Nikita Patel

Full Profile

Nikita is a Senior Associate and has been working in Clyde & Co’s Dubai office since she joined in December 2014. She is an English qualified lawyer and her particular expertise includes: 

• real estate disputes;
• hotel management and hospitality disputes;
• commercial agency, distributor and franchise disputes (acting for both foreign principals and locally based agents/distributors);
• commercial arbitrations, including institutional and ad-hoc arbitration proceedings; and
• court proceedings in the UAE (including DIFC Courts) and other foreign jurisdictions.

Nikita has extensive experience in complex, high value local and international arbitrations, which include those administered by the DIAC, DIFC-LCIA and ICC. Nikita also advises clients in relation to proceedings in the UAE Courts (including the DIFC Courts).

In 2020, Nikita was recommended in Who’s Who Legal Hospitality.  

Experience

• Acting for a luxury car manufacturer in DIFC-LCIA arbitration proceedings in connection with the termination of an import agreement.
• Acting for an investor in DIAC arbitration proceedings seeking recovery of c.USD50m for failure by a property developer to pay its investment amounts owed to it pursuant to an investment agreement.
• Acting for a high net worth individual in a shareholder’s dispute being administered by the ICC concerning business assets worth in excess of USD250m.
• Acting for a Chinese multinational petroleum company in DIAC arbitration proceedings against a large well know property Master Developer in the UAE concerning eight commercial units that were smaller in size than contracted for under a sale and purchase agreement.
• Acting for a large property developer in DIAC arbitration proceedings commenced by a well-known property developer in Dubai concerning a claim for misrepresentation. 
• Acting for a shareholder in DIFC-LCIA arbitration proceedings against another shareholder of a joint venture company regarding breach of contract.
• Acting for a hotel operator in DIFC-LCIA arbitration proceedings in connection with the unlawful termination of a hotel management agreement relating to a hotel in Bahrain seeking recovery of losses in excess of USD30m.
• Acting for a Dubai based logistics company in two parallel arbitration proceedings in unpaid invoice and breach of exclusivity claims valued at USD150m.
• Advising hotel owners and operators regarding the termination of hotel management agreements and appropriate de-flagging procedures.
• Advising and acting for multinational companies in commercial agency, distribution and franchise disputes in the UAE and in other GCC countries.