Ahmed Tony
Ahmed Tony
Partner, Head of DIFC & ADGM Litigation
Ahmed is a Partner at Matouk Bassiouny UAE, head of the DIFC & ADGM litigation team and a member of the International Dispute Resolution Group. A dual-qualified solicitor in Egypt and England & Wales, with 15 years of experience in dispute resolution and litigation. Ahmed has diverse professional experience, working at local and international levels, in the private and public sectors. He is a registered Legal Practitioner in the DIFC Courts and regularly acts as lead counsel in complex, cross-border commercial disputes before the DIFC and ADGM Courts, where he has secured a series of favourable judgments and settlements for corporate and high-net-worth clients. In addition to his DIFC and ADGM practice, Ahmed acts for high-net-worth individuals on high-value claims carrying significant cross-border dimensions, including disputes involving governmental entities and transactions with contentious and complex aspects, and regularly leads the complex negotiations and settlements these matters demand. He and his team also act as international counsel for the firm’s clients, managing and coordinating their matters in jurisdictions where the firm does not maintain offices. He holds a PhD from Cairo University and LL.M. degrees from Queen Mary University of London and Indiana University.
Before joining the firm, Ahmed worked at the World Bank, in Washington, DC; served eight years as a Judge at the Cairo Economic Court and a prosecutor at the Prosecutor General’s Office; and worked as an in-house lawyer for two years at Oriental Weavers Group in Egypt.
Practice Focus
Ahmed's practice focuses on DIFC and ADGM Courts litigation, commercial disputes, white-collar and corporate crime investigations, and advising on and handling business transactions.
Selected Recent Experience
- Representation of a high-net-worth UAE-based client in the amicable settlement of a USD 600 million dispute involving a governmental entity in North Africa regarding an investment in the construction sector (confidential project).
- Representation of a high-net-worth UAE-based client in a highly-sensitive USD 112 million shareholders dispute involving claims before the London Commercial Court and Egyptian courts, as well as other legal support for the associated companies in the Bahamas and UAE.
- Representing a high-net-worth UAE-based client in a comprehensive settlement involving international sanctions, Interpol warrants, and the acquisition of a financially distressed company, valued at USD 1 billion, owning uranium and gold mines in Africa.
- Acting as lead counsel for the successful claimant in a cross-border, technology-based joint-venture dispute before the ADGM Court of First Instance and securing a landmark costs ruling considered the first of its kind in the UAE on the misuse of AI tools in litigation.
- Acting as lead counsel for the successful claimant before the DIFC Courts in a loan-recovery claim, in which our team successfully obtained an AED 11 million judgment, and defeated a limitation defence by establishing fraudulent misrepresentation so as to extend the applicable limitation period.
- Acting as lead counsel for the claimant in a multi-jurisdictional shareholder dispute before the ADGM Courts, including matters with BVI and other cross-border elements.
- Currently acting as lead counsel in a number of ongoing claims before the DIFC and ADGM Courts, representing corporate clients and high-net-worth individuals in high-value disputes.
- Representation of a UAE client in connection with filing a multimillion compensation claim before the Abu Dhabi Courts.
- Providing in-house legal support to a UAE private equity family business.
- Representation of a prominent Egyptian company in mediation proceedings aimed at reaching an amicable settlement of a USD 22 million dispute, including drafting the settlement agreement.
- Acting as lead counsel for a US-based technology company in a claim before the DIFC Courts against a UAE-based company for breach of contract, involving complex cross-border elements across the US, UAE, Germany, and the Netherlands, and obtaining judgment for the full amount claimed together with contractual interest and costs.
- Representation of a client in the prosecution and subsequent amicable settlement of a multimillion anti-competition dispute in Egypt.
- Representation of a client in connection with a USD 20 million professional negligence dispute under English law.
- Representation of an Egyptian client in connection with an arbitration claim under English law.
- Representation of US clients in connection with compliance matters under Egyptian law.
- In his former capacity as a judge, heard and rendered judgments in commercial cases, including banking, corporate, and stock market disputes.
- In his former capacity as a prosecutor, investigated and prosecuted high-profile crimes including white-collar, intellectual property, organized crime, and customs evasion cases.
- In his former capacity as an in-house lawyer, drafted and reviewed legal documents and contracts, and provided legal opinions.
Education
American University Washington College of Law, Washington, DC, USA: Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, International Public Law
2020
Cairo University, Faculty of Law, Egypt: PhD, Criminal Law
2019
Queen Mary University of London, UK: LL.M, International Public Law
2017
Chevening Awards, London, UK: LL.M, Master of Laws
2017
Indiana University Robert H. McKenney School of Law, USA: LL.M, International Business Law
2013
Ain Shams University, Faculty of Law, Egypt: LL.M., Private Law
2013
Ain Shams University Faculty of Law (English Section): LL.B.
2011
Publications
Professional Associations and Memberships