Middle East & Africa

J.S. Held in the Middle East & Africa

We have more than 1,500 professionals who serve as trusted advisors to organisations across six continents, including 81% of the Global 200 Law Firms, 70% of the Forbes Top 20 Insurance Companies, and 65% of Fortune 100 Companies.

As the focus on innovative development in the region continues to grow, organisations throughout the Middle East and Africa, and those with interests in the region, engage our experts to address a wide range of business issues. Our experts understand the evolving regional landscapes in the Middle East and Africa and have the experience needed to navigate its challenges.

We provide expertise in matters involving construction, engineering, business intelligence and investigations, government relations, valuation and economic damages, intellectual property, the environment, health and safety, forensic accounting, turnaround and restructuring, and regulatory compliance.

Key Contacts: Middle East

Our professionals serve as trusted advisors to organisations facing high stakes matters that demand urgent attention, staunch integrity, proven experience, clear-cut analysis, and an understanding of both tangible and intangible assets.

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Chris Dean
Managing Director | Construction Advisory
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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Oliver Johnson
Managing Director | Construction Advisory
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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Gary Kitt
Senior Managing Director | Construction Advisory EMEA & APAC Lead
London, United Kingdom
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Ashley Messick
Senior Managing Director | Global Investigations
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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Peter Pender-Cudlip
Senior Managing Director | Global Investigations
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
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Daniel Thorpe
Executive Vice President | Forensic Accounting - Insurance Services
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Key Contacts: Africa

Experts across the firm are engaged to advise clients seeking to realise value and mitigate risk in Africa. Below are key contacts whose entire practice is focused on matters pertaining to the region.

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Piers Dawson
Managing Director | Strategic Advisory, Africa
London, United Kingdom
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Indigo Ellis
Managing Director | Strategic Advisory, Africa
London, United Kingdom
Explore Our Global Areas of Specialised Expertise Click the icon to view directory

Featured News

INDUSTRY RECOGNITION

We are proud to recognise our asset recovery and investigations experts in EMEA and APAC ranked as industry leaders by Who’s Who Legal (WWL). These team members are featured among the foremost consulting experts in forensic accounting and corporate investigations, as well as in tracing and recovering assets.

To learn more about the awards, view the press release.

GLOBAL LEADERS IN ASSET TRACING & RECOVERY

Peter Pender-Cudlip receives Band 1 ranking from Chambers and Partners for Global Asset Tracing & Recovery.

> Click here to read the press release.

GLOBAL LEADERS IN ASSET TRACING & RECOVERY

Ashley Messick receives Band 1 ranking from Chambers and Partners for Global Asset Tracing & Recovery.

> Click here to read the press release.

INDUSTRY RECOGNITION

J.S. Held is recognised by Chambers and Partners as a global leader in multiple industry categories within Crisis & Risk Management 2024 and Litigation Support 2024.

We are proud to receive Band 1 rankings for Asset Tracing & Recovery and Political Risk, a Band 2 ranking for Business Intelligence & Investigations (Asia Pacific), and Band 3 rankings for Environmental, Social & Governance Risk; Investigative Due Diligence; and Business Intelligence & Investigations (UK).

> Click here to read the press release.

IN THE MEDIA

Major Western mining companies are struggling to compete in the race for Africa’s critical raw materials, as they lag behind Middle Eastern oil powers and China in investing on the continent. With major demand growth predicted, executives from these companies are contesting to secure promising projects in Africa, but they face shareholder concerns and complex ESG considerations in the process.

In this article published by Reuters, J.S. Held Managing Consultant Patrick Edmond provides insight on strategic considerations for major mining companies in navigating these challenges.

> Click here to read the article on Reuters.

J.S. Held Global Risk Report

With change comes both risk and opportunity. In the inaugural release of the J.S. Held Global Risk Report, we combine the technical, scientific, financial, and strategic expertise of our team members to provide insight on top influential topics for 2024.

Information shared in this report is a collection of research and observations from J.S. Held experts who advise insurance professionals, legal counsel, governments, investors, and corporations across every sector and geography.

> Click here to view the 2024 J.S. Held Global Risk Report.

50 & Forward

Over the past 50 years, J.S. Held has evolved into a leading global consulting firm that combines technical, scientific, financial, and strategic expertise to advise clients seeking to realize value and mitigate risk.

Throughout our journey, we’ve consulted on some of the most important matters in history.

We are grateful for the trust and relationships developed over the years and look forward to continued growth and evolution. From our foundation to future – 50 & Forward.

> Click here to watch the story of J.S. Held from 1974 to today.

J.S. HELD WELCOMES FOUR DI&D EXPERTS IN U.K. & INDIA

We are excited to share the addition of Chantelle Jalland, Benjamin Guinard, Marybeth Kings, and Mayank Sharma to our Digital Investigations & Discovery (DI&D) team in the United Kingdom & India.
 

Commenting on the team’s expansion, DI&D lead for EMEA Simon Placks says, “The DI&D team at J.S. Held is unique, having eliminated barriers between technical disciplines. Doing so fosters a multidisciplinary, client-focused, and collaborative approach, allowing our clients to leverage the strengths of our global expertise.”

> Click here to learn more about our global DI&D team and the services we deliver.

INDUSTRY RECOGNITION

We are pleased to share that J.S. Held has been ranked as a 2023 Top Forensic & Litigation Consulting Firm in the Middle East by Consultancy Middle East.

This accolade is based on assessments of the firm’s capabilities in forensic & litigation consulting, company reputation, analyst benchmarks, industry recognitions, thought leadership, and other criteria, as evaluated by thousands of industry executives and consultants.

"Peter is extremely affable and pleasant to work with.”

“He is straight-talking about where he considers lines of enquiry to best be pursued.”

“He had an excellent depth of expertise across the spectrum of asset recovery.”

"Ashley is able to speak from a place of experience.”

“She is a simultaneously creative and practical.”

“Ms. Messick is resilient and always willing to go the extra mile.”

Welcome Greg Esslinger

We are excited to announce Greg Esslinger as our new Global Investigations Practice Lead.

Greg has 25+ years of risk, compliance, and investigative experience, including time as a practicing attorney and FBI Special Agent. Greg has led strategy development at global consulting firms, founded investigative practices, and championed D&I programs.

He will lead our Global Investigations team spanning financial services, digital investigations & discovery, business intelligence, political risk, investigations, compliance consulting, and dispute advisory.

> Click here to learn more about Greg Esslinger.

J.S. Held has acquired Africa Matters Limited, expanding the firm’s Global Investigations Practice in Africa. With offices in London and Kampala (Uganda), Africa Matters Limited provides business intelligence, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability consulting to companies considering investment in and conducting business across the African continent.

> Click here to read the press release.

J.S. Held Expands Global Investigations Practice with the Acquisition of GPW Group

The addition of the GPW team brings over 20 of the industry’s leading intelligence and disputes experts into J.S. Held's Global Investigations Practice and bolsters the firm's presence in Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East.

> Click here to read the press release.

Featured Insights

Our insights cover a variety of topics impacting businesses, society, the economy, and the environment throughout the Middle East and Africa. Check out our latest white papers, research reports, educational seminars, industry speaking engagements, and perspective articles by consultants in the region.

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