du's Legal and Regulatory Affairs wins Legal Department of the Year at Corporate Counsel Middle East Awards

Dubai, UAE, 29 May 2014: du’s Legal and Regulatory Affairs division was named Legal Department of the Year (Large Team) at the recently-held Corporate Counsel Middle East Awards. The Awards evening recognises achievement, excellence and innovation in the legal sector, and awarded du the honour amidst tough competition.

Anneliese Reinhold, General Counsel and Senior Vice President Legal and Regulatory Affairs, du, said: “A strong legal department is essential to the success of a large business, such as du, and we therefore invest highly in adopting international best practices in order to run an exemplary department.”

The Judging Panel recognized the multi-national make-up of du’s Legal and Regulatory Affairs division, in addition to acknowledging its strategic vision based on best practices in Balanced Scorecard methodology, and the use of tools such as internal customer satisfaction surveys. It was also noted that the department excels in terms of corporate responsibility, training and development, and the employment of Emiratis, women and those with disabilities.

“This Award, which comes less than two months after our Legal team received the UK Law Society’s prestigious Lexcel accreditation, is testament to the Legal team’s commitment to raising the bar in terms of both quality and efficiency during 2013/14,” added Reinhold. “It is a key step towards the team’s achievement of its 2014 vision, to be recognized as amongst the best in-house legal departments in the region. On a holistic level, we are certain that the positive effects of this recognition will be beneficial not only to the Legal division, but to the wider organization, too.”

Jointly hosted by ‘Legal Week’, the world's leading legal publication, and the Corporate Counsel Middle East Group (CCME), the Awards celebrate distinction and originality in Middle East legal services, and are open to in-house legal teams and law firms operating throughout the region. Award winners are chosen by a panel of independent judges, which includes leading in-house counsel.