Natasha Zahid

Natasha is a Partner and Head of the Disputes and Investigations practice in the MENA region. She is a dual qualified barrister from the Bar of England and Wales and Sindh Bar, Pakistan with over two decades practising in the region. She specialises in regional and international commercial litigation, arbitration disputes and investigations across a broad range of sectors and industries.

Natasha takes advantage of her diverse regional and international experience in complex contentious and non-contentious matters (spanning in-house, law firms and independent practice as a barrister in both common and civil law jurisdictions), technical expertise, multicultural and multijurisdictional background to exceed client expectations, build on long standing client relationships with business units and other stakeholders and provide the highest caliber of legal services.

Natasha has a particular focus on private wealth and regional family business, fraud, cyber-fraud, mis-selling, misconduct, misrepresentation, regulatory breach and mismanagement cases. She has led crossborder teams on contentious (and non-contentious) matters throughout the MENA region, as well as the UK, US, Switzerland, France, Pakistan, India and Asia and avails of a network of correspondent service providers in these and other jurisdictions based on client requirements. She handles complex, high value commercial arbitrations in relation to multiple sectors before a variety of arbitration regimes including UNCITRAL ad hoc, ICC, the Swiss Rules, the DIFC-LCIA, LCIA and DIAC. She also advises on internal corporate investigations, due diligence and compliance with domestic and international laws and regulations in relation to various areas including corporate establishment and activities, financial services, trade and environmental matters for multi-sector clients.

With an impressive track record of successes in cases, Natasha represents clients at all stages of proceedings, from initial advisory work, through to case preparation and representation before tribunals and courts at all levels (including the onshore regional, DIFC, ADGM, and QICDRC Courts). She also provides customised witness familiarisation programs for clients in relation to court cases and investigations to assist them with understanding and navigating the process.

Natasha's clients and peers have variously described her as an “excellent advocate” with “back to front knowledge of cases” and “highly responsive to client needs”. She values acting as a discreet, reliable, efficient, culturally sensitive, trusted and commercially pragmatic legal advisor and support for clients. She measures success as achievement of the best outcome based on a client’s needs. 

Natasha is registered Part I and Part II Practitioner, DIFC Courts and eligible to appear before the higher courts of the ADGM and QICDRC.