Ms. Ali is resident in Washington, D.C., where she manages the firm’s international practice. She has practiced law for over 21 years in the Middle East, working with major US, European and Japanese companies. During her 21 years, Ms. Ali has been resident in both the Middle East and the US, giving her a unique ability to understand and work well with both cultures. Having been involved in a wide spectrum of international business and commercial transactions, she is well versed in the art of doing business in the Middle East.
Ms. Ali received an LL.B. from Leeds Polytechnic University in England in 1981. Upon receiving her J.D. from Southern Methodist University in 1983, Ms. Ali relocated to Kuwait to embark on her legal career. In 1984, she joined the law firm of Al-Saleh, Graham and James. For the next six years, Ms. Ali practiced in Kuwait, representing a diverse clientele of local and multi-national corporations and learning the intricacies of business transactions in the Middle East. During this period, she also served as a Member and Vice President of Legal Affairs for the American Business Council in Kuwait. In 1991, she formed what has become the law firm of Ali & Partners, and relocated to Washington, D.C. Between 1991-1994, in addition to being a Partner in her own firm, Ms. Ali acted as a Special Counsel Partner in Donovan, Leisure, Huge & Schiller, and then in Shea & Gould. In that capacity, she integrated her knowledge of the Middle East and its business laws with her knowledge of US laws and culture. In 1994, she re-devoted her time exclusively to Ali & Partners.
Ms. Ali, a US born citizen, is fluent in both Arabic and English, is a member of the District of Columbia Bar, the New York Bar, the American Bar Association, the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce, and the Washington Foreign Law Society, the Arab Association for International Arbitration and the Abu Dhabi Commercial Conciliation and Arbitration Center. Additionally, Ms. Ali has been honored as a Member of Who’s Who of International Professionals (since 1996) and Cambridge Who’s Who (since 1996-1997) and the National Who’s Who’s of Executives and Professional (since 2000).
Ms Ali gave numerous lectures and presentations on various aspects of the laws in various Middle eastern countries and has authored numerous articles on various issues of Middle Eastern Laws. Ms Ali has been published in a variety of works including:
Authored a chapter in Getting the deal through: Oil Regulations 2008 - Oil sector in Kuwait.
Authored six chapters in International Contract Manual, published by Sweet & Maxwell, and Thomson West Country Handbooks.
Authored two chapters in Enforcement of Money Judgments Abroad (3 volumes) published by Juris Publishing, Inc.
Authored two chapters in Attachment of Assets (1 volume) published by Juris Publishing Inc.
Authored numerous articles in various gazettes (Singapore, MEED, MEER).
