Opus 2 Expands Presence With New Office In Abu Dhabi Global Market

Opus 2 Expands Presence With New Office In Abu Dhabi Global Market

Legal Technology firm Opus 2 has announced the opening of a new office in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the UAE’s international financial centre, marking an important expansion of its services in the Middle East.

Headquartered in London, Opus 2 has been offering dispute resolution services across the region since 2018. The company recently opened a Hong Kong office earlier this year and maintains a presence in Singapore, the UK, and the US.

The new ADGM office is designed to meet the growing demand for advanced hearing solutions and support multiple arbitral seats in the region, which includes established arbitral centres such as the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), the Abu Dhabi International Arbitration Centre (arbitrateAD), and the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA).

“In recent years, we’ve seen rapid growth in dispute resolution in the Middle East,” said Oliver McClintock, Chief Commercial Officer of Opus 2. “The UAE office addition underscores our dedication to delivering transformative solutions to the global legal industry.”

McClintock also emphasized that having a physical presence in the region would help accelerate the company’s growth. “We expect to see growth accelerate now that we are physically on the ground. We expect to recruit across the region in support of that growth,” he added.

McClintock further explained that competition between regional arbitration institutions is increasing, with many new sources of legal work emerging. “We note that competition between institutions is increasing, as are their number, so we see it as a high-growth region and are committed to long-term investment,” he said. Key drivers of this growth include organic development within the region, the return of cases that would otherwise be heard in Europe, and emerging sources of supply from countries like India and Russia.

Opus 2 specializes in legal software and services for litigation, arbitration, and other legal processes, and its solutions are used by prominent international law firms including Clyde & Co, Clifford Chance, Latham & Watkins, Linklaters, Norton Rose Fulbright, and White & Case.

Jehad Kazim, Executive Director of DIAC, highlighted that the arrival of legal technology firms like Opus 2 enhances the UAE’s position as a global arbitration hub. “The launch of legal technology providers like Opus 2 in the UAE enhances our ability to offer world-class arbitration and ADR solutions,” he said.

The launch comes as the ADGM recently reduced fees for commercial licenses, which is expected to benefit law firms and businesses operating in the financial centre. Additionally, PwC Legal introduced a generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) platform for corporate legal departments in the Middle East last month, furthering the technological advancements in the regional legal sector.