136 routes through
UAE law.

Corporate and commercial, disputes, finance, data, technology, people and real estate — organised into ten fields, so the right route is visible before the pressure arrives. Each covers the onshore position and, where relevant, the DIFC, ADGM and free zones.

136 practice areas

01 · 23 practice areas

Corporate & Commercial

Company formation, mainland and free-zone structures, governance, M&A, joint ventures and the commercial contracts that run a UAE business.

001Company formation 002Mainland company structures 003Free-zone company formation 004Shareholder agreements 005Joint ventures and strategic alliances 006Corporate governance 007Directors duties and liability 008Beneficial ownership and registers 009Corporate restructuring 010Mergers and acquisitions 011Commercial contracts 012Distribution and agency agreements 013Franchising 014SaaS and technology contracts 015Procurement and supply contracts 016Construction contracts 017Outsourcing agreements 018Commercial terms and conditions 019Contract remediation 020Cross-border contracting 021Commercial agencies 022Foreign direct investment 023Company liquidation and deregistration

02 · 15 practice areas

Disputes & Arbitration

Litigation before the onshore, DIFC and ADGM courts, arbitration, urgent relief and the enforcement of judgments and awards.

024Commercial litigation 025International arbitration 026UAE-seated arbitration 027DIFC Courts proceedings 028ADGM Courts proceedings 029Mediation and settlement 030Foreign judgment enforcement 031Arbitral award enforcement 032Shareholder disputes 033Emergency and interim relief 034Insolvency and bankruptcy 035White-collar crime and investigations 036Debt recovery 037Real estate and rental disputes 038Construction arbitration

03 · 23 practice areas

Banking, Finance & Capital Markets

Lending, project and trade finance, fintech and payments, funds and securities, and conduct regulation onshore, in the DIFC and in ADGM.

039Banking and finance 040Secured lending 041Project finance 042Real estate finance 043Trade finance 044Fintech regulation 045Payment services 046Consumer finance 047Debt restructuring 048Financial-services outsourcing 049Securities regulation 050Investment funds 051Asset management 052Private equity transactions 053Venture capital investments 054Financial promotions 055Market conduct 056Regulatory investigations 057DIFC financial regulation 058ADGM financial regulation 059Islamic finance 060Virtual assets and VARA 061IPOs and listings

04 · 10 practice areas

Data, Privacy & Cyber

Federal, DIFC and ADGM data-protection regimes, cross-border transfers, privacy programmes and incident response.

062Federal personal-data protection 063Dubai data regulation 064DIFC data protection 065ADGM data protection 066Cross-border data transfers 067Data-processing agreements 068Data-breach response 069AI governance 070Cybersecurity incidents 071Privacy-by-design programmes

05 · 10 practice areas

Technology & IP

Technology and SaaS transactions, AI, e-transactions, and the protection and licensing of trade marks, patents, copyright and trade secrets.

072Technology transactions 073Software licensing 074Cloud and outsourcing 075Artificial intelligence 076Digital signatures and e-transactions 077Trade mark strategy 078Copyright and content 079Patent commercialisation 080Trade secrets 081IP licensing

06 · 20 practice areas

Employment & Immigration

Employment contracts, policies, terminations and disputes, Emiratisation, and residence and work-authorisation routes for teams, founders and families.

082UAE employment contracts 083Employment policies 084Wages and payroll 085Working time and leave 086Termination and end-of-service benefits 087Workplace investigations 088Employment disputes 089Emiratisation compliance 090Executive employment 091Restrictive covenants 092Employment permits and work authorisations 093Residence and entry permits 094Golden Residency planning 095Investor and partner mobility 096Entrepreneur mobility 097Family and dependant mobility 098Emirates ID and establishment cards 099Immigration compliance audits 100Senior executive relocation 101Cross-border workforce planning

07 · 10 practice areas

Real Estate, Construction & Energy

Acquisition, development, leasing and regulation of real estate, construction, infrastructure, PPPs and renewable energy.

102Real estate acquisition 103Commercial leasing 104Real estate development 105Construction disputes 106Infrastructure projects 107PPP and concessions 108Renewable energy projects 109Power purchase agreements 110Property management 111Real estate regulation

08 · 10 practice areas

Tax & Regulatory

Corporate tax, VAT, excise, transfer pricing and the regulatory approvals that shape how a UAE business is structured and run.

112Corporate tax 113VAT 114Transfer pricing 115Tax disputes and FTA audits 116Customs and trade compliance 117Sanctions and export controls 118Competition law 119Merger control 120AML compliance 121Consumer protection

09 · 05 practice areas

Private Wealth & Family

Wills, succession, family businesses, foundations and the personal status rules that matter to families with UAE ties.

122Family offices 123Wills and succession 124Foundations and trusts 125Family business governance 126Divorce and family law

10 · 10 practice areas

Shipping, Aviation & Industries

Shipping, aviation, insurance, healthcare, energy and other sector regimes that need specialist UAE handling.

127Shipping and maritime 128Aviation 129Insurance and reinsurance 130Healthcare regulation 131Education and schools 132Hotels and hospitality 133Media regulation 134Gaming and lotteries 135Sports and events 136Oil and gas

This directory is general information. It is not a list of guaranteed services, rights of audience or outcomes, and reading it does not create a lawyer–client relationship.

Structure before pressure.

Practice areas · United Arab Emirates