Curtis Announces New Middle East Management

New York, September 27, 2018 – Curtis is pleased to announce that seasoned disputes lawyer Simon Ward will rejoin Curtis as Muscat Managing Partner, while UAE veteran corporate partner, Jeremy Miocevic, takes on the role of Dubai Managing Partner.

Muscat, Oman

Mr. Ward stands out among Oman’s most experienced arbitration counsel with over a decade of experience in the region. He is currently ranked by Chambers Global as a top Commercial Litigation and Arbitration lawyer for his heavyweight commercial arbitration practice, and has advised on some of the highest profile commercial arbitration and court cases in the Sultanate. He was appointed to the Oman Court of Appeal Roll of Arbitrators in 2011 and has acted as both arbitrator and lead counsel before the Omani Courts. He has also acted in domestic and international arbitrations under the auspices of the ICC and LCIA, and in Omani/UNCITRAL ad hoc arbitrations.

Before leaving Curtis last year to return to his native New Zealand for family reasons, Mr. Ward had spent nearly five years in its Oman office, including most recently as Curtis’ Head of Disputes in Oman.

Mr. Ward is admitted to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand.

Dubai, UAE

Mr. Miocevic has practised in the Middle East for over 12 years and developed a broadly based corporate and commercial practice, advising domestic investment banks, private equity houses and multinationals on the M&A and regulatory compliance matters within the UAE and GCC region. He is recognised by Chambers Global as a top corporate/commercial lawyer and described as "an absolute star – very commercial, gets straight to the point". He is notable for his knowledge and experience of the laws and regulations of the region and is often required to provide general corporate advisory and corporate regulatory advice, as well as complex structuring issues.

Mr. Miocevic advises the full range of industry sectors, with particular experience in logistics and supply chain management, water treatment, food and beverage, media and publishing, financial services and retail.

Mr. Miocevic is admitted to practice in Australia.

Middle East Strategic Planning

Partners Bruce Palmer, formerly the head of the Muscat office, and Charles Buderi, who has previously been head of the Dubai office, have agreed to take on the advisory roles of Director of Middle East Strategic Planning. This will ensure a consistent strategic approach in the ongoing growth and development of Curtis’ presence in the Middle East.

Curtis Managing Partner Matias A. Vega said, "The promotions of Simon Ward and Jeremy Miocevic reflect the firm’s dedication to promoting key talent in the Middle East. We are pleased to welcome Simon back to Curtis. He is a distinguished arbitration lawyer and litigator, and has played an instrumental role in expanding our disputes practice within Oman and throughout the Middle East in recent years. Under Jeremy’s leadership, our Dubai office has never been busier. With both focusing on the firm’s Middle East business, I expect both offices to continue to thrive. They are both committed to the growth of Curtis the region. We are also pleased that Bruce Palmer and Charles Buderi will continue play a pivotal key role in the Firm’s strategic planning for the Middle East."