经济学人311:英国律师在迪拜 旧法律世界新钱途

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商业报道

British lawyers in Dubai

英国律师在迪拜

Money for old laws

旧法律世界新钱途

New international courts in Dubai are giving British legal firms a boost

迪拜的新国际法院给英国律所新的增长点

WHEN the United Arab Emirates gained its independence from Britain in 1971, little did it expect a second wave of colonialists: British lawyers.

自从1971年阿拉伯联合酋长国从英国那里获得独立后，它从没想过会有第二次殖民浪潮：英国律师。

Clifford Chance, a London-based legal giant, opened a small office in Dubai in 1975 as it began to emerge as a commercial centre.

伦敦律所Clifford Chance自从迪拜作为一个商业中心出现的时候就在1975年在那里开了一个小小的办事处。

Allen & Overy followed in 1978.

1978年Allen & Overy紧跟着开了办事处。

2_副本.jpgAs Dubai boomed, lawyers from Britain and other countries flooded in, soon crowding its legal market.

随着迪拜的繁荣，来自英国和其他国家的律师涌入很快充满它的法律市场。

A new type of court may yet give British legal minds an advantage over both local lawyers and foreign rivals.

一种新型法院给予英国律师们相对于当地律师和外国竞争对手的优势。

Hoping to become the Middle East's legal hub, in 2011 Dubai International Financial Centre threw open its courts to disputes from any country, provided both parties agree to be bound by its decisions.

为了成为中东法律中心，2011年迪拜国际金融中心开设它的法院受理来自任何国家的争端，只要双方同意受法院裁决的拘束。

The attraction is that the courts use the English language and operate in public under English-style common law.

这个法院的吸引人之处在于它使用英语并且在英国普通法系下公开运作。

This makes the legal process more transparent 1 and much less risky 2 for Western firms, which are put off by the reputation of Dubai's local civil-law courts for favouring Emiratis over foreigners, according to Will Buckby at Beale & Company, a law firm.

这样会使法律程序更加透明并且西方律所承担更少的风险，根据一家律所Will Buckby at Beale & Company，西方律师正被被迪拜当地民事法院支持本地人的名声困扰。

British firms already appear to be benefiting.

现在英国律所已经开始受益。

Since 2011 British lawyers in Dubai say they have been inundated 3 by requests to draw up commercial contracts stating disputes have to be resolved in the DIFC courtrooms.

自从2011年开始在迪拜的英国律师说他们已经被起草列明争端得在DIFC法院解决条款的商业合同要求淹没了。

More new work has been generated since the courts opened up.

自从这个法院开始运作以来更多新的工作产生了。

In their first year after the change, the value of disputed contracts under their consideration increased by 400%.

变化后的他们第一年，他们考虑下的争议合同价值增长了400%。

And as a forum 4 for arbitration 5, the DIFC courts are doing well.

并且作为一个仲裁庭，the DIFC法院做得很好。

Around 95% of cases are resolved before they are heard formally.

大概95%的案件在他们正式听证前就解决了。

Inspired by the DIFC's success, Qatar has already opened its own international courts.

受到DIFC成功的鼓舞，卡塔尔已经开设了它自己的国际法庭。

Abu Dhabi plans to follow suit next year.

阿布扎比计划下一年跟随。

And Saudi Arabia has in the past expressed interest in setting up a private arbitration court in London.

并且沙特阿拉伯过去已经表达了他们在伦敦设立私人仲裁法庭的兴趣。

British lawyers are well placed to take advantage of this trend towards international courts.

英国律师充分利用这股国际法院的趋势。

It is handy that the courts speak their language and use their law.

法院运用他们的语言和使用他们的法律来说是非常方便的。

And many of the judges have an English legal background.

并且许多法官拥有一个英国法律背景。

Not only have big firms such as Allen & Overy expanded operations in Dubai; smaller firms are rushing to set up offices there too.

不仅仅是如同Cleary Gottlieb这样的大所在迪拜拓展运行机构；小所也冲到那里设立办事处。

More than 30 are now based in the DIFC area alone.

超过30家律所现在仅仅做DIFC的业务。

English law is likely to remain first choice for commercial contracts in the Middle East.

英国法可能保持在中东商业合同的首要选择。

Unlike civil-code systems, English law evolves through case law to stay more up to date with the wider world.

不同于民法法典系统，英国法通过案例法保持同这个广大的世界同步进化。

For instance, recent rulings loosening the requirements for foreign companies wanting to liquidate 6 themselves in English courts have boosted the use of some parts of corporate 7 law.

例如，最近在英国法院关于放松对希望清算的外国公司的要求的裁决已经促进公司法的部分使用了。

British law firms will also benefit from Dubai's resurgent finance and construction sectors 8.

英国律所同样也受益于最近复兴的金融和建设部分。

Well over half of all financing agreements in Dubai are already written using English law.

目前在迪拜超过一半的金融合同已经用英国法撰写了。

A more serious threat to British legal firms would be if American law firms start to outcompete them, according to James Martin, a lawyer at Linklaters based in Dubai until recently.

对英国律所而言一个更严峻的威胁可能是如果美国律所开始同他们竞争，根据一个最近Linklaters在迪拜的律师James Martin的观点。

Some American law firms, such as Cleary Gottlieb, have started to expand in the Middle East, and more will surely do the same.

一些美国律所，例如Cleary Gottlieb，已经开始在中东拓展他们的业务，并且其他律所肯定会做同样的事情。

There is a strong case to be made that British firms are leading the way in the Gulf 9, but the jury is out on whether they can stay ahead for the long haul.

有很强的例子证明英国会主导海湾地区的方向，但是目前还不能肯定的是他们是否能够长期保持领先地位。