Overview
Neil heads the firm’s Islamic Finance practice. He is one of the most recognised and awarded legal professionals in the Islamic financial services sector.
Neil has been involved in devising Sharia’a-compliant solutions for a wide variety of industries and sectors and can include several ‘firsts’ in his portfolio of work. His Islamic financial transaction experience can be traced back to 1995 when he ran the office of an international law firm in Bahrain and prior to joining Linklaters in 2013 Neil was global head of Islamic finance at KPMG.
As a leading figure in the legal practice of Islamic finance, Neil was invited to become a member of the UK Treasury committee of Islamic finance experts. He also played a major part in several other committees engaged in the development of Islamic finance in the UK. His contribution has been acknowledged by the organisers of the ICG Sukuk Summit Awards with an award for his “Outstanding Contribution to Islamic Finance in the UK”.
Neil is ranked as a “Notable Practitioner” in Chambers Global (in both their UAE and Middle East-wide categories), a "Leading Lawyer" in Legal 500 and a "Leading Individual" in IFLR1000.
“Neil Miller is recognised for his long-standing experience on Islamic finance, with market observers crediting him as a “thought leader” in this space.”
Chambers Global 2016, Islamic finance: Middle East
Work highlights
Neil has advised on a wide range of Islamic finance transactions. These include:
- Sukuk – advising on and structuring many Sukuk, including, most notably, acting for HM Treasury in 2014 on the £200m sovereign Sukuk by the first non-Muslim country
- Project finance – advising on various Sharia’a-compliant project financing tranches, including those provided by the Islamic Development Bank for the Queen Alia Airport renovation, extension and operation project on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis in Jordan and the Al Safi power station in Morocco
- Real property – advising on numerous real property-related financings in the Middle East and Europe, including the sponsors and arrangers of the first Sharia'a-compliant real estate investment fund in the United Kingdom
- Asset finance – advising on numerous ship- and aviation-related financings, including the first Sharia'a-compliant aviation fund
- Regulation and governance – advising on the appointment and establishment of several Sharia’a supervisory boards and various matters relating to Sharia’a governance practices
Professional experience
Neil is a member of the Advisory Board of the Dubai Centre for Excellence in Islamic Banking & Finance, which aims to support ongoing efforts to establish Dubai as the world’s Islamic economy capital. The centre is part of the Hamdan bin Mohammed Smart University.
Neil is a regular speaker at international conferences and seminars on Islamic finance, and a widely published writer on the subject.
Neil’s published works include:
- Global Islamic Finance Report, 2015 (Chapter 10)
- Sukuk reaches Western Markets, LexisNexis Banking & Finance, 2014
- A series of Client Guidance Notes on various Islamic finance related topics recently published by Linklaters
Education and qualifications
Neil studied law at the University of Kingston.
