Three Categories, Three Years: What WEFAQ's 2026 LexisNexis Shortlist Means for Our Clients

We are proud to share that WEFAQ Law Firm has been shortlisted in three categories at the 2026 LexisNexis Middle East Legal Awards. It is a milestone we do not take lightly: this is the third consecutive year our firm has appeared on the shortlist of the region's premier legal awards, and the first time we have been recognised across three categories in a single year.

The 2026 recognition

This year, WEFAQ is named as a finalist in:

·       Law Firm of the Year – Kuwait

·       Law Firm of the Year – GCC

·       Managing Partner of the Year — our Founder and Managing Partner, Bader Alqellaish

Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 24 September 2026 in Dubai. Until then, we are simply honoured to stand among the finalists.

Why three years in a row matters more than any single year

Awards are easy to celebrate and easy to over-read. What we value most about this recognition is not a single headline, but the pattern behind it. WEFAQ was shortlisted in 2024, again in 2025, and now in 2026. Sustained recognition over three consecutive years says something a one-off nomination cannot: that the quality of our work is consistent, repeatable, and visible to independent observers of the regional market — not a good year, but a way of working.

The trajectory matters too. In 2025 we were shortlisted in two categories; in 2026 we are shortlisted in three, including — for the first time — Managing Partner of the Year. We have grown the breadth of our recognition while holding our place as a finalist for both Law Firm of the Year – Kuwait and Law Firm of the Year – GCC.

What this means for our clients

For the businesses, institutions, and individuals we represent, an awards shortlist is only meaningful if it reflects something they can rely on. We believe it does, in three concrete ways.

First, it is independent validation. The LexisNexis Middle East Legal Awards are judged against the wider regional market. Being shortlisted three years running is an outside signal that the standard of service our clients experience holds up against the best firms in the region.

Second, the categories reflect how we actually serve clients. Law Firm of the Year – Kuwait speaks to our depth in our home market — the corporate, commercial, litigation, banking and real estate work that anchors our practice. Law Firm of the Year – GCC speaks to the cross-border, multi-jurisdictional matters that increasingly define our clients' needs, from regional expansion to inbound investment into Kuwait.

Third, the Managing Partner of the Year shortlisting reflects partner-led service. Our clients deal directly with senior, accountable lawyers — not a relationship that thins out after the engagement letter is signed. Recognition at the leadership level is, to us, recognition of that commitment.

A regional firm, grounded in Kuwait

Appearing on both the Kuwait and the GCC shortlists captures who we are: a Kuwaiti firm with deep local roots and a genuinely regional outlook. As clients pursue opportunities across the Gulf — and as international investors look toward Kuwait — that combination of local authority and cross-border capability is exactly what complex matters require.

Thank you

Recognition of this kind is never the work of one person. It belongs to our clients, who trust us with their most important matters; to our team, whose standards make this consistency possible; and to LexisNexis Middle East, for spotlighting excellence across the region's legal community.

“Being shortlisted for a third consecutive year — and across three categories this time — means a great deal to us. It reflects the trust of our clients and the dedication of our team. We are proud, grateful, and more focused than ever on the standard of service that earned this recognition.” — Bader Alqellaish, Founder & Managing Partner, WEFAQ Law Firm

We look forward to the ceremony on 24 September 2026 in Dubai — and, whatever the outcome, to continuing the work that brought us here.

WEFAQ Law Firm is a full-service Kuwaiti law firm advising on corporate and commercial, litigation and arbitration, banking, finance and regulatory, and real estate and construction matters, serving clients in Kuwait and across the GCC. wefaqlaw.com  |  Instagram @wefaqlaw