Aarti Thadani

Aarti Thadani is a senior dispute resolution lawyer and Partner at NRF in the UAE, based in the Middle East. She has been with the firm for 16 years and has spent more than a decade advising clients across the region on complex, high‑value disputes.

Aarti regularly advises regional sovereign wealth funds, asset owners, developers, contractors and engineers on major construction projects and commercial litigation in the Middle East and internationally. Her work focuses on strategically important, revenue‑critical matters, often involving significant financial, operational and reputational risk. She has also worked on complex projects impacted by unforeseen and extraordinary circumstances, including regional events that disrupt supply chains, delay performance and trigger force majeure claims.

Her practice is genuinely cross‑border, encompassing international arbitration and litigation before the DIFC, ADGM and English courts, as well as alternative dispute resolution processes including mediation and expert determination. Aarti also frequently co‑counsels with local Emirati counsel on onshore matters, providing strategic input and oversight throughout the full life cycle of major projects.

Aarti has served as a secondee to one of Abu Dhabi’s largest sovereign wealth funds, giving her invaluable first‑hand experience of client‑side decision‑making in high‑stakes, commercially sensitive environments. This perspective enables her to deliver advice that is pragmatic, commercially focused and aligned with broader business objectives.

She is recognised as a Next Generation Partner by Legal 500 EMEA 2025 and as an Up‑and‑Coming Partner by Chambers Global UAE 2026. Through her client‑facing leadership and deep sector experience, Aarti brings a practical and insightful perspective to discussions on leadership, value creation and sustainable profitability.