summer 2013)
Conference and Seminar Presentations
- Faculty, SIAC Middle East Academy, 7 April 2021 (speaker)
- “Young ITA Roundtable”, 32nd Annual ITA Workshop and Annual Meeting, 17 June 2020 (speaker)
- Global Arbitration Review’s GAR Live Construction Disputes conference, April 12, 2018 (speaker)
- Co-organiser and moderator, Young MENA Arbitration Groups Event, Dubai Arbitration Week, 14 November 2017
- “Enforcing a binding expert determination in the Middle East: key challenges and potential solutions”, ICC YAF Conference, Dubai Arbitration Week, 13 November 2017
- “Arbitration in a Dangerous Time,” ICC Canada International Arbitration Conference, 10 November 2017
- “A World Tour of Developments in Arbitration”, Update on the Middle East and Africa, YCAP Fall Symposium, in conjunction with ICC Canada Conference, Toronto (13 October 2016)
- “PPPs: Overview, Risk, and Legal Environment”, Hill International Seminar, Dubai (30 March 2016) and Doha (2 August 2016)
- “Managing the Arbitration Process”, Grand Panel, Kluwer International Arbitration Summit: Qatar and the Middle East, Doha (10 June 2015)