Simon Perhar
Simon Perhar is an experienced and highly skilled commercial barrister who relocated from London to Dubai. With over 25 years of experience in mediation and litigation in the UK courts, Simon is well-equipped to provide expert legal advice to clients of all sizes, from start-ups to multinational corporations. Simon is a member of the firm’s International Dispute Resolution practice.
Simon has a proven track record of providing legal guidance to the UK government and British institutions, as well as businesses in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. His vast experience in both civil and common law jurisdictions makes him the go-to barrister for contentious and non-contentious matters. Simon is experienced in drafting complex documents and agreements and has appeared as counsel up to and including the Court of Appeal.
As an expert in commercial law, Simon has a broad range of expertise in areas such as private equity, joint ventures, corporate governance and data protection, as well as commercial contracts, securities, and regulatory compliance. He has recently worked with large funds invested within the London Fintech scene, based in the City of London’s Tech City.
One of Simon’s areas of specialisation is Intellectual Property and data protection, where he has represented clients ranging from individuals to entertainment and media organisations, public bodies, regulators, search engine providers, and social media companies.
Simon’s dedication to staying up-to-date with the latest legal developments is unwavering. He regularly participates in professional development opportunities and industry events, which makes him the perfect choice for clients who are looking for legal guidance that is informed by the most current trends and best practices.
Simon’s recent work includes advising local Emirati family offices in relation to investments that were sold in breach of the Securities and Commodity Authority regulations of the United Arab Emirates (“SCA”), as well as advising upon and drafting the registration of securities in the Dubai International Financial Center. He also advised a bitcoin mining company in connection with a global data breach in which US$200 million of bitcoin was stolen, and led a multi-jurisdictional team in advising one of the world’s largest CBD producers in relation to the breach of various agreements for the supply of raw material and machinery.
With his vast experience and knowledge, Simon has a proven ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, and when necessary, to assemble and lead interdisciplinary teams. Whether you’re a start-up looking to establish your business in Dubai, an investment fund, or a multinational corporation seeking to expand and consolidate your operations in the region, Simon has the skills and expertise to provide the legal guidance you need to achieve your goals.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with Simon today to discuss your legal needs and find out how he can help you succeed.
Admissions:
- Called to the Bar, England and Wales (1997)
- Accredited Mediator – London Centre for Dispute Resolution (CEDR) (2005)
- Registered Legal Consultant with the Legal Affairs Department of Dubai (2023)
- DIFC Courts – Register of Practitioners Part I and II (2023)
- English
- Combar
Notable Representations
Multi-company unfair prejudice shareholder dispute involving allegations of misappropriation and misuse of government obtained funding and loans.
Instructed by the UK government to represent the UK Houses of Parliament in claims brought by an individual claiming disability discrimination.
The court dismissed an application to suspend a company voluntary arrangement where the Applicant wrongfully refused to accept the validity of the debts.
Acted for Pytero,a telecommanufacturer in a $100 million freezing order granted in support of international proceedings alleging breach of intellectual a property rights
LCIA arbitration (for $200 million) and subsequent High Court litigation relating to Awards, raising novel issues concerning partial illegality arising from fraud in the context of securities.
Technology and Construction Court – injunctive proceedings followed by settlement regarding claims for VAT repayment sums in a frozen bank account.
Notable Advisory work
Advising on a dispute concerning the design and implementation of an intrusion detection system for a centre servicing a 85,000 node network.
Advising a HNW individual for losses incurred against Danske Bank when it froze accounts following the revelation of a high profile money laundering operation being run through a branch in Estonia.
Advising on liability for security flaws in software design and adequacy of security measures in the context of EU data protection legislation.
Advising a cloud-based provider of business-critical services in the transport sector as to the responsiveness of its cyber-risk insurance cover to predicted loss scenarios.
Advising a Fin tech organisation in relation to the negotiation of bespoke elements of a group-wide cyber-risk policy.
Assisting a cloud service provider in relation to the creation of new standard terms and conditions;
Advising an on-line retailer as to availability of injunctive relief in relation to a dispute with its e-commerce site developer;
Advising a website owner as to possible causes of action in relation to traffic generation by alleged unwarranted and abusive robot activity;
Advising a digital media agency in a dispute with the supplier of its demand-side platform technology over ownership market segmentation data;
Advising a Bitcoin holder on potential routes to recovery of crypto-assets fraudulently transferred from an online wallet.
