Marcus Whitfield

Preferred

Dispute Resolution Arbitration Lawyer in Dubai

0.0(0 Reviews)

Dubai

16 years

Member since 2026

About

English barrister called to the Bar by Lincoln's Inn in 2009 and registered with the DIFC Courts. Specialist in DIAC, ICC, and LCIA arbitrations across the GCC energy, construction, and infrastructure sectors, with sole-counsel experience on 30+ tribunals. Counsel on awards exceeding USD 400 million combined value. Co-author of two chapters in the LexisNexis UAE Arbitration Handbook (2024 edition) and the 2023 Practical Law GCC Construction Disputes overview. Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Fellow grade). Appointed three times as tribunal-secretary in ad-hoc arbitrations seated in Dubai. Regular speaker at the GCC Arbitration Lab and Cambridge International Construction Law Programme.

Practice Areas

Dispute Resolution ArbitrationConstructionCorporate CommercialMaritime ShippingCivil Litigation

Languages Spoken

English, Arabic

Office Location

Currency House Tower 1, Level 8, DIFC, Dubai

Website

marcus-whitfield.lex.ae

View profile

Verified by LEXAI

Verified on 29 April 2026

Practitioner TypeDIFC / ADGM Registered

DIFC / ADGM RegistrationDIFC/RP/01147

Licensed Until17 May 2028

Verification StatusVerified

This DIFC / ADGM Registered has been independently verified by LEXAI. Licence credentials and professional standing have been confirmed with the relevant UAE authorities.

Answered Questions (4)

Civil LitigationBest Answer14 helpful votes
Foreign judgment from a UK court — can I enforce it in the UAE?
Post-2022 there is a viable UAE route. The UAE and the UK have no bilateral enforcement treaty but the UAE Civil Procedure Law (Articles 222-225) allows enforcement of foreign judgments where: (i) the UAE court has no…
Dispute Resolution ArbitrationBest Answer25 helpful votes
How much does a DIAC arbitration realistically cost for a USD 3M dispute?
For USD 3M with three arbitrators under DIAC 2022 Rules: institutional fees ~USD 55-75k (sliding scale on claim value), arbitrators' fees combined USD 250-400k depending on complexity, expert fees USD 80-150k, counsel…
Dispute Resolution ArbitrationBest Answer14 helpful votes
Mediation before arbitration — is it mandatory under the new UAE Mediation Law?
Federal Decree-Law 40 of 2023 on Mediation and Conciliation does not impose mandatory pre-arbitration mediation unless contractually required OR court-referred under the Civil Procedure rules. If your arbitration clau…
Dispute Resolution ArbitrationBest Answer3 helpful votes
Is the arbitration clause in my contract enforceable if it just says 'Dubai arbitration'?
Likely enforceable as a Dubai-seated DIAC arbitration by default — DIAC is the residual institution under Decree 34 of 2021 once DIFC-LCIA was abolished. But the clause is borderline: 'Dubai' alone does not specify ma…