With arbitration emerging as a preferred channel for dispute resolution, HL&A has assembled the region’s foremost team for arbitration representation.

Our support starts long before the actual arbitration process. Our teams get involved during the initial contract creation process, where we help clients decide whether arbitration is suitable as a dispute resolution mechanism. We ensure that relevant clauses within the contract construction detail the nature and location of the arbitration.

Through arbitration, we assist clients in settling complex cases without resorting to traditional litigation. By avoiding the lengthy court process, our clients can resolve their matters efficiently and quickly return to business. Our specialist practitioners have the experience necessary to provide expert representation before arbitration tribunals, including the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) and the DIFC-LCIA Arbitration Centre.

We represent our clients through the arbitration process, serving their best interests while arguing in front of a tribunal and upon receiving an arbitration award, our litigation team will assist with ratification, recognition and enforcement of international and domestic awards.

Our thought leadership in the arbitration space amplifies our effectiveness when arguing for clients’ best interests. Our arbitration team offers extensive experience in specific industry areas – from construction, engineering and real estate to media, financial services, investments and insurance.

The UAE’s banking and financial sectors are vibrant, dynamic and constantly evolving towards global best practice. Our legal team brings years of local expertise and international experience to navigate a changing environment as new products, technologies and regulatory frameworks are introduced.

Our practice supports banks and financial institutions on their legal affairs, licensing and incorporation. We also advise corporate and commercial clients on financial and commercial transactions, preparation of loan agreements, insolvency, asset, private equity, real estate, project, trade and acquisition financing, anti-money-laundering, compliance with Shariah Law and regulations among others.

Our team of banking and finance litigation lawyers are experts in financial dispute resolution including banking disputes, enforcements, compliance, corporate governance, bankruptcy, fraud and financial crime. We represent our clients in both local UAE courts and as well as DIFC courts.

We regularly assist with ensuring compliance with tenets of Islamic finance, overseeing the creation of investment funds and structures, and the development of new financial products adhering to local law and Shariah principles.

We provide counsel to clients on structuring the purchase and sale of large assets such as property, vehicle fleets, oil rigs, ships, manufacturing plants and other industrial equipment.

The right company structure creates the backbone for sustainable business success. Whether onshore, offshore, or in one of the many UAE free zones, our team of legal practitioners expertly guides clients in selecting the ideal company structure and advise them on compliance.

Our legal advice on company formation starts with understanding our clients’ objectives leading to tracing a viable and compliant route to create a structure that fulfils them. Our in-depth knowledge of local regulations and the continuously changing foreign investment laws, backed by strong relationships with the authorities and government bodies, allow us to devise strategic optimal structures for our clients.

We assist our clients in establishing various types of entities across mainland and free zone jurisdictions: Limited Liability Company (LLC), branch or representative office of a foreign company, foreign investment companies, commercial agency or distributor, professional service, free zone company and offshore company.
This includes defining roles and responsibilities through Memorandum and Articles of Association, shareholder agreements and board and shareholders resolutions.

We also advise clients on restructuring of their existing entities for better operational efficiency or regulatory compliance. We suggest appropriate structures in response to government tenders and help clearly define roles in matters of shareholder responsibility.

At HL&A, clients benefit from an exceptional multidisciplinary practice with cross-sectoral expertise in creating sound, and legally enforced contracts that comply with, and can be easily enforced through, the UAE legal system.

We have decades of experience in advising on, and preparing contracts dealing with, the sale and purchase of assets, sale and supply of goods agreements, escrow and guaranty agreements, joint ventures, confidentiality, non-disclosure and data protection agreements, distribution, consultancy, advertising and marketing agreements, commercial agency, representation and franchise agreements, maintenance and services agreements – just to name a few.

From MoUs to formally binding agreements, standard form agreements to large and complex commercial contracts, HL&A’s teams create airtight agreements that serve clients’ needs and facilitate an environment of business confidence.

In the case of dispute due to deviation from contract terms, our team of lawyers and UAE national advocates, who have the right of audience in front of all the UAE courts, offers clients several avenues ranging from arbitration to litigation to protect their business interests.

With years of experience in the UAE, our team of proficient corporate lawyers are regarded as experts with extensive knowledge and understanding of the local business and legal environment.

Set apart by the cross-disciplinary legal team we bring a unique integrated repository of corporate knowledge and legal experience, which makes us stand out as one of the most reputed corporate law firms in Dubai.

Our multi-disciplinary team of commercial lawyers in Dubai advise clients on entry strategies into the UAE market, and provide them with legal support in structuring investments and navigating regulatory frameworks while staying focused on their overall commercial objectives.

We pride ourselves with the highest standards of quality and responsiveness and act as consultants and expert legal advisors on all matters of business operation – particularly when there are legal ramifications to consider.

We also offer a range of corporate services that include acting as nominee shareholder or company secretary, assisting with corporate action submissions, and interacting with regulatory authorities.

Our comprehensive legal advisory services support clients operating in the UAE mainland as well as those within free zone jurisdictions.

We are experts in designing enforceable contracts under UAE law, and regularly assist businesses with IP protection, trademark registration, franchising and other general business queries.

For any of your corporate law requirements, kindly reach out to us via the contact us form, email or phone and our corporate lawyers in Dubai will be glad to assist you.

OUR CORPORATE LEGAL SERVICES IN THE UAE

• Legal advisory services

• Corporate structuring

• Company formation and restructuring

• Joint venture or shareholders agreements

• Board composition and management arrangements

• Commercial contracts in line with the UAE jurisdiction

• Stock and asset purchases and sales

• Regulating frameworks

• IP Protection

• Trademark registration

• Franchising

• Mergers and acquisitions

• Sponsorship

• Commercial agency advice and disputes

• Commercial litigation

While a strong credit policy and collection process may serve your company for the majority of your outstanding invoices, there will come a time when getting paid from a client or customer proves difficult, and you risk being left with bad debt on your books, requiring you to resort to debt recovery lawyers.

Unpaid invoices, bad debt, and delinquent account receivables are parts of doing business. However, when you exhaust all the normal methods, sending multiple overdue notices, demand letters, set up meetings or call your clients, and have not been successful in collecting your debt, it might be time and the best solution is to hire a debt recovery lawyer.

HL&A focuses on the areas of commercial debt recovery and the enforcement of creditors’ rights. We are resourceful, experienced, and persistent. We provide our debt collection in UAE services for a wide spectrum of clients, including large local and multinational commercial and industrial organizations.

At HL&A, our team of highly qualified legal consultants and local advocates take varied approaches to your debt collection UAE matters depending upon the circumstances. We analyze each case and make a decision on the most effective debt collection procedures to use based upon the facts, conditions, and requirements of each case.

For decades we helped our corporate clients address their debt recovery matters and pursued their rights in the UAE courts to obtain satisfactory results for their businesses. As a law firm, we have more leverage to collect your debts which make us your ultimate debt collection lawyers.

For any of your debt collection UAE requirements, kindly reach out to us via the contact us form, email or phone and our specialized team of debt recovery lawyers will be glad to assist you.

OUR DEBT RECOVERY AND COLLECTION LEGAL SERVICES IN THE UAE

• Commercial debt collection in UAE

• Amicable resolution & debt settlements

• Judicial proceedings in debt recovery cases before UAE courts

• Debt recovery services for unpaid loans, services, invoices, and salaries.

• Enforcement of creditors’ rights in UAE and foreign countries

• Unpaid cheques or bounced cheques

At Hussain Lootah, our family lawyers in Dubai deliver legal guidance for all areas of family life. We help create the structures to safeguard family relations, and deal with disputes as they arise. From issues of separation and divorce, child custody, domestic violence and inheritance our team of experienced family and divorce lawyers in Dubai extend legal advice that covers sensitive situations – with confidentiality, impartiality and tact guaranteed.

We help expatriates codify family relationships, rights and wills in a manner compliant with Shariah. We help translate family agreements and arrangements into documentation that comply with the local laws and can be easily enforced within the UAE court system. From wills and inheritance to custody and guardianship, we offer families peace of mind when dealing with contingencies.

Our family lawyers speak multiple languages and our legal support ranges from guidance and advice to dispute resolution, court representation, compensation and ongoing legal support as required, where we seek the best outcome for the family unit. Our divorce lawyers are not just well versed in law; they also understand the sensitive nature of family disputes, and help family members reach equitable settlements with minimal disruption if possible.

For any of your family law requirements, kindly reach out to us via the contact us form, email or phone and our family lawyers in Dubai will be glad to assist you.

OUR FAMILY AND DIVORCE LEGAL SERVICES IN THE UAE

• Legal consultation

• Marital settlements

• Separation agreements

• Pre-Nuptial Agreements

• Post-Nuptial Agreements

• Divorce

• Legal documentation

• Alimony or maintenance claims

• Child custody

• Domestic abuse and violence

• Guardianship

• Inheritance

• Attestation of documents

Our financial crime team assists stakeholders across the entire financial ecosystem in legal matters related to complex financial crime. From assisting regulators and government entities with frameworks, advising corporate clients on best legal practice, assisting multinational organizations with compliance, and safeguarding individuals, HL&A is the UAE’s first port of call for advice and representation with serious financial crime.

Our expertise incudes advising on issues such as corporate fraud, forgery, identity theft, breach of trust, bounced cheques, loan and mortgage fraud, violation of regulatory guidelines, corruption, money laundering, terrorist financing, bribery, information security, market abuse, insider dealing and cybercrime. We identify and safeguard against liability and protect our clients’ interests before public prosecution, police, and the UAE courts.

We don’t just respond to instances of financial crime but also act in preventative manner by helping corporate concerns ensure compliance with AML and KYC regulations, anti-corruption laws, global anti-bribery frameworks, and boycott or sanctions campaigns.

Our goal is to facilitate a safer, more secure financial environment and shield its participants from the adverse impacts associated with financial crime.

Contemporary business success relies heavily on virtual assets and intellectual property. HL&A’s Intellectual Property lawyers advise clients on the full range of contentious and non-contentious IP related matters. We support clients with patents, trademarks, copyrights, designs, domain names, labels and other content, and help effectively prepare, process and register intellectual property, protect it against violations, derive commercial benefits from it, and seek compensation for infringement if required.

We create equitable agreements for Intellectual Property and content use, oversee and enforce them as required.

Our IP practice collaborates with our firm’s baking and finance, corporate, contracts teams to help clients monetise their intellectual property – such as through licensing and distribution arrangements, franchising, joint ventures and others.

When it comes to enforcement, our (IP) property lawyers in Dubai work closely with our dispute resolution team should a potential infringement or dispute arise. We have extensive experience in enforcing rights against counterfeiters, forgers, and copiers as well as executing proceedings with the relevant government bodies/departments and the UAE courts.

A market as dynamic, diverse, and multicultural as the UAE sees a global confluence of expectations, norms, and ethics when it comes to employment. At HL&A, we make it our mission to provide dedicated labour law support for both employers and employees and create equitable terms of employment in a manner compatible with the UAE labour law and relevant regulations.

Our devoted team of labour lawyers in Dubai with over two decades of experience in the UAE labour law matters, support our clients in both public and private sectors, whether on the UAE mainland or within free zones, with all aspects of the employment law. Whilst working on labour policies and procedures, drafting and vetting labour contracts and agreements, our role as experienced labour lawyers in Dubai is to bring stakeholders to a similar point of reference. This process starts at the outset of the recruitment process, where our legal consultants and local advocate help ensure that the selection and hiring process is in line within the UAE law, as well as the subsequent labour contracts and relevant documents generated.

We guide our clients navigate through the complex and fast changing employment environment in the UAE and advise on all areas of the employer-employee relationship, including HR policy, procedure documentation and employee handbooks, disciplinary concerns, grievance and dismissal procedures, with the expertise of our employment lawyers in Dubai.

Our employment lawyers in Dubai also assist our clients and their human resources departments with redundancy agreements, and the changing terms and conditions or employment transfers that might eventuate from mergers, acquisitions, divestment, or business reorganization. Other services include, employment policies, confidentiality, non-competition and non-solicitation, intellectual property protection and directors/managers’ duties and liabilities.

Our bilingual advocates support and represent our corporate clients in all post-termination disputes and litigation procedures and assist with mediation at all labour committees.

Our bilingual advocates support and represent our corporate clients in all post-termination disputes and litigation procedures and assist with mediation at all labour committees.

OUR EMPLOYMENT AND LABOR LEGAL SERVICES IN THE UAE

• Human resources policies

• Labor force restructuring

• Secondments

• Employment contracts

• Employee transfers

• Redundancy agreements

• Settlement agreements

• Disciplinary and dismissal procedures

• Due Diligence

• Compliance with government authorities

• Confidentiality agreements

• Non-competition and non-solicitation agreements

• Dispute resolution – Litigation (All UAE courts)

With over two decades of experience delivering equitable outcomes, as a specialized litigation law firm in Dubai, our team is exceptionally qualified, with years of expertise in arguing cases in Arabic within the UAE court system. Our UAE national advocates have the right of audience before all local courts, which means they plead client cases directly in front of judges without relying on an intermediary.

We are set apart by our sound understanding of complexity of the local legal system, and our strong relationship with the relevant authorities – keeping us abreast of changes to local law. Client service standards are a crucial differentiator, with our teams offering clients regular updates and continual guidance.

Our litigation services range from real estate, construction, commercial, employment and debt recovery litigation to media, banking and finance, inheritance and insurance litigation. We specialise in pleading civil, criminal and commercial cases in local courts, and are also experts at litigating cases in Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) courts.

Our team, consisting of five litigation lawyers in Dubai, holds vast experience in many industrial sectors, and a solid record of accomplishment of successful resolution of high-value disputes.

Our specialist teams research and deliver cogent arguments to ensure that our clients’ interests are well-represented.

For any of your local litigation cases, kindly reach out to us via the contact us form, email or phone and our litigation lawyers in Dubai will be glad to assist you.

OUR LITIGATION SERVICES IN THE UAE INCLUDE

• Corporate and commercial disputes

• Real estate disputes

• Tenancy disputes

• Construction and engineering claims

• Debt recovery

• Employment disputes

• Banking and finance

• White collar and financial crime

• Family and inheritance

• Insurance

• Insolvency

• Professional negligence

• Intellectual property

With maritime and transport playing a seminal role in the UAE’s economic prosperity and status as strategic trade hub, HL&A offers a portfolio of legal services that safeguard stakeholder interests in the field.

We act on behalf of stakeholders throughout the shipping and transport sectors– including shipbuilders, owners, charterers, financers, hull and cargo insurers, governments, port and terminal operators , P&I clubs, shipping lines, operators, ship builders, logistics providers, freight forwarders, and other cargo interests.

Our services cover the entire gamut of legal assistance for the sector- starting with contract creation, covering logistics and financial agreements, equipment leasing and moving on to dispute resolution, accidents and unforeseen issues.

We have a track record of dealing with unforeseen circumstances such as collisions, spillage, or ship detention. We assist with financial concerns pertaining insurance pay-outs, bill of lading disputes and asset financing. Our maritime and transport practice also works closely with our financial legal teams to determine effective structures for large asset acquisition in the sector.

With the UAE being a regional business hub and as the market becoming more competitive across various industries, our M&A practice is helping to create amalgamated organisations and streamlined structures to power future prosperity.

Our M&A experts assist clients throughout the process in undertaking some of the UAE’s most significant M&A deals. From the initial steps of deal negotiations, due diligence, drafting transaction documents and agreements, securing regulatory approvals from authorities and government to finalizing and closing, we ensure optimal outcomes during joint ventures, stock and asset purchases or divestment, corporate restructuring, mergers, acquisitions and strategic alliances.

We are set apart by the cross-disciplinary expertise we bring to our M&A practice, creating a uniquely integrated knowledge and experience. Our goal is to deliver beneficial outcomes for businesses coupled with world-class service standards.

Clients can rest assured of an integrated portfolio of expertise they can rely on for regulatory, financial, real estate, commercial, corporate and employment-related matters.

We are set apart by our good standing with the UAE government, and by the responsiveness, precision and customer service that we offer our clients.

HL&A is authorized and licensed by the Government of Dubai to offer Private Notary Services. We have licensed and authorized lawyers who provide private notary services in Dubai to our clients either at our office or anywhere convenient to them – at their office, home or elsewhere.

Our private notary services in Dubai include a wide range of legal document attestations such as: general or personal power of attorney, Memorandum of Association, amendment to Memorandum of Association, endorsement of signature, declaration of residency, sales and purchase agreement, legal notices and judicial warnings, job offers, among others.

All the procedures and transactions are usually done online via a section under the Dubai Courts’ website. This shortens the time and effort required to complete any transaction.

For any of your private notary services requirements, kindly reach out to us via the contact us form, email or phone and our registered private notary in Dubai will be glad to assist you.

OUR PRIVATE NOTARY SERVICES IN DUBAI

• General Power of Attorney

• Power of Attorney (litigation, vehicles, inheritance certificate, real estate, trademarks, company establishment, follow up, tenancy dispute, Ministry of Labour, residency, and foreign affairs).

• Declarations (Assigning shares, safety bond, Residency, unemployment, visit visa sponsorship, Ministry of Labour, cancellation of a Power of Attorney, assigning intellectual right, withdrawing of claim / complaint).

• Memorandum of association of (LLC, joint liability company, civil partnership company) and addendum of memorandum of association.

• Annulment of Memorandum of Association of (LLC, Joint Liability Company, Civil Partnership Company, Service Local Agreement).

• Agreement for the Appointment of a UAE National Service Agent

• Endorsement of signature

• Sale and purchase agreements

• Legal notices

With a particularly dynamic and constantly evolving real estate sector powering the UAE’s growth, HL&A has assembled a multilingual experienced team of real estate lawyers in Dubai to assist clients with all commercial and residential property related laws and regulations. We regularly advise and represent stakeholders across the entire real estate sector – including investors, developers, contractors, landlords, owners’ associations, tenants, regulators, government bodies, banks and financial institutions.

Our close relationships with the governing authorities and our extensive involvement in the real estate sector and decades of experience in dispute resolution allow us to deliver a world-class integrated repository of expertise to our clients.

Also, our expert real estate lawyers in Dubai work in tandem with other areas of expertise within HL&A to safeguard all clients’ needs and interests with the provision of a full range of services ranging from licensing and registration to conducting transactions, financing, sale and purchase agreements, contractor relations, development structuring, zoning and strata law compliance, escrow advice, commercial, retail and industrial leasing, jointly owned property structures, compliance with RERA regulations, property management agreements, real estate litigation and other dispute resolution methods.

HL&A’s real estate practice has been regarded as one of the leaders in the market especially when it comes to dispute resolution via arbitration or real estate litigation. Our team of real estate lawyers in Dubai advised all stakeholders in the real estate sector over the past couple of decades and our advocates represented clients in front of all the UAE courts to resolve disputes between investors, developers and contractors, residential and commercial tenancy disputes, and others.

For any of your real estate legal requirements, kindly reach out to us via the contact us form, email or phone and our specialized team of property lawyers in Dubai will be glad to assist you.

OUR REAL ESTATE AND PROPERTY LEGAL SERVICES IN THE UAE

• Drafting and vetting contracts

• Sale and purchase agreements

• Property and hotel management agreements

• Residential, commercial, and industrial leasing

• Commercial real estate transactions

• Real estate dispute resolution

• off-plan property advice and disputes

• Landlord-tenant disputes

• Licensing, registration, financing

• Development and structuring

• Strata law compliance

• Escrow advice

• Joint property structure

• Real estate litigation

Inheritance, estate planning, wills, guardianship, and the accurate execution thereof, play a crucial role in family stability and continuity. In a multicultural destination such as the UAE, home to expatriates from all over the world, our expert team can advise clients on ways to ensure the complex legal process of making a will or dealing with any financial affairs of a deceased loved one is seamless and sensitive family matters are finalized efficiently.

Our Wills and Guardianship practice offers clients peace of mind by assisting in all aspects of estate planning, inheritance and guardianship. We prepare and document wills, trusts and guardianship agreements that can be effectively enforced within the UAE legal system – ensuring that families who have suffered bereavement are not additionally burdened by time-consuming costly, and legally complex court procedures.

We help Non-Muslim expats understand that wills, trusts, guardianship agreements, and other family contracts need to comply with in the UAE law for effective execution. Absence of such compliant agreements can cause serious complications, with cases reverting by default to Shariah inheritance and guardianship rules.

We also specialise in creating wills and guardianship agreements under the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Wills and Probate Registry.