Umar Azmeh was appointed Registrar in October 2022, and oversees the management of cases before the Qatar International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre. He is also a member of the senior management team and the Judicial Advisory Board.

Umar qualified and practised as both a barrister and a solicitor in the United Kingdom. He has extensive legal experience including work in government (having worked for the Attorney General of England and Wales, and for the senior judiciary in the Court of Appeal), private practice and in-house. Since joining the QICDRC, he has, among other things, authored the guide to proceedings before the QFC Court (the User Guide, also known as the ‘Maroon Book’), and is the co-author of Azmeh and Nicol on the Law and Practice of the QFC Civil and Commercial Court and Regulatory Tribunal (1st Edition, LexisNexis UK, 2025).

Umar holds an LL.B. degree from King’s College, University of London, an M.Sc. degree from the University of Oxford (Worcester College) where he graduated first in his year, and a doctorate in law from the University of Oxford (St Anne’s College).

Andrew began practice at the Bar in 1991 after teaching law at Wadham College, Oxford, and KCL.  He was awarded the rank of King’s Counsel  in 2020 and joined Gatehouse Chambers in 2024.  He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and general editor of a leading practitioner textbook on interim remedies.

Andrew is an expert in commercial dispute resolution with substantial experience in fraud and asset tracing cases. He was recently involved as lead counsel in Mold Investments Ltd v Holloway [2025] EWHC 962, in which he persuaded the court to grant an innovative new injunction.

His practice has seen significant growth in international disputes. Recently, this has included:
•    Successfully handling a Swiss ad hoc arbitration related to a joint venture.
•    Providing expert advice to Cayman-based liquidators on settling English proceedings valued at over £100 million.
•    Representing Chinese clients in an ICE Arbitration concerning a real estate development dispute in London.

He is featured in both Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners UK Bar as a leading practitioner in several practice areas including Commercial Dispute Resolution, being described as “a brilliant barrister, with great technical knowledge and brilliant on his feet.  He is impossibly bright and always ten steps ahead, and there’s seemingly nothing he does not know the answer to.”   (Legal 500, 2025 edition)
 

Emily is an experienced commercial barrister specialising in all aspects of commercial and property law. She has particular expertise in areas such as commercial fraud, shareholder and company disputes, and secured lending.

Emily's practice increasingly involves international elements, with notable examples including: 

•    Acting as part of counsel team for the main Defendant in the landmark $1.5 billion civil fraud claim brought by the Danish Customs and Tax Administration: Skatteforvaltningen (SKAT) v Solo Capital Partners LLP and others — the longest-running trial in the history of the Commercial Court.

•    Acting as part of the counsel team in Lush Licensing Inc (1) Lush Handmade Cosmetics Ltd (2) v Lush Ltd: representing Lush Ltd in a multi-million pound dispute in the Commercial Court between the North American franchises and the UK parent company of the Lush retailing group.

•    Advising a UK-based third-party litigation funder in relation to litigation in California.

•    Acting as junior counsel in an anti-suit injunction application in the Commercial Court, relating to proceedings in Saudi Arabiaand the application of Article 34 of the Recast Brussels Regulation.

Emily is regularly instructed in arbitral proceedings and has particular experience of ad hoc arbitrations and those commenced under the LCIA rules.
Emily is ranked for Commercial Dispute Resolution in Chambers Global, Chambers UK, and The Legal 500.  She is described by Chambers & Partners as an “exceptional lawyer with very strong advocacy skills” and by The Legal 500 as a “formidable presence in court.”
 

Jonathan Brooks is a Senior Counsel at Al Tamimi & Company, with over 15 years of experience in litigation and dispute resolution. Jonathan specialises in commercial dispute resolution, and his cases often involve banking and financial services entities, but he has also acted for some of the largest businesses in the Middle East as well as multinationals carrying out business in the region.

Jonathan qualified in England but since 2018 has been part of Al Tamimi's International Litigation Group, which handles complex and high-value cross-border disputes across various sectors and industries. Jonathan has significant experience in fraud and asset recovery cases, injunctions and enforcement, as well as arbitration and mediation. He has represented clients in numerous jurisdictions, including ADGM, DIFC, QICDRC, as well as in the Courts of England and Wales.

Muna Al Kaabi is a Case Progression Officer at QICDRC, bringing diverse background and expertise to the role. Muna holds a B.A. in Art History from Virginia Commonwealth University and prior to joining the Court she previously worked at Qatar Museums for several years where she mastered the art of organisation and meticulous attention to detail.

She also holds an LL.M. in International Law and Foreign Affairs from HBKU College of Law with her thesis being recognized with the Outstanding LL.M. Thesis of 2024 Award. Currently, Muna is a Juris Doctor (J.D.) Candidate at HBKU College of Law further expanding her legal knowledge and expertise.