Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Described as a “highly respected figurehead” and a "very composed practitioner", Robert Stephen is the Registrar of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre; a former Partner and Chief Operating Officer of specialist arbitration boutique, Ghaffari Partners; and the former Registrar of the DIFC-LCIA Arbitration Centre and Dubai Financial Services Authority’s Financial Markets Tribunal. Prior to that, he practiced with Herbert Smith Freehills for more than a decade. Robert has acted as counsel in international disputes across a wide range of industries and sectors. He has represented clients from Asia, the Middle East, North America, and Europe in international arbitrations under all the major institutional rules, as well as in ad-hoc proceedings, seated in various jurisdictions and subject to civil and common laws. As Registrar, he has a proven track record of putting users, party-counsel, and arbitrators first. In 2020, he was credited in GAR’s Guide to Regional Arbitration with building one of the world’s fastest growing arbitral institutions and the leading arbitral institution with operations in the Middle East and Africa. In the same year, the DIFC-LCIA was awarded the GAR Award for Regional Arbitration Institution that Impressed. Robert has been repeatedly recognised in the 2021-2024 editions of Who’s Who Legal Arbitration and described as a “Future Leader”. Peers say he is “professional, thorough and meticulous” and “extremely good at explaining complex issues to people who do not have the detailed knowledge he possesses”. He is said to be “excellent to deal with”, possessing a “real depth of knowledge” and he is further described as a “leading figure” that is said to have “raised the standards of arbitration in the [MENA] region”. He was also featured in Legal 500's inaugural Middle East International Arbitration Powerlist 2022. He is a current vice-president of the Asia Pacific Regional Arbitration Group, an Ambassador of the Scottish Arbitration Centre, a member of the Advisory Committee to the Board of Directors of Dubai International Arbitration Centre, a member of the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge Middle East Sub-Committee, the former Chair of the UAE Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Young Member's Group, and a former member of the Global Steering Committee of the CIArb YMG.
The DFSA is the independent regulator of financial services conducted in or from the DIFC. The Financial Markets Tribunal hears and determines References and Regulatory Proceedings.