Sultan Al-Abdulla & Partners’ litigation team handles civil litigation in all three levels of the Qatar court system being the Court of First Instance, the Court of Appeal, and Qatar’s highest court the Court of Cassation.
Civil Litigation
We assist our clients in developing a litigation strategy at the outset of a dispute including evaluations of the relative strengths and weakness of the parties’ positions and recommendations on actions to preserve or enhance our clients’ claims. We provide clear guidance on court procedures and procedural rules that are very unfamiliar to many of our clients. We draft pleadings, of course, which are required to be in Arabic, and ensure proper coordination with our clients who are not Arabic speakers.
SAP has a particular expertise in litigating (and arbitrating) construction disputes. The firm has handled some of the highest value construction disputes in Qatar with multi-billions of dollars at issue. We are experts in the issues that commonly arise between parties to design, engineering, procurement and construction contracts in Qatar, including:
- Contractor’s Standard of Care
- Change Orders and Variations
- Claims for Extensions of Time and Prolongation Costs
- Liquidated Damages
- Acceleration Claims
- Concurrent Delay
- Apportionment of Liability
- Contractual Notice and Time Bar Provisions
- Failures to comply with contractual processes and procedures
Criminal Litigation
In Qatar, criminal litigation can be initiated by the State of Qatar or by a company or individual on its own initiative. SAP represents companies and, where interests are aligned, their employees in asserting and defending criminal claims.
Enforcement Proceedings – Qatar Court Judgements & Arbitral Awards
SAP has extensive experience representing clients before the Enforcement Court without regard to the identity or status of the judgement creditor. We have knowledge based on experience of the procedural laws applicable to enforcement proceedings and the practical manner in which Qatar courts act. We often work with advisers outside of Qatar who identify money or assets of a judgement / award debtor in Qatar, and have participated in multi-jurisdictional efforts to monetise court judgements and arbitral awards. We represented a considerable number of clients in proceedings to enforce arbitral awards, and have undertaken proceedings to annul or contest enforcement of arbitral awards.
