Jersey Finance – Perspectives: Women in Leadership – Dubai

Sarah Malik is an award-winning lawyer who founded SOL International Ltd, a boutique legal consultancy registered at the ADGM in 2018. Sarah achieved ‘Litigator of the Year’ (2022) at the first GCC Women in Law Awards and received an honourable mention as ‘Law Firm Leader of the Year’ category at the same awards. In March 2022, SOL was named by Legal 500 EMEA as ‘A Firm to Watch in Dispute Resolution: Arbitration and International Litigation’ and in 2023 Sarah has been listed as a leading practitioner in ‘The Arbitration Powerlist: Middle East’ Legal 500 EMEA. Sarah was recognised as one of ‘Asia’s 100 Women Power Leaders 2023’ by White Page International in May 2023. She has also been featured in the special edition of the UAE Managing Partners Report for two consecutive years published by LexisNexis for International Women’s Day and was interviewed by CIArb Global on International Women’s Day in 2021.

William leads our Middle East Corporate Practice. He is a dual-qualified corporate lawyer with extensive experience advising on high-value complex deals in a variety of sectors, including technology, healthcare, energy and natural resources and real estate. William has more than 25 years of experience advising on matters ranging from seed series investments for start-ups, to complex, multi-billion dollar matters across numerous jurisdictions. His experience includes advising on M&A, joint ventures, private equity and venture capital transactions, restructurings and compliance matters. William’s client base is very diverse and includes local and international clients across a broad range of industry sectors with a particular focus on technology, healthcare, retail, energy and real estate. He is regularly invited to speak at industry and legal events related to these sectors and various other areas.

Farida started her career at Intertrust Group in Amsterdam in 2013 and holds a master’s degree in Private Law from the University of Amsterdam. After her studies, she started working as a paralegal at a Dutch law firm, before joining Intertrust in 2013 as a relationship manager managing a diverse client portfolio. In 2018 she was seconded to Intertrust Dubai for three months to focus on business development in the region. In 2021 she returned to the Middle East to take on the role of General Manager of our offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In her current role, Farida oversees the organization and daily management in order to ensure an adequate coverage of the needs of the various clients and to realize the sales budgets. She also provides executive relationship management services to key clients and acts as external director on several boards.

Kamar joined Praxis in 2020, she currently serves as a Compliance and MLRO consultant for PIFM Consulting Services Limited, based in Abu Dhabi. With over 10 years of experience in the field of compliance and anti-money laundering , Kamar has established a career as a Compliance Officer and MLRO in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) two prominent financial hubs in the UAE . In her current role Kamar provides her expertise to a diverse range of clients, including financial institutions, funds, established businesses and start-up institutions, and multinational corporations. Offering tailored solutions, conducting comprehensive compliance assessments, developing and enhancing compliance programs, and providing training to employees to ensure a culture of compliance throughout organisations.

Phyllis Townsend is a Partner in the Wealth Management group at Baker McKenzie in London. Phyllis is Chair of the European and Middle East (EMEA) Wealth Management practice group and a member of the Firm's Global Wealth Management Steering Committee. Phyllis works with clients (including individuals, trustees and family offices) on a broad range of wealth management matters with a particular focus on investment structuring. Phyllis often advises on pre-UK arrival planning and provides ongoing advice to UK resident non-UK domiciled individuals and families with connections to the Middle East, US and Europe. Phyllis' principal clients are based in the Middle East and she travels to the region. Phyllis is ranked in Legal 500 and Chambers HNW Guide, including as a "Foreign expert in the Middle East-wide" and for "Family Offices and Funds Structuring". Phyllis is recognised in Legal Week's "Private Client Global Elite - Ones to Watch“ and ePrivateClient's "NextGen Leaders".

Rhea in an investment manager, with over 10 years of experience working with high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth international clients. Rhea’s primary role is to construct and manage investment portfolios for private clients, trusts and institutions. Rhea has a particular interest in the female private client market, leading on initiatives that ensure inclusivity and a tailored approach for Quilter Cheviot international clients. As a Chartered Fellow of the CISI, Rhea holds the PCIAM qualification, the Pensions Transfers and Planning Advice Certificate and the professional assessment in Sustainable and Responsible Investment. She holds a degree in Business Management and a diploma in Law and French. Rhea is Treasurer and Vice-President of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments (CISI) in Jersey and will become President in December 2023. She is Co-Chair of Inspiring Girls (Jersey) and sits on the Community Investment Panel for the Quilter Foundation.