EXPERTISE

Refki El-Mujtahed

Founding Director

As its Founding Director, Refki identified a need in the GCC market for strategic partnerships with clients to support their overall objectives and goals. He established REM in Dubai to facilitate these working relationships over the long term.

GET IN TOUCH

Born, raised, and educated in the UK, Refki El-Mujtahed brings a rare combination of global perspective and regional fluency to every engagement. A UK-qualified Solicitor with over 24 years of post-qualified experience, he is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and fluent in English, French, and Arabic. His areas of specialisation, spanning Business Affairs, Construction and Civil Engineering, International Law (Non-EC), Commercial Litigation, Civil and Commercial Mediation, and Mergers & Acquisitions, reflect a career built at the intersection of legal strategy, commercial insight, and cross-border complexity.


Refki has held several key positions such as Group General Counsel, Board Secretary, Compliance Officer, Chief Legal Officer, Senior Legal Consultant, and Legal Director in top-tier international companies in the GCC and UK. His experience with cross-border issues from the US, Europe, Asia, and MENA enhances the skills he offers for corporate assignments. The Founding Director’s extensive network enables us to create effective solutions for complex problems faced by corporate clients across various jurisdictions.



REM through its Founding Director possesses the expertise to assist its clients in establishing a comprehensive legal management strategy. This includes navigating complex discussions with business leaders across various areas such as Board Advisory, Commercial Mediation, EPC, Litigation Management, Procurement and Projects.

CREDENTIALS

Consultancy Services

Board Advisory

Provided comprehensive legal support to Chairmen, Board of Directors, Executive Committees, and C-Suite Officers on risk management, governance, and strategic objectives, ensuring effective business integration through clear communication.

Commercial Mediation

Engaged in numerous mediations, both pursuant to contractual agreements and independently, facilitating commercial settlements between Developers and Contractors at various stages of projects under dispute within the GCC.

EPC

Involved in construction related matters with extensive experience of all contracting model contracts such as:



  • Experienced in drafting and negotiating FIDIC, JCT, ICC, ACA, NEC, and iChemE contracts at both main and subcontractor levels, including JV/Consortium agreements, FEED engagements, and other pre-construction frameworks.


  • Developed a full suite of standardised contracts for major GCC projects, complete with risk matrix guidelines, and led contract training for procurement teams.

Litigation Management

Assisted in the management of multiple litigation disputes for clients such as:


  • Set a firm legal tone in the GCC by working with top consultants and counsel to deter weak or opportunistic claims.


  • Created and implemented a litigation tracking system across divisions, aligning with external counsel to drive favourable outcomes.


  • One of the first to secure UAE court orders (2009) for asset attachments, bond claims, and legal action on dishonoured cheques, setting early enforcement precedents.

Procurement

Managed and closed all forms of contracts for the procurement side of many businesses from creating standard T&Cs in conjunction with Purchase Orders to high-value supplier complex purchase agreements in multiple jurisdictions such as:


  • Closed critical Integrated Facility Management contracts across banking, tech, life sciences, and manufacturing sectors, valued between €50m–€250m+.


  • Negotiated flow-down provisions with global subcontractors for production line installations in the Emission Control and Battery Materials sectors (€100k–€5m).


  • Structured and led a €100m+ global joint venture with a new Data Centre Services (DCS) provider, assuming full operations from a major industry player.

Projects

Project Management Lead in business-critical Projects such as:


  • Reviewed and advised on gaps in tender related documentation for a KSA Public Investment Fund (PIF) Developer on a giga project.


  • Conducted background due diligence on contractors and subcontractors with various agents and contacts to ensure they are capable to undertake certain projects within the GCC region.



  • Led contract negotiations with a UAE Government Developer on two major museum projects and conducted post-award workshops for contractor project teams.


  • Oversaw contract risk reviews on critical Dubai projects, managing supplier and subcontractor claims to ensure smooth delivery and resolution.