The new branch will be located in the brand-new, landmark DIFC Square development within the DIFC. The DIFC branch will open with three high-profile lateral partner hires – Michael Morris, Michael Ducker and Mark Beswetherick – who will join from Clyde & Co. and bring over 40 years' combined experience in the region and long-standing client relationships.
Michael Morris will return to DACB, where he began his legal career, having most recently served as a litigation partner and Head of Insurance for the Middle East at Clyde & Co. He relocated from the UK to the UAE in 2015, and since then has built a market-leading practice focused on commercial and professional liability claims. He is widely recognised for his expertise in trade credit and political risk insurance (both contentious and non-contentious), reinsurance disputes, professional liability claims, and subrogated recoveries.
Partner Michael Ducker will join with a strong reputation in both the healthcare and insurance markets. Formerly co-head of Clyde & Co.'s Middle East & Africa Healthcare Group, he advises insurers, reinsurers, healthcare providers, hospitals and key brokers across the region. His practice spans medical malpractice, property and casualty, business interruption, health, safety and environmental matters, and public and product liability and recall claims.
Mark Beswetherick, who will also return to DACB from earlier in his career, was previously Head of Clyde & Co.'s Insurance and Dispute Resolution Group in Dubai. He focuses on arbitration, international litigation and corporate investigations, with a particular strengths in D&O liability, professional negligence, and complex, multi-jurisdictional insurance disputes.
"We are looking forward to welcoming Mike Morris and Mark back to DACB later this year and to have Mike Ducker joining us at what will be such a pivotal moment in our growth," said Gustavo Blanco, Head of International Business at DACB. "They are an established, cohesive team with an exceptional reputation in the Middle East market. Their arrival will give us immediate scale and credibility in the region and create a powerful platform for further expansion.
"With their deep sector knowledge and regional insight, we will be very well placed to support our clients' most complex and high-value matters. This forthcoming launch is another important step in our ambition to be the legal services provider of choice to the global insurance market."
Helen Faulkner, Managing Partner of DACB, said, "Opening in the Middle East has long been a strategic priority for the firm. Dubai is a gateway to the region and a global centre not only for insurance, but also for healthcare and our other advisory practices.
"From this new base, our clients can expect the same market-leading expertise, seamless cross-border capability and collaborative culture they experience across our international network – spanning the UK, the US, Latin America, Europe and Asia-Pacific."
Mike Morris added, "Having started my career at DACB, I have seen first-hand the firm's commitment to excellence and client service. Together, we will build a Middle East practice that is ambitious, collaborative and fully aligned with the needs of global insurers, reinsurers and healthcare clients operating in the region. This is an exciting time in DACB's growth story and we're thrilled to be a part of it."
DACB's planned launch in the DIFC follows its recent expansion in the US. In February, one year on from opening offices in New York and Los Angeles, the firm opened in Miami with a team hire and added a team in LA. The firm also opened offices in Hong Kong and Lima during 2024 and established strategic associations with leading firms in Ecuador and Australia in 2025.
