72 December 2016 www.bahrainthismonth.com annualreview The law firm Hatim S. Zu’bi Attorneys & Legal Consultants was first established in Bahrain in 1971 by Hatim S Zu’bi, GBE, who is a qualified UK barrister and Bahraini advocate. At the time Bahrain was gaining its independence from Britain, following which, many of the island’s English-qualified legal practitioners and judges were leaving back to the UK. Following in his father’s footsteps, Qays H Zu’bi, read law at Cambridge University in the UK, having obtained his first Bachelor’s degree from Duke University in the USA. Mr Zu’bi joined his father’s legal practice in Bahrain before setting up his own international practice drawing on the experience gained from his association at the time with White & Case, Clifford Chance and Stikeman Elliott. Zu’bi & Partners is currently in its third generation, providing legal services to local and international clients in Bahrain and abroad, in matters of litigation, arbitration and dispute resolution, banking and finance, corporate and commercial, projects and construction, mergers and acquisitions and IP among others. The law firm has been recognised by leading international legal journals and directories such as the IFLR as the National Law Firm of the year 2016. Speaking of 2016’s challenges, Mr Zu’bi says: “Bahrain is an integral part of the international community be it in business, banking, commerce, trade or politics. As such, Bahrain is impacted by international and regional developments as well as having to deal with its own internal challenges. “Every year brings with it its own challenges and achievements. Markets around us are nervous; a reflection of the price of oil and other political instabilities in the region. As is evident today, governments in the region are tightening their belts and looking for other sources of income such as taxation, drawing on reserves and borrowing. This, going forward, would further impact businesses and people. “Like other businesses, the downturn in the economy has impacted the legal sector due to budget cuts, resulting in certain infrastructure projects being delayed. This has prompted an increase in litigation and arbitration out of fear of bankruptcies, and defaults.” Looking to the future, he adds: “The future remains challenging. We welcome a rise in oil prices to stabilise our economy, but we do not foresee it coming anytime soon. “As a result, with low oil prices and our reliance on our neighbouring countries for financial support, it is envisaged that we will encounter a slowing down in the economy. In the interim, we will have to recalibrate our economy, develop the sectors that would increase employment, setup clean industries which are labour intensive and support SMEs. We have to live with new realities by lessening our dependency on government and by pushing the private sector to invest more.” As a lawyer, he would like to see an overhaul in the legal sector. He says: “I would like to see fundamental changes towards improving our laws based on best international practises, enhancing the administration of our law courts and enacting tougher rules to regulate lawyers and experts. These are in addition to providing judges with support to fast track cases, which are annually on the increase, and providing them with on-the-job education, better pay and with further tools, knowledge and skills to enable them to deal with highly complex matters of banking and finance.” As well as being a practising lawyer, Mr Zu’bi has a number of other roles including being the Honorary Consul of Canada, and the President of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham Bahrain). In the three years since he took over as president, membership has grown from 22 to 166. He says: “AmCham is a powerhouse. Drawing on its international affiliation and network including a vast database, AmCham Bahrain has created platforms for knowledge sharing and networking through initiating events, roundtables, receptions and advocacy sessions aimed at enhancing trade and commerce between Bahrain and the USA. AmCham is concentrating on supporting SMEs by creating awareness including conducting industry-specific workshops in support of using the FTA (Free Trade Agreement), a powerful tool that could be used in many different ways. “Also, AmCham Bahrain has stepped into the role of AmCham MENA Council’s chair for the coming two years. In this regard, we will be hosting the MENA Council bi-annual forum in Bahrain in March 2017 to highlight investment opportunities for supporting SMEs.” The Legal Viewpoint Prominent international lawyer Qays H Zu’bi tells Liz O’Reilly that 2016 has been a year of challenges and outlines the changes he would like to see for the future. Qays H Zu’bi
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