Syed Mujtaba Hussain

Syed Mujtaba Hussain is the visionary founder and Managing Partner of Emirates Legal, a high-caliber boutique law firm headquartered in the United Arab Emirates. He also spearheads Emirates Legal Limited, a firm regulated by the Astana International Financial Centre in Kazakhstan.

Licensed by the Bar Council of India since 1995, Mujtaba holds consultancy licenses in both the UAE and the AIFC, Kazakhstan. He has earned the distinction of being a registered practitioner in the Courts of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), AIFC Courts in Kazakhstan, and various High Courts across India.

Under Mujtaba's leadership, Emirates Legal is authorized to litigate in the DIFC Courts, ADGM Courts, and the AIFC Courts. With a formidable presence in the courtroom, he has played a pivotal role in leading cases in both DIFC and Indian Courts. Furthermore, he has demonstrated unmatched expertise in arbitration, having served as lead counsel in 29 DIAC Arbitrations in the UAE and two in the DIFC, achieving 25 client-favorable awards.

A trailblazer in academia, Mujtaba is the first Muslim in India and the first Kashmiri graduate from the renowned National Law School of India University in Bangalore. He holds a master's degree in international law from the University of Essex, UK, and a second Master's focusing on International Commercial Arbitration from the Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley. Mujtaba has been the recipient of prestigious scholarships and accolades including the H.W. & N. Robinson Scholarship from UC Berkeley, and the Pundit Foundation Scholarship as an outstanding Indian scholar. He has also been an esteemed member of the International Advisory Committee at Boalt Hall and currently serves as the coordinator for Boalt Alumni in the Middle East.

Mujtaba's diverse practice spans advising both local and international clientele on matters such as private equity, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, real estate disputes, and more. He has successfully negotiated settlements and advised on multi-million-dollar projects in the Gulf and beyond. Some notable achievements include a 2 billion Dirham deal for a Chinese company with a top-tier Dubai real estate firm and a $150 million claim in the DIFC Courts. Most recently, he brokered a $180 million deal for a cement plant in the Middle East and secured a $200 million investment in a Kazakh cement plant.

Prior to launching Emirates Legal in 2009, Mujtaba had an illustrious career, which included working for a leading Indian law firm, appearing before the Supreme Court of India, serving the United Nations in Geneva, and holding the position of General Counsel at a premier investment bank in Dubai. A prolific speaker, Mujtaba frequently lectures across the CIS countries, Indian law schools, Eastern Europe, and throughout Asia. He has contributed thought leadership through papers and presentations at legal conferences worldwide.