Mr Kothari joined the firm in 2008. He advises both local and international clients on corporate and commercial, mergers and acquisitions and aviation finance matters. 

Mr Kothari has been involved in:

• advising on all aspects of the purchase or sale of businesses, including due diligence, structuring of the transaction, negotiation and documentation of the deal;
• preparing a broad range of commercial agreements;
• advising on the establishment of businesses in the UAE and thereafter assisting such businesses on a regular basis; and
• acting as the UAE counsel for sale and refinancing of aircrafts.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Corporate and Commercial
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Banking and Financial Services

QUALIFICATIONS AND ADMISSIONS

• Bar Council of Rajasthan

EDUCATION

• BBA LLB (Corporate Honors), National Law University, Jodhpur, India, 2008

LANGUAGES

• English
• Hindi

PUBLICATIONS

Ms Lobo practises corporate and commercial law and considerable experience in in a wide range of corporate matters including private equity transactions, acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures, restructurings and reorganisations.  

Ms Lobo joined Afridi & Angell in 2010. Prior to joining the firm, she trained at and was a solicitor with a global firm in Scotland. 

Her notable transactional experience includes:

UK experience

• acting for an American based packaging solutions group with revenue of over US$6.6 billion on its global reorganisation and capital reduction programme involving multiple foreign jurisdictions;
• acting for the vendors on the US$275 million disposal of MTEM Limited to Petroleum Geo-Services AS which was later shortlisted for "UK Deal of the Year" at the European Venture Capital Awards;
• advising Moody’s Corporation on its European group reorganisation and debt restructuring;
• acting for Poyry Energy AG on the cross border acquisition of IGL Consultants Limited; and
• acting for the Capita Group on numerous business sales.

UAE experience

• acting on behalf of the vendors in the disposal of the Fitness First clubs in the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to the Landmark Group
• acting for the purchaser  in its acquisition of an interest in an Iraqi company which operates a steel manufacturing plant in Erbil, Kurdistan;
• acting on behalf of management in relation to the sale of an interest in a Jebel Ali Free Zone company to a leading IT and software development company;
• acting as local counsel in relation to the transfer of the business and assets of the Philips television division involving 26 jurisdictions into a joint venture group to be operated by Philips and TPV;
• acting for CER in relation to the disposal of a 20.1% interest in a project company in Pakistan which operates a 551 MW combine cycle gas turbine; and
• acting for Dubai Investments Industries on a joint venture with Dach Advisory Group to operate the Dubai campus of Modul University, Vienna.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Corporate and Commercial
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Private Equity

QUALIFICATIONS AND ADMISSIONS

• Law Society of Scotland

EDUCATION

• LLB (Hons), University of Aberdeen, Scotland, 2004

LANGUAGES

• English

PUBLICATIONS

Mr Osman's practice focuses on court litigation and commercial law and his experience includes conducting legal research, drafting all types of memoranda, pleadings and applications to all levels of local UAE courts, as well as drafting all types of legal documents, including contracts, security deeds, and legal opinions. He has over fifteen years of experience representing clients before courts of jurisdiction, arbitration panels and other tribunals in all types of disputes including, civil, criminal, corporate issues, and investment disputes.   

Prior to joining Afridi & Angell in 2017, Mr Osman was a senior associate at another law firm in Dubai, UAE. Prior to that, he worked as an advocate at one of the leading firms in Sudan, and gained a wealth of experience working as a legal advisor at a well-known conglomerate in Khartoum, Sudan.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

QUALIFICATIONS AND ADMISSIONS

EDUCATION

LANGUAGES

Ms Pretorius joined Afridi & Angell in 2008. She has extensive experience advising foreign and local clients on setting up companies and joint ventures in the UAE. She also regularly advises clients on general corporate, commercial and other matters related to the conduct of business in the region including regulatory compliance, real estate, and employment law. Ms Pretorius has also advised local and foreign entities on UAE securities law issues.   

Prior to joining Afridi & Angell Ms Pretorius was a senior member in the English Law Department of a leading law firm in Doha, Qatar. Prior to that, she spent her career as an attorney in South Africa where she focused primarily on litigation for major financial institutions and the telecommunications industry. 

Her notable transactional experience includes:

• advising buyer in respect of the proposed acquisition by Aker's Solutions of an oil and gas services group;
• acting as local counsel for (i) Qatalum aluminim smelter and IWPP project; (ii) Qatar Gas 4 project in respect of the expansion/sharing of the Ras Laffan facilities; and (iii) the Mesaieed InternationalPower Project;
• providing general advice and assistance to foreign firms in the engineering, construction, and consultancy industry operating large projects;
• representing a major international manufacturer of telecommunications handsets in connection with various UAE legal and regulatory issues; and
• advising local and foreign parties on UAE securities law issues.   

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Corporate and Commercial
• Oil and Gas
• Technology, Media and Telecommunications
• Banking and Financial Services

QUALIFICATIONS AND ADMISSIONS 

• Natal, South Africa, 1992 Member of Side Bar, both Natal and Transvaal Provincial Divisions, South Africa

EDUCATION

• LLB, University of Natal, South Africa, 1990
• BA, University of Natal, South Africa, 1987

LANGUAGES

• English
• Afrikaans
• Italian
• German (basic)

PUBLICATIONS

Mr Randeniya practices in the firm's dispute resolution group. He advises and represents clients in arbitration, and has represented clients in DIAC, ADCCAC, ICC, and ad hoc arbitrations. He also works with local advocates on matters before the UAE Federal Courts, including the Federal Supreme Court in matters of national security, as well as the Courts of Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah.

Mr Randeniya regularly acts for clients in high value construction disputes. He also advises on maritime and shipping disputes, banking disputes, employment disputes, as well as disputes relating to commercial transactions. Some of his recent matters include acting for a major UAE bank in a commercial claim in excess of AED250 million, acting for employers in several construction disputes each involving claims in excess of AED100 million, and successfully representing a client in a claim of approximately USD5 million involving international air cargo freight.

Prior to joining Afridi & Angell in 2008, Mr Randeniya was in the private bar of Sri Lanka practicing in the Law Chambers of Dr Harsha Cabral, President’s Counsel.  He was also a visiting lecturer in law at the Faculties of Law and Management at the University of Colombo. Mr Randeniya is a recommended practitioner in dispute resolution in Legal 500 EMEA.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Litigation and ADR
• Construction
• Shipping, Maritime and Transport
• Dispute Resolution

QUALIFICATIONS AND ADMISSIONS

• Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, called to the Bar in 2006

EDUCATION

• LLM, Harvard Law School, William H. Fulbright Scholar, 2007
• LLB (Honours) University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2004

LANGUAGES

• English

PUBLICATIONS