Maria is a Senior Associate in the Dispute Resolution team in Dubai, having practiced in the UAE for over 8 years. She has a wide ranging experience of general commercial litigation in the South African Courts, local UAE Courts, DIFC Courts, the ADGM Courts and in arbitration matters under the rules of the major arbitral institutions such the LCIA, DIFC-LCIA, DIAC and the ICC. Maria has recently been appointed by DIAC as an arbitrator in an ongoing arbitration case.

Maria has acted for major international corporations, airlines, banks and high net worth individuals, on a variety of complex, high value disputes (often with multi-jurisdictional implications), including but not limited to: real estate disputes, insurance disputes, shareholder disputes, commercial agency disputes, information technology disputes, trade finance disputes and disputes between hotel owners and hotel operators.

Maria also regularly advises on: (i) multi-jurisdictional enforcement of judgments and arbitral awards through the UAE Courts and through the Dubai International Financial Centre Courts in the UAE and (ii) asset recovery, such as asset tracing and recovery of assets.

Admissions

• Law Society of the Northern Provinces in Johannesburg, South Africa
• Chair of the Hadef & Partners Sports & Social Committee

• Representing a large hotel owner in DIFC-LCIA arbitration proceedings commenced by a leading hotel operator under various hotel agreements. The claim value was approximately USD 20 million.
• Representing a large UAE real estate developer (as Respondent) in respect of a real estate claim against a Government owned real estate master developer. The arbitration proceedings were commenced under the DIAC Arbitration Rules with a Dubai seat. The contract was governed by Dubai law. The Claimant’s claim against the Respondent was valued as approximately USD 424,227,820.05.
• Acting as legal counsel for a well-known UAE company selling petroleum products in a DIAC arbitration, which is seated in the DIFC and the relevant contract is governed by English law. The claim is value is approximately AED 20 million.
• Representing a well-known company incorporated in Germany and its appointed trustee in arbitration proceedings commenced under the ICC Rules for a wrongful encashment of a performance bond. The seat of the arbitration was Abu Dhabi and the governing law was the UAE Law.
• Representing three Chinese companies (as Defendants) which are part of a large Chinese state owned conglomerate group of companies, in a fraud claim before the DIFC Court proceedings. The claim was estimated to be in the region of USD 27 million to USD 45 million.
• Representing a large group of companies in the healthcare sector in in 4 separate sets of DIFC Court proceedings filed against them by various financial institutions. The total value of the claims was for over AED 700 million.
• Acting for a prominent UAE Bank in DIFC Proceedings in respect of the enforcement of a share pledge over a Defendant’s shares in a company registered in the DIFC and which shares were registered on the Nasdaq Dubai.
• Successfully representing a lender and world leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment in several DIFC Court proceedings in respect of unpaid loans. The total value of the total claims was in excess of USD 25 million.
• Acting for a large Russian Bank in respect of enforcing a Russian judgment in the amount of USD 15 million via the DIFC Court (as a conduit court) and then enforcing the DIFC Court judgment in onshore Dubai against the Defendant's assets.
• Representing leading healthcare management companies in claims brought against them in the ADGM Court.