Established in 1999, Sultan Al-Abdulla & Partners (“SAP”) is a full-service Qatari law firm that offers contentious and non-contentious legal services across all aspects of business in Qatar, specializing in corporate and commercial transactional work and complex private and public dispute resolution. Founded by an experienced Qatari lawyer, SAP draws its strength from the diversity of experience and perspective offered by a multinational team of experienced attorneys. SAP’s list of longstanding clients features international corporations with firm commitment to the Qatari market, and local institutional clients as well as leading business houses. It ranks amongst the biggest firms in terms of on-the-ground legal strength in Qatar. SAP lawyers are a potent blend of independent-minded experienced individuals and younger attorneys driven by energy for hard work and a commitment to professional excellence.
SAP is regularly engaged as counsel by government agencies and authorities for various matters that require legal advisory services such as review of legislation, bylaws, and regulatory regimes. SAP has also been intricately involved with government authorities, and semi-government corporations in drafting and advising on transactional matters considering administrative law, government dispute resolution and litigation, procurement, services, and statutory interpretation.
International legal directories in all areas of legal practice rank SAP highly, and its lawyers have been named for their work in litigation and arbitration as well as in transactional, corporate and financial advisory work. The firm was chosen as the winner of the Corporate Intl Magazine 2011 and the 2012 Global Award for Business Law Firm of the Year in Qatar. In 2017, SAP was hailed as the Qatar Law Firm of the Year by the Qatar Business Law Forum sponsored by Lexis Nexis. SAP is also ranked Tier 1 for Dispute Resolution and Corporate & Commercial by the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners in 2018.
Sultan M. Al-Abdulla | Managing Partner
Sultan Al-Abdulla is the founder and managing partner of Sultan Al-Abdulla & Partners. Prior to joining private practice, he worked for the national oil company in Qatar (Qatar Petroleum) where he worked for more than 22 years. During this period, he served in a number of positions including, the position of QP’s managing counsel. During his career with QP, he represented the government of the State of Qatar, QP and QP subsidiaries in numerous oil and gas transactions, usually as a lead negotiator.
Since starting his private practice in 1999, he has advised many governmental agencies and national and multinational corporations on corporate and commercial matters. He currently focuses on representing clients before judicial and arbitral tribunals in and outside Qatar. Sultan has counseled, and negotiated on behalf of, local and multinational clients’ major business transactions and projects. He is ranked by Chambers and Partners in Band 1 for Dispute Resolution.
Sultan holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Beirut Arab University – Lebanon and a Master of Laws degree (International and Comparative Law) from Southern Methodist University – USA. He is an active member of the International Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators where he served on the board of directors in 2004-2005. He also served as a board member of the Qatari Lawyers Association and the Gulf Lawyers Association. He also served as a member of the Advisory Council for the Faculty of Law at Qatar University.
