Curtis Law in Muscat

On Tour with Curtis: Inside an International Law Firm

An insight into the dynamic legal landscape in the Sultanate of Oman and what it’s like to practice law in Curtis’s office in their vibrant capital city, Muscat. Curtis is one of the very few international law firms with a base there, offering both international and Omani law under one roof.

In this episode, Kate meets with a mix of lawyers at different stages of their careers, with varied disputes and corporate backgrounds, who work closely with the firm’s global network of clients and colleagues.

· Simon Ward – Managing Partner in Muscat on Oman’s rapid development and how that has spawned specialisms in construction litigation and arbitration as well as aviation and shipping litigation. He unpacks his work with the London Court of International Court (LCIA) and the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC). And we find out why he sometimes needs to slip on a lifejacket over his suit.

· Corporate International group associate, Linna Al Kendi, discusses her work with clients on corporate and commercial matters, including defending Omani companies in proceedings before the US Ministry of Commerce. She talks about her early experience as a litigator in Oman’s regional courts, and her determination to become a lawyer at a time when nearly all Omani lawyers were men!

· Sophia Briffa, now a senior corporate associate in Curtis London, explains how she came to spend the first year of her English law training contract working in Oman. She speaks interestingly on some of the cultural differences in business customs between Oman and the UK, as well as differences in client interactions in these parts of the world.