Bennett Jones, a law firm that specialises in sectors such as energy and technology, was founded almost 90 years ago and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Hugh MacKinnon, the firm's chairman and chief executive, discusses why the business is pushing into the Emirates.
Back in the day, what were the firm's core strengths?
It was started by RB Bennett - before he became prime minister of Canada - in the 1920s. It kind of grew up with Alberta as Canada's leading energy firm. It road the wave of oil and gas. Now it's the largest Alberta-based law firm.
The firm has since expanded to Edmonton and Toronto, plus it opened offices in Beijing and Dubai last year. What drew the firm to the Emirates?
A dynamic business environment. It's one of the few places right now [where], regardless of the economy, there are some core strengths there. We think they've done a good job for making the UAE a centre for Menasa (Middle East, North Africa and South Asia). As we look to other places like India and South Asia, and other parts of the Gulf, it's a natural place for business to locate. We see our clients locating there.
How long did the process take to set up in Dubai?
From the time we started thinking about it to the execution was probably a few years but that's not to say they [Dubai International Financial Centre] held us up. That was us doing our own deliberations, waiting for the 2008 crisis to subside.
Was there anything you took advantage of due to the crisis?
The costs are lower but the business is not as vibrant. We're looking at the long term.
The economy has started to splutter once again globally. How do you foresee a second recession affecting business in the UAE?
Part of it is to hedge our own risk by diversification, so being in a place that's the centre for a quarter of the world's population will help us diversify our own risk profile.
What are your plans for a new office in Abu Dhabi?
We are just finalising the details to have people on the ground. We have space, the primary consent of the authority and just waiting to finalise some things before we have full operations.
Have you been hiring Canadians or people from Menasa for your offices in the Emirates?
Both. We sent three Canadian senior partners from the firm. We hired one Canadian who's been there [in the UAE] with a British firm … and some people from the region: a Jordanian, a Pakistani and a guy from Dubai. A mixture.
Has it been a challenge finding talent?
No harder than any other time. When you're trying to hire senior lawyers from other firms you want to get the right people, and people who are a fit into the business culture of the firm, and it hasn't been more difficult than any other place.
* Neil Parmar
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Happy Tenant
Started: January 2019
Co-founders: Joe Moufarrej and Umar Rana
Based: Dubai
Sector: Technology, real-estate
Initial investment: Dh2.5 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 4,000
Company%20Profile
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Ways to control drones
Countries have been coming up with ways to restrict and monitor the use of non-commercial drones to keep them from trespassing on controlled areas such as airports.
"Drones vary in size and some can be as big as a small city car - so imagine the impact of one hitting an airplane. It's a huge risk, especially when commercial airliners are not designed to make or take sudden evasive manoeuvres like drones can" says Saj Ahmed, chief analyst at London-based StrategicAero Research.
New measures have now been taken to monitor drone activity, Geo-fencing technology is one.
It's a method designed to prevent drones from drifting into banned areas. The technology uses GPS location signals to stop its machines flying close to airports and other restricted zones.
The European commission has recently announced a blueprint to make drone use in low-level airspace safe, secure and environmentally friendly. This process is called “U-Space” – it covers altitudes of up to 150 metres. It is also noteworthy that that UK Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones to be flown at no higher than 400ft. “U-Space” technology will be governed by a system similar to air traffic control management, which will be automated using tools like geo-fencing.
The UAE has drawn serious measures to ensure users register their devices under strict new laws. Authorities have urged that users must obtain approval in advance before flying the drones, non registered drone use in Dubai will result in a fine of up to twenty thousand dirhams under a new resolution approved by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Mr Ahmad suggest that "Hefty fines running into hundreds of thousands of dollars need to compensate for the cost of airport disruption and flight diversions to lengthy jail spells, confiscation of travel rights and use of drones for a lengthy period" must be enforced in order to reduce airport intrusion.
The specs
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Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
