General counsel from leading organisations ADNOC, Careem, Drake & Scull, and Sunset Hospitality Group are set to headline Law Middle East‘s inaugural event, Women in Law Forum 2025, taking place next week on the morning of June 24. Secure your place.
Careem general counsel Daniela Bartolo will join ADNOC Group senior vice president & general counsel, group legal commercial & operations Danielle Brownrigg; Drake & Scull group general counsel Ahmed El-Bayouk; and Sunset Hospitality Group general counsel Maude El Khoury for a panel discussion hosted by Law Middle East editor Aishah Hussain.
Date: Tuesday June 24, 2025
Venue: VOCO Dubai by IHG, Origami Ballroom
They will share the reasons why they decided to move in-house, what the transition was like, and whether they encountered any challenges along the way, as well as advice for those looking to do the same.
Each speaker brings a unique perspective from their respective industries—technology, energy, construction, and hospitality. They will explore how the role of general counsel has evolved within their specific industries, particularly in the context of the Middle East’s economic diversification, while sharing examples of how they have helped shape strategic business decisions.
They will also offer advice to the more than 200 delegates registered for the event on building and developing a high-performing legal team, cultivating strong relationships with external counsel, and maximising value from legal partnerships.
Joining the GCs on the panel will be Al Tamimi & Company antitrust partner Mariam Sabet. She advised Uber on the merger control aspects of its US$3.1 billion acquisition of Careem, so expect some discussion on this significant deal.
Bartolo brings nearly seven years of experience at Careem, the “everything app” that enables users to hail taxis or order groceries from their phones in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). She joined as senior legal counsel in August 2018, advanced to director of legal in January 2021, and then to general counsel in July 2022. In her current role, she oversees the legal, corporate compliance, payments compliance, and safety and security teams. Bartolo also leads Careem’s safety and security programme, designed to protect customers, captains, and colleagues across the platform. Before joining Careem, she held legal roles at Vodafone Malta and e& UAE, specialising in the tech and telecom sectors.
Brownrigg is at the helm of legal strategy and operations for ADNOC Group’s shared services and 16 subsidiaries. A voting member of the ADNOC tender board, she plays a key role in overseeing legal input on complex, high-value commercial contracts, with a focus on operations, technology innovation, and governance. With over 16 years of legal experience in the UAE, she has served in senior legal roles at both ADNOC and First Abu Dhabi Bank, and began her legal career with Trowers & Hamlins.
As the sole male representative on the panel, El-Bayouk will share valuable insights from his career in the construction and infrastructure sector. Given Drake & Scull’s strategic repositioning post-restructuring, risk management in construction projects has become paramount, and he will share how the publicly-listed company’s legal department is proactively identifying and mitigating risks to ensure successful project delivery during this new growth phase. Before leading Drake & Scull’s legal function, he specialised in dispute resolution, arbitration, and construction at Dentons.
El Khoury heads the legal department for Sunset Hospitality Group, which has bold expansion plans fuelled by two significant capital injections from Goldman Sachs. She provides legal advice to the board on matters relevant to the group’s operations and strategic objectives. Interestingly, El Khoury did not start her career in private practice, and will share her unique journey of how she came to lead the legal team of a major company.
Bartolo, Brownrigg, El-Bayouk, and El Khoury join a speaker roster which so far includes:
• Clifford Chance corporate partner Lynn Ammar;
• Linklaters partner and Middle East construction head Sarah Hudson;
• Baker McKenzie dispute resolution partner Sally Kotb; and
• Gibson Dunn banking and project finance partner Laleh Shahabi.
In an earlier panel discussion, the partners will share how they made it, any challenges they faced, and the lessons they learned along the way. They each specialise in different areas, and will also draw on key trends within their respective fields. Find out more about the speakers.
Law Middle East’s inaugural event will gather the most influential women in the legal industry to discuss their growing role in shaping the future of law across the region. This high-impact morning for a select group of professionals will prioritise real conversations, fostering connection and collaboration.
Further speakers, including fireside chats featuring successful female lawyers with interesting career stories, will be announced in the coming days.
Places are limited and subject to confirmation; register your interest now.
Women in Law Forum 2025 is headline sponsored by Al Tamimi & Company, the largest law firm in the Middle East, with support from international law firms.
