The Founder
Sharhabel Al Zaeem
The Founder:
Mr. Sharhabeel Al Zaeem is the founder of Al Zaeem and Associates in 1987 and he is currently the Minister of Justice in the nineteenth Palestinian government. Mr. Al Zaeem is recognized as the leading commercial law advisor in Palestine. Moreover, he is considered a reference in the fields of arbitration, dispute resolution, and intellectual property laws. His multiple successes serving all levels of commercial clients in Palestine have allowed him to be ranked as the best lawyer in Palestine by many international agencies including "Chambers Global" (The World's Leading Lawyers) since 2000. These achievements are supported by bachelor's and master's degrees in law and master's degrees in regional studies.
Mr. Al Zaeem has participated in many practical and theoretical training courses in various countries of the Middle East, Europe, and the United States of America, and he has obtained the highest degrees, certificates and memberships in the highest levels of specialized programmes in law and trade institutes; from these institutes: Harvard Law School, International Centre for Arbitration in Texas, Yale Law School, Middle East Studies Group, Arab Society for Protection of Intellectual Property, American Bar Association, and many others. Mr. Al Zaeem also gained extensive practical experience during his years of work in other countries in the Middle East, such as the UAE and Yemen, which gave him the opportunity to attract more and more diverse clients, thus increasing the scope of his work and areas of practice.
Institutional Memberships:
Mr. Al Zaeem’s experiences and abilities also extended to make him an important asset to many local institutions in his capacity as a board member or as the legal advisor. He has served as a board member with leading Palestinian private and public shareholding companies including: the Palestine Electricity Company, the Palestinian Telecommunications Group, Al-Mashtal Company, the Business Services Development Company (Tatweer), and the Palestinian Power Generation Company. Moreover, Mr. Al Zaeem has served as the legal adviser to many international bodies including United Nations Special Envoy for the Peace Process, the International Quarter, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees. All of this has added to his network and enhanced his success in achieving tangible achievements.
National and International Role:
Mr. Alzaeem contributions extended to the Palestinian public sector, where he participated in the peaceful negotiation process. Moreover, he was invited, after signing the Oslo and Cairo Agreements, to become a member of the Palestinian Israeli Legal Committee to provide his services as a legal adviser to several other Palestinian negotiating committees. In addition to his role in participating in drafting laws and reviewing several policies and laws applicable in Palestine.
Voluntary Contributions:
Mr. Al Zaeem also voluntarily participated in several educational universities, charitable institutions, civil society development organizations and community activities, one of the most prominent contributions was his chairmanship of the Board of Directors of Atfaluna for Deaf Children Society.
Academic Education Support and Development:
Mr. Al Zaeem is renowned in the academic field, as he spared time for teaching commercial law at several Palestinian universities in Gaza, including Al-Azhar University and The Islamic University, as well as training lawyers and professionals interested in the field of alternative dispute resolution. He was also a member of the board of trustees of Al-Aqsa University, Al-Azhar University and Al Quds Open University in the Gaza Strip, allowing him to participate in the formulation of higher policies for the development of education, which is one of the most important sectors.