Obaid Kazmi is a Partner, based in Dubai. His practice focuses on quantifying damages and conducting forensic accounting exercises in the context of commercial disputes.
Obaid has expertise in commercial disputes and damages claims in both litigation and arbitration in a variety of sectors, including real estate, technology, manufacturing, energy, education, construction and logistics. He has more than 25 years of accounting experience and has spent the last 17 years focusing on the Middle East. Obaid has served as an independent expert witness, advising consultant and arbitrator in disputes in the region.
He has provided an expert opinion and testimony in a dispute between a former senior executive of a global construction conglomerate and a multinational insurance company in relation to claims made under a directors' and officers' insurance policy.
Obaid has served as a testifying expert in a DIAC arbitration where he provided evidence in related damages in a shareholder dispute involving allegations of financial manipulation and fraud.
He was appointed as the expert in a DIFC-LCIA arbitration to quantify damages and lost profits due to a breach of contract. The damages in this matter exceeded AED 250 million and included future losses that would no longer be realised due to the alleged breach.
Obaid has served as an independent expert in a complex dispute between shareholders of a real estate investment partnership and in a matter related to how an individual’s estate should be distributed to his heirs.
He served as consulting expert in a large complex dispute between an international logistics company and its local, Middle Eastern partner. The issues in dispute were valued at over USD 93 million.
Obaid has also given evidence in front of Omani Public Prosecution related to an investigation of fraud and misconduct. His role was to provide the public prosecutor with an understanding of the facts so that a decision could be made on whether to pursue legal action. He has also served as an arbitrator in proceedings heard in a UAE-based arbitration centre.
Prior to joining Osborne Partners, Obaid was a managing director at Kroll in Dubai.
Obaid holds an MBA from Hult International Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Delaware. He is a Certified Public Accountant (Virginia, U.S.A.) and a Certified Fraud Examiner.
