David Wohabe, Esq

David Wohabe, Esq, is a partner at Wohabe Law Offices LLP in New York, and the firm has been named Islamic Finance Law Firm of the Year in New York, US at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2026. The recognition reflects the firm's distinctive focus on finance and investment work connecting the United States with the Gulf and the wider Middle East.

A New York firm bridging the US and the Gulf

Wohabe Law Offices LLP is a New York-based law firm whose practice centres on finance and investments, private equity and investment funds, Islamic finance and investment, real estate, banking and financial services, and transactions and projects in the Gulf states. This orientation gives the firm an unusual profile among New York practices: it pairs the sophistication of the US financial and legal market with a dedicated focus on Middle Eastern, and specifically Gulf, business.

David Wohabe leads this work as a partner of the firm. His practice sits at the intersection of two worlds, advising on cross-border finance, investment and real estate transactions that involve parties, capital or assets moving between the United States and the Gulf region. Structuring such transactions requires an understanding not only of US and New York law but also of the commercial expectations and legal sensibilities of Middle Eastern clients and counterparties.

• Islamic finance and investment structures
• Finance and investments, private equity and investment funds
• Real estate transactions
• Banking and financial services
• Cross-border transactions and projects in the Gulf states

Islamic finance and its legal demands

Islamic finance is a distinct and growing field of financial practice, governed by principles of Shariah that prohibit the payment or receipt of interest (riba), discourage excessive uncertainty (gharar), and require that financial arrangements be tied to real assets and permissible economic activity. As a result, Islamic finance relies on structures such as murabaha, ijara, sukuk and musharaka that achieve commercial objectives while remaining compliant with these principles.

Advising on Islamic finance in a US context calls for lawyers who can bridge conventional Western financial and legal frameworks with Shariah-compliant structuring, ensuring that transactions satisfy both regulatory requirements and religious principles. For Gulf investors seeking to deploy capital into US real estate, funds or projects, and for US parties seeking investment from the region, this specialist capability is essential. It is precisely the niche that Wohabe Law Offices, with its stated focus on Islamic finance and Gulf transactions, is positioned to serve from New York.

Recognition at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2026

As a partner of Wohabe Law Offices LLP, David Wohabe leads a practice defined by its cross-border, US-Gulf orientation and its concentration on finance, investment and real estate work, including Islamic finance. The firm's location in New York, one of the world's foremost financial centres, combined with its Middle Eastern focus, makes it a natural point of connection for clients on both sides of that relationship.

The Corporate INTL Global Awards are decided through the publication's research into leading firms and advisers within each jurisdiction and practice area. Being named Islamic Finance Law Firm of the Year in New York, US recognises Wohabe Law Offices LLP for its specialist work in Islamic finance and cross-border Gulf transactions. For investors and businesses navigating Shariah-compliant finance and US-Middle East investment, the award points toward a New York firm, led by David Wohabe, built around exactly that expertise.

Connecting two financial worlds

The relationship between the United States and the Gulf is one of the most significant flows of investment and capital in the global economy, spanning real estate, private equity, funds and major projects. Facilitating it demands lawyers who can operate credibly on both sides, understanding US and New York legal and regulatory frameworks while remaining fluent in the commercial and cultural expectations of Gulf clients and, where required, in the principles of Shariah-compliant finance. Wohabe Law Offices' dedicated focus on this corridor, and David Wohabe's practice within it, provide clients with a New York base that is genuinely oriented toward Middle Eastern business. For investors and institutions moving capital between these regions, that specialist bridge can make complex cross-border transactions markedly more straightforward.