Birt advises on the full cycle of complex, high-value commercial and construction disputes, from settlement negotiations, mediations and other alternative dispute resolution methods to formal dispute resolution proceedings and enforcement. She is with the firm’s Global Commercial Disputes Group and is based in Dubai. With more than a decade of experience in the Middle East, she has a broad commercial disputes practice in a variety of industry sectors including oil and gas, energy and water, construction and engineering, project development, distribution and M&A.

Reed Smith’s Women in Construction initiative seeks to address gender imbalance in the Middle East and North African construction industry. It is spearheaded by Nelson and Eslick, in collaboration with global consultancy HKA.

Nelson is a partner in Reed Smith’s Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Group. She is an arbitration lawyer with over 24 years of experience. Her practice focuses on the Middle East, advising on major oil-and-gas and construction-infrastructure disputes. She represents clients in arbitration proceedings under the major international and regional arbitration rules, and she is based in Reed Smith’s Dubai office.

Eslick is a senior associate in the firm’s ENR Group. Based in Reed Smith’s Dubai office, she focuses on international arbitration in commercial and construction disputes. She has practiced in Dubai for over 12 years, advising local and international clients on disputes in a range of industry sectors, including oil and gas, construction, hospitality, real estate and commodities.

The award recognizes women who have demonstrated exemplary leadership, dedication and innovation in the legal field, with significant contributions to advancing the legal profession, breaking barriers and inspiring others, according to Lexis Nexis, a leading provider of legal research and business information. Winners will be announced on March 4.