Legal technology company Opus 2 today announced the opening of an office in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the international financial centre of the UAE’s capital.
The company is headquartered in London and has provided services for dispute resolution in the Middle East since 2018. It opened an office in Hong Kong earlier this year, and has existing locations in Singapore, the UK, and the US.
The ADGM office will enable the company to meet demand for advanced hearing solutions, according to a statement, as well as service multiple arbitral seats across the region.
“In recent years, we’ve seen rapid growth in dispute resolution in the Middle East,” commented Oliver McClintock, Opus 2’s chief commercial officer. “The UAE office addition underscores our dedication to delivering transformative solutions to the global legal industry.”
Continuing, McClintock told Law Middle East the company expects to see growth accelerate now that it is physically on the ground. “We expect to recruit across the region in support of that growth,” he added.
The Middle East is home to a number of arbitral institutions, namely the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), the Abu Dhabi International Arbitration Centre (arbitrateAD), and the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA).
“Opus 2 has partnered on hearings with all the major arbitral institutions in the Middle East,” said McClintock. “We note that competition between institutions is increasing, as are their number, so we see it as a high-growth region and are committed to long-term investment.”
In his view the key drivers of growth include a combination of organic growth from rapid development in-region; the clawback of cases that would otherwise be heard in Europe; new sources of supply, such as from India and Russia; and work won at the expense of traditional European competitors. To facilitate this growth he pointed to the region investing in better facilities, IT, and case management systems.
Opus 2 offers legal software and services to assist in litigation, arbitration, and other legal proceedings. It is used by international law firms including Clyde & Co, Clifford Chance, Latham & Watkins, Linklaters, Norton Rose Fulbright, and White & Case, according to the website.
DIAC executive director Jehad Kazim said in a statement the launch of legal technology providers like Opus 2 in the UAE “enhances our ability to offer world-class arbitration and ADR solutions”.
In July, the ADGM announced fee reductions for commercial licences impacting law firms and businesses in the international financial centre.
Last month PwC Legal announced the launch of a generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) platform for corporate legal departments and business teams in the Middle East.
