Zouhdi Yakan is a skilled mediator, negotiator, arbitrator and legal professional and holds an LL.M. in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University-Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution (2004). He is CEDR accredited mediator, IMI qualified, and a Partner at Shaikha Almehrzi Advocates & Legal Consultants -LAW HOUSE. He brings over two decades of experience, including significant tenure in the UAE, specializing in corporate and commercial law, banking and finance, and dispute resolution. He leads the firm’s arbitration and ADR practice and represents clients in resolving disputes through strategic negotiation and out-of-court settlements.

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Zouhdi advices on business transactions, including setups, corporate structuring, M&As, joint ventures, and complex contracts. His work spans multiple sectors, including construction, architecture, commercial finance, banking (conventional and Islamic), insurance and brokerage, real estate, IT, employment and commercial agencies. He counsels domestic and international clients on UAE laws and regulations, compliance and corporate governance.

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Zouhdi has mediated and co-mediated a wide range of disputes as a volunteer with the California Academy for Mediation Professionals (CAMP) in Los Angeles, within the Los Angeles County Superior Court’s mediation programs. He trained under and shadowed leading US mediators, including Lee Jay Berman (American Institute of Mediation) and Richard Chernick (VP and MD, JAMS Arbitration Practice), gaining practical insight into complex mediations across diverse practice areas.

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Zouhdi currently serves as a trainer with the ADR Center, delivering “Mediation Advocacy” workshops under The Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department CLPD program. He also served as a trainer with Dubai International Arbitration Center (DIAC) as part of its Professional Diploma in International Arbitration, where he lectured on “Types, Structure and Contents of Arbitral Awards”, May 2025. He co-trained a 40-Hour Mediation Training Program with the ABA and Pepperdine University in Jordan, 2007.

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Zouhdi also contributes actively to the field through publishing and thought leadership. He has authored and co-authored several works, including his most recent publications: “Filing Civil and Commercial Lawsuits Before Dubai Courts: Overview” (Thomson Reuters, 1 August 2025); “Mediation: Are All Disputes Alike? Strategies for a Mediator to Successfully Navigate Particular Situations” (LexisNexis, 10 February 2025); and “Procedural Steps in a DIAC Arbitration (2022 Rules)” (Thomson Reuters Practical Law, 14 January 2025). He has also written on “The Adoption of the UNCITRAL Model Law by Egypt and Tunisia”, and contributed significantly to the third Arabic edition of Dr. El Ahdab’s “Encyclopedia of Arbitration” (three volumes). He serves as an Assessor at the CDRC Vienna IBA-VIAC Mediation & Negotiation Competitions.

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He is listed on the mediation panels of ADGM Dispute Resolution Hearing Centre, Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) and the Lebanese Arbitration and Mediation Center (LAMC) as both mediator and arbitrator. Zouhdi is a Ciarb member and Advisory Council member of The Mediation Hub MENA, and speaks regularly at international conferences, and contributes actively to the field of ADR and other areas of law.

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Zouhdi is admitted to the Bierut Bar Association and holds a B.A. in Political Science.

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