Abdulla Al Awadi & Associates

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

With proven litigation expertise in civil law, common law, and criminal matters, and in English and Arabic, the firm is dedicated to supporting its clients with a full-service experience that secures the best possible outcome. The firm understands the local law from a global perspective, and utilises its resources to assist its clients during each stage of the litigation or dispute process. Abdulla Alawadi and Associates also understands and appreciates the fact that litigation is often business critical from a civil and commercial standpoint and particularly challenging in case of criminal matters. As expert practitioners, the firm supports its clients right from filing to final resolution. The firm partners with each of its clients, understanding their concerns and addressing every issue and question, so that they are completely aware of the process throughout. Our in-depth experience extends across the GCC region and multiple industry sectors, including banking, commercial, construction, employment, insurance, intellectual property (IT), real estate, and trade, as well as criminal matters and police cases. We are licensed with rights of audience before the following courts: 

• ADGM Courts
• DIFC Courts
• GCC-based courts
• UAE local courts, including:
• Courts of First Instance
• Courts of Appeal
• Courts of Cassation
• UAE federal courts

Corporate & Commercial

The leading UAE based law firm’s in-depth and extensive corporate and commercial experience serves a broad spectrum of clients, ranging from multi-national institutions and public corporations to recognized international brands, private companies, SMEs and entrepreneurs or new market entrants. The firm has rich expertise in advising companies looking to expand their online presence or to enter the e-commerce sector. The firm’s experience of this highly complex legal and regulatory environment is well recognised in UAE and beyond. Abdulla Alawadi and Associates’ company formation services include offering advice and guidance to its clients on choosing the best place for establishing a new entity or protecting assets, whether onshore in conjunction with a local business partner or agent, or offshore from one of the large number of free zones throughout UAE. The firm’s local knowledge and practical approach are particularly effective in ensuring that the best choices are made. Abdulla Alawadi and Associates advises on all aspects of a business’s ongoing commercial affairs. This could include: 

• Corporate governance matters
• Regulatory trade compliance
• Mergers
• IPOs
• Joint Ventures
• Business or asset acquisitions
• Business or asset disposals
• Security underwriting
• Shareholders arrangements
• Commercial arrangements, including drafting in English or Arabic of agency, distribution or franchising agreements
• Corporate restructuring
• E-commerce support
• GDPR compliance
• Online business operations
• Corporate taxation

 We pride ourselves on offering pragmatic and commercially-minded legal support, based on  expert knowledge of local laws and regulations, as well as international best practices.

Employment Law

Abdulla Alawadi and Associates, a leading Dubai based law firm offers a full range of employment law services to businesses and employees across the UAE, advising on the rights and obligations for both employer and employee under the UAE Labour Code, DIFC, common law and ADGM.   The firm focuses on delivering a client-focused support that is current, practical, and commercially viable and takes into consideration the latest decisions of the UAE Courts.   For business clients, Abdulla Alawadi and Associates offers preventative advice and drafting services. This includes drafting of employment contracts, advising on, and drafting of, internal HR policies and corporate manuals or handbooks. The firm’s overriding concern is to ensure that the client is able to create an environment of compliance with the labour code, assisting in clearly defining responsibilities on all sides, whilst minimising the risk of disputes. In the event that a labour dispute does emerge, we are able to offer the expertise of a mediation service as an alternative to litigation, which presents an opportunity to repair the relationship between the parties, as well as being a cost effective and non-confrontational tool.   When a dispute cannot be resolved amicably, the firm’s clients are supported by a dedicated team with rights of audience before labour courts throughout the country and the DIFC. Abdulla Alawadi and Associates manages the dispute process in English and Arabic, providing clients with regular communications and guidance so that they can make informed decisions about their matters.

Real Estate & Rental Disputes

Lawyers at Abdulla Alawadi and Associates offer practical, actionable advice for a full range of property and real estate matters across a wide number of sectors, including hospitality, residential, commercial, industrial, and retail. The law firm fully understands the real estate lifecycle in the UAE, and have expertise in initial land acquisition, project and strata structuring, asset management, leasing, and disposals. In case of a dispute, the firm’s specialists offer adept and accessible support in all forms of dispute resolution, including mediation, court litigation and arbitration. Where a dispute arises over rights and obligations arising in the context of a landlord/tenant relationship, the firm also regularly represents clients (residential and commercial) before all rental disputes committees/centres in UAE. The law firm offers expert guidance in English and Arabic throughout the rental dispute process and is experienced in drafting all the attendant documentation. Abdulla Alawadi and Associates is one of the leading firms in UAE when it comes to Rental Disputes around the UAE, the firm is authorized to appear before rental committees, and has represented many companies and private individuals. The extensive number of cases the firm has handled contributed greatly to its knowledge and experience in the field.  The law firm is significantly recognized for its ability to follow up on the cases of its clients up until the execution of the court’s ruling and the collection of the awarded amounts or/and evacuations. The firm’s mission has always been to achieve the goals of our valued clients - no matter how tough they are. As the legal partner of choice for real estate clients, Abdulla Alawadi and Associates provides practical and cost-effective solutions, embedded with local insights, knowledge and experience.

Insurance & Reinsurance

Insurance is one of the most complex and versatile spheres of business relations. Evolution of insurance products and services, along with ever-changing regulations, require participants of the insurance and reinsurance market to adapt continuously to legal innovations. Given the extensive experience in the industry, the firms team of insurance and reinsurance specialists provide clients (international and local insurers and reinsurers, brokers, third party administrators, etc.) with efficient and practical legal advice and solutions. Our professionals deal with international insurance dispute resolution, including alternative methods, such as mediation and arbitration. Our lawyers understand the environment and challenges which are faced by insurance market players on daily basis, and, thus, are able to offer early and preventive solutions and advice in any of the following insurance sectors: 

• Accident and liability insurance
• Construction and engineering
• Coverage advice and defence
• Credit insurance
• Marine cargo insurance
• Fire losses
• Medical insurance
• Personal injury
• Subrogated recoveries

Intellectual Property

The law firm’s IP practice works closely with clients from a wide range of industries to help them understand, establish and protect their intellectual property rights. This can be a matter of critical business security, especially for brand preservation or differentiation, a tool for business expansion, or an asset when entering into new commercial partnerships. Abdulla Alawadi and Associates advises on the establishment, registration, and protection of IP rights, whether using trademarks, patents or copyright, as well as their commercialisation through franchising and distribution agreements, and third-party licensing. The firm also assist’s clients with corporate and commercial structuring to shield their IP rights and to strategically leverage their assets to their full advantage. Within the increasingly competitive and crowded E-Commerce sector, establishing and preserving your IP is an essential element to prevent the loss of valuable traffic to your e-commerce platform, because a competitor has mis-used your brand, logo, company name, or trade secrets. Abdulla Alawadi and Associates offers specific expertise in the particular issues and regulatory considerations found in the E-Commerce sector to help the client to protect their interests. When a dispute or potential IP infringement occurs, the firm offers a range of dispute resolution techniques to enable the client to enforce their rights to the fullest extent necessary. In particular, the team at Abdulla Alawadi and Associates has valuable experience in working with governmental agencies to bring civil and criminal enforcement actions against counterfeiters who have misappropriated IP from the rightful owners.

Criminal Law

Crime means an unlawful act punishable under the penal code of a country or jurisdiction. In the United Arab Emirates, a crime is defined under the Federal Penal Code and whose provisions are derived mostly from Shariah principles.

Although there are many different kinds of crimes, criminal acts can generally be divided into five primary categories: crimes against a person, crimes against property, inchoate crimes, statutory crimes, and financial crimes. Therefore, it is vital for any Criminal Lawyer to comprehend the nature of the crime to advise his client appropriately. Consequently, the term “crime” includes the following:

• Physical & domestic violence
• Crimes against human dignity
• Drug trafficking, possession and consumption
• Sexual crimes
• Murder or attempt to murder;
• Theft, robbery, burglary or trespassing;
• Cybercrimes
• Defamation
• Extradition
• Infringement of Privacy

With over 23 years of significant experience in criminal matters, Abdulla Al Awadi Advocates and legal consultancy has gained considerable expertise in representing clients accused of federal or state criminal offenses within the country.

The UAE criminal law constitutes the branch of law that deals with public wrongs of offenses and is divided into two parts, the substantive law and the law of procedures. The UAE Penal Code sets out the legal provisions of the actions recognized as crimes in the UAE and prescribes the penalties incurring for such acts.

The crimes are divided into three categories: Contraventions, Misdemeanours, and Felonies, with felonies constituting the most serious offenses. The Dubai criminal court is empowered to imprison, fine, and acquit accused persons charged with criminal offenses. The criminal courts consist of the Court of the First Instance, Court of Appeals, and Cassation Court. The Criminal courts are empowered to imprison, fine, or acquit the persons accused with criminal offenses in the UAE. Parties have the right to file an appeal before the Court of Appeal within fifteen days and further before the Court of Cassation. All the proceedings are conducted exclusively in Arabic.

Our team of Criminal Lawyers is committed solely to criminal matters within the Emirate of Dubai and other Emirates of the UAE. Using the most recent techniques, logical procedures, research information bases, and examination. We are ready for a prompt and compelling reaction to any criminal emergency with any client.

Our cooperative approach with exceptionally talented Criminal Lawyers allows us to help our customers by addressing their particular requirements with imaginative and critical thinking, immediate and effective results. We have the experience, information, and variety to adapt to any given situation.

Our Criminal Lawyers’ team is dedicated to providing our clients with the best legal representation before the relevant court authorities for the purpose of achieving the best possible outcome.

Considering our transparent and honest approach with our clients, we always encourage them to sign our professional services agreement defining the terms of the relationship between our law firm and the client, specifically the scope of services offered to them in this regard.

Our office undoubtedly understands the need of urgent legal consultation in criminal matters; thus, all calls and emails are promptly responded to, ensuring a complete legal guidance to all our clients without any delay.

Our lawyers are trained to handle cases from police investigation to prosecution and criminal court. They request bail, submit memos and pleadings related to all charges, especially misdemeanours and federal violations.

We guarantee that our clients are represented fairly, legally, and fully throughout the entire judicial and non- judicial legal process.