MIAMI — The Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance, a leading service provider for the protection of intellectual property rights, today announced that its CEO, Scott Butler, filed a $67 million lawsuit against Essam Al-Tamimi. Al-Tamimi is the founder of the largest law firm in the Middle East, which maintains seventeen offices in ten different countries. The lawsuit also names Invest Bank in the Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates as a defendant in the case that alleges bank fraud, malicious prosecution, abuse of process, and unjust enrichment via the theft of a $3 million home.
The case is about a powerful Emirati attorney weaponizing the legal system in the United Arab Emirates in an effort to destroy the successful Dubai-based business of Scott Butler, a former US special forces veteran and CEO of the Arabian Anti-Piracy Alliance.
“For more than a decade, Essam Al-Tamimi has employed a scorched earth mentality by filing scores of lawsuits and proceedings and using various means to destroy the successful business and business opportunities of our client Scott Butler,” said Gary Davidson, a partner at the international law firm Diaz Reus. “As we point out in the lawsuit, from the very beginning of their business relationship, Al-Tamimi did not honor his obligations. Thereafter, he sought to remove Butler’s presence from the Middle East entirely.”
The suit alleges that Al-Tamimi started by working through his political connections in the UAE and facilitated the imprisonment of Butler in Dubai, along with the confiscation of Butler’s passport for six years, keeping him half-a-world away from his wife and children. Al-Tamimi’s filing of false criminal charges against Butler was followed by the commencement of liquidation proceedings against Butler’s companies. The suit also alleges Al-Tamimi interfered with Butler’s clients, demanding that they cease their business relationship with Butler and his companies.
Eventually, with the help of Invest Bank, Al-Tamimi used a villa in Dubai that was purchased by the company Butler founded as collateral for a multi-million-dollar personal loan. The bank eventually sold the property, and incredibly, sent the proceeds to Al-Tamimi, even though he had never invested a single penny in the business or for the purchase of the villa.
Invest Bank, also named in the suit, is accused of helping Al-Tamimi by facilitating the fraud that allowed Al-Tamimi to profit from the collateralization and ultimate sale of the villa valued at $3 million.
The Chairman of Invest Bank’s board, who is also a member of the Sharjah ruling family, was provided a copy of the United States case through The Sharjah Ruling Court. Additionally, on April 14, 2023, Invest Bank's CEO and the head of Legal Affairs were served with the United States case through official means in the United Arab Emirates.
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