Bushra joined Mishcon de Reya as Partner and Head of Disputes in Dubai, where she leads the firm’s disputes and arbitration offering across the Middle East. Her practice focuses on high-value cross-border litigation, international arbitration, digital assets, enforcement and strategically significant disputes across the UAE and wider GCC region.
She is an award-winning barrister, arbitrator and litigation specialist with over 20 years’ experience advising on complex commercial disputes, international arbitration and cross-border enforcement matters. She specialises in high-value, multi-jurisdictional litigation and arbitration across commercial, financial services, employment, regulatory and private wealth disputes.
Based in Dubai since 2013, Bushra is one of the region’s leading disputes practitioners and regularly appears before the DIFC Courts and in major arbitrations seated across the Middle East and internationally. She advises corporates, UHNWIs, family offices, financial institutions and sovereign-linked entities on strategically sensitive disputes, often involving parallel proceedings across multiple jurisdictions.
Her practice has a particular focus on asset recovery, enforcement and the strategic use of interim remedies, including freezing injunctions, proprietary relief and urgent cross-border applications. She is also recognised for her work in digital assets and emerging technologies, having acted in some of the first cryptocurrency disputes before the DIFC Courts and advised on regulatory and contentious issues relating to crypto assets and blockchain technology.
Bushra has acted in a number of landmark DIFC matters which have helped shape the development of DIFC jurisprudence. Her experience includes acting in the first financial mis-selling claim in the DIFC involving litigation funding and being the first lawyer in the DIFC to enter into and litigate a third-party funding arrangement (Vannin Capital PCC PLC v Khorafi & KBH). She also acted in Asif Adil, the first case to test Article 19 of the DIFC Employment Law, and in Huobi v Tabarak, the first cryptocurrency dispute before the DIFC Courts’ Technology and Construction Division and subsequent Court of Appeal proceedings concerning digital assets and the scope of DIFC exemptions.
Her practice also includes significant construction, shareholder, partnership and family business disputes, with a strong emphasis on strategic risk management, interim relief and cross-border enforcement outcomes.
In addition to her court practice, Bushra serves as presider, sole arbitrator and co-arbitrator under a range of institutional rules, including ICC, LCIA, formerly DIFC-LCIA and DIAC, across commercial and construction disputes. She sits on the Advisory Board of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) and is President of the UAE branch of the International Law Association (ILA). She is also a frequent speaker on international arbitration, digital assets, enforcement and emerging dispute trends.
Bushra has received a number of industry recognitions for her disputes practice, including DIFC Lawyers’ Lawyer of the Year (2015), Litigator of the Year, and Litigation Team of the Year.
Key Experience
- Acted in Khorafi v Sarasin Alpen, the first DIFC financial mis-selling claim supported by litigation funding, including the first third-party funding arrangement litigated before the DIFC Courts, helping establish important principles relating to financial services disputes, litigation funding and enforcement.
- Represented the first defendant in Huobi OTC DMCC v Tabarak Investment Capital Limited, the first cryptocurrency dispute before the DIFC Courts’ Technology and Construction Division, and subsequent Court of Appeal proceedings concerning digital assets and the interpretation of DIFC exemptions.
- Acted in China State v Zaya Holdings, a landmark DIFC Court of Appeal matter concerning the scope of the DIFC Courts’ powers to order the examination of debtors and assets located outside the jurisdiction in support of enforcement proceedings.
- Acting for Sakshi Resources in a cross-border aircraft dispute involving urgent out-of-hours injunctive relief proceedings before the English Commercial Court and emergency proceedings in Québec, Canada, in support of ICC arbitration proceedings.
- Acting for China State Construction in ADGM Court proceedings involving a jurisdictional and procedural challenge arising out of ICC arbitration proceedings, including issues concerning tribunal constitution, arbitral process and the supervisory role of the Court of the seat.
- Acting for shareholders and UHNW family members in complex cross-border disputes arising out of the restructuring of a major family business group, involving allegations concerning beneficial ownership, corporate control, fiduciary duties and parallel proceedings across multiple jurisdictions.
- Acting for a senior executive in Paramjit Kahlon v Liberty Holdings, a USD 30 million DIFC employment dispute involving LTIP entitlements, whistleblowing, discrimination allegations and complex jurisdictional issues arising across multiple group entities.
- Acted for senior executives, partners and regulated professionals in DIFC employment and discrimination disputes involving termination, victimisation, remuneration, bonus entitlements and reputational issues.
- Acted in DIFC and onshore UAE proceedings concerning the recognition, enforcement and asset recovery of judgments and arbitral awards across multiple jurisdictions, including applications for freezing orders and urgent interim relief.
- Acted in ICC, DIFC-LCIA and DIAC arbitrations arising out of commercial, shareholder and construction disputes, including related court applications for injunctive and enforcement relief.
Career History
Partner & Head of Dispute Resolution (DIFC), KBH, Dubai
Barrister/Tenant, Ely Place Chambers, London
Door Tenant, Hatton Chambers, London
Visiting Lecturer in Law , Middlesex University, Dubai
Articles & Publications
- Insurance issues arising from the conflict in Iran
- Contributor to Business Law Journal on international dispute resolution and arbitration across the GCC.
- Contributor to PLC Magazine on arbitration and commercial disputes.
- Contributor to International Arbitration Review.