DLA Piper has been named TMT and Litigation Team of The Year at the Middle East Legal Awards 2019, underscoring the firm’s continued strength in the technology, media and telecommunications sector as well as its leading practice in complex dispute resolutions.

The Middle East Legal Awards, which are jointly hosted by Legal Week and the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) Middle East chapter, recognise achievement, excellence and innovation in the legal profession.

Underpinning the win for the litigation team was the successful enforcement of a USD18.5 million ICC arbitral award in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This historic decision was the first to be obtained since the new KSA Arbitration and Enforcement Laws came into force.

Commenting on the win, Head of Litigation, Arbitration and Investigations, Middle East, Henry Quinlan, said: "We are thrilled to have won this prestigious award. The dispute which we handled from arbitration to award is one of many high-profile disputes we have advised on over the last 12 months. This one is particularly satisfactory though as we have set a precedent which will be referred to in the Kingdom for years to come. The key to the success of DLA Piper's litigation, arbitration and investigations team is the powerful combination of in-depth local knowledge, specialist expertise and access to a broad geographical coverage, providing clients with the legal support they need to successfully navigate their disputes towards a positive outcome."

DLA Piper's Middle East TMT team advised Saudi Telecommunications Company (STC) on its US$1.8 billion purchase of the exclusive worldwide broadcast rights for the Saudi Professional League and other matches (including National Team matches), and associated marketing and sponsorship rights - the biggest deal of its kind in the Middle East. The TMT team has progressed with increasing success in recent years; securing recognition from the Middle East Legal Awards and The Oath Legal Awards in 2016 and 2018, where it was also named TMT Law Firm of the Year. DLA Piper has consistently been ranked Tier 1 by global legal directories for technology, media and telecommunications for the last seven years.

Paul Allen, Head of TMT Middle East, commented: "We are proud to be at the forefront of the exciting area of TMT, not only through the matters on which we advise but also through our contributions to the wider industry. Winning this award is testament to the cutting-edge and strategic work our team delivers and also the deep relationships we have built with the region's leading tech organisations and government bodies."