In the bustling nexus of innovation and ambition, where ideas spark and visions soar, a unique kind of partnership is essential. This is where we, at Hoot, step
in—not just as your legal advisors but as co-architects of your success. Our purpose is singular: to ensure that your groundbreaking ideas are nurtured, protected,
and positioned for unparalleled success.
As we understand that the path of innovation is rarely linear. It's a journey that demands agility, foresight, and, most importantly, a deep understanding of the
symbiotic relationship between strategy and innovation. Our approach is adapted to this very dynamic, focused on supporting you as you pave your way toward
changing the game, guiding you through each turn with clarity, creativity, and precision.
Our engagement goes far beyond traditional professional confines; we position ourselves as strategic allies, investing in the depth of your vision and the nuances
of your industry. Our partnership is a dynamic exchange—where your commitment meets our dedicated support, creating a synergy that not only aligns with
your immediate goals but is also resilient to evolving challenges and opportunities. For the visionaries and entrepreneurs sculpting the future, we are co-creators
of your success.
We are excited to embark on this journey with you, to support, to guide, and to celebrate as your ideas take flight, transforming the whispers of today into the
triumphs of tomorrow.
With anticipation and excitement,
HOOT!
About Hoot innovation law hub
Founded in 2024
50 people in their team
Practice areas
Languages spoken
Social media
Practice areas
Business
1/ SECURITIES AND FINANCIAL SERVICES
- Regulatory compliance and advisory.
- Securities transactions and offerings.
- Banking and financial litigation.
- Cryptocurrency legal guidance and compliance.
2/ CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND COMPLIANCE
- Corporate structuring and governance advisory.
- Regulatory compliance audits.
- Corporate ethics and risk management.
- Shareholder agreements and disputes.
3/ STARTUP AND VENTURE CAPITAL
- Startup formation and business structuring.
- Intellectual property protection and licensing.
- Venture capital financing and agreements.
- Mergers and acquisitions for startupsandinvestors.
4/ MARITIME AND SHIPPING
- Maritime contracts and dispute resolution.
- Shipping regulations and compliance.
- Admiralty law and maritime insurance.
- International maritime trade and finance.
5/ INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION
- Contract negotiation & management for construction projects.
- Regulatory compliance in infrastructure development.
- Real estate transactions and financing.
- Construction litigation and dispute resolution.
6/ COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL
- Contract drafting and negotiations.
- Retail business licensing and compliance.
- Commercial dispute resolution.
- Consumer protection and liability.
Real Estate
- Land acquisition and zoning compliance.
- Real estate project financing.
- Lease agreements and landlord-tenant law.
- Environmental compliance and risk assessment.
Intellectual Property
Trademark registration
Our Partners and Associates

Ghassan Makki leads the firm's push into next-generation finance, marrying deep courtroom experience with front-line blockchain know-how. Over 15 years he has steered multinational corporates, DIFC fintechs and family offices through the full digital-asset life-cycle—licensing under VARA, SCA and ADGM rulebooks; designing tokenisation structures for real estate, gold and private equity; and building stable-coin settlement rails with UAE clearing banks.
Recently he masterminded a US $240m tokenised-property platform in South Dubai, structured a cross-border DAO governance stack for a GCC family office, and secured dual VARA/ADGM authorisations for a crypto-native neobank rolling out BIN-sponsored debit cards. Ghassan also advises on CBDC integration, MiCAR equivalency, on-chain KYC, and AI-driven compliance tooling—drawing on thousands of data-points from his proprietary litigation-forecasting model that has underpinned AED 1.3 bn in client matters since 2021.
A graduate of Al Neelain University (LL.B., 2009), he is a Registered Legal Consultant in Dubai and a regular commentator on Gulf Business, Bloomberg Arabia and Dubai Future Blockchain Summit panels. Ghassan blends Sudanese resilience with Dubai dynamism to help clients capitalise on Web3 without losing sight of risk or reputation.

Nicholas Kairis navigates the complex nexus of banking regulation, capital-markets innovation, and cross-border M&A. As a dual-qualified advocate fluent in Greek, English, German, and French, he provides strategic counsel to banks, sovereign investors, and fintech ventures on a wide spectrum of matters, from structured-note issuances to the architecture of tokenised-security platforms.
He heads the firm's Investments & Acquisitions Committee and serves as the legal director for the Nexum Foundation in Singapore, overseeing a utility-token ecosystem and a DeFi shipping-finance platform. His background includes roles as Chief Legal Officer of Mohammad Omar Bin Haider Holding and Head of Legal for Khamis Buamim Investments, granting him significant board-level insight into oil & gas, infrastructure, and Islamic finance deals across EMEA and Asia.
A former lecturer in maritime finance, Nicholas remains a sought-after speaker on critical emerging topics such as MiCAR, VARA regulations, and Basel-compliant crypto-securities.

Fahad Al Howdari is the firm's courtroom tactician, bringing over a decade of experience arguing precedent-setting matters across every tier of the UAE judiciary, from first-instance chambers to the Federal Supreme Court and the Dubai Court of Cassation. His practice began with an early stint in a UAE government legal department, providing foundational insight into government affairs.
High-net-worth families, multinational tech platforms, and regulated financial institutions rely on Fahad to neutralise complex civil, commercial, and white-collar threats. He possesses a deep command of e-filing protocols, expert-evidence rules, and the cyber-crime statutes crucial for navigating Web3 disputes.
Known for his surgical pleadings and discreet settlement strategies, Fahad excels in high-stakes situations. His close working channels with public prosecutors and enforcement divisions enable accelerated judgment execution when reputation is paramount.

With 38 years of cross-border experience, Adil A. Babiker steers the firm's combined Islamic Finance and Digital Assets practice. Formerly General Counsel of the Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit (ICIEC) for nearly 24 years, he played a pivotal role in shaping credit-risk, governance, and compliance frameworks that are now widely emulated across OIC markets.
Adil advises banks, fintechs, and sovereign entities on intricate Sharia-compliant structures, Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) design, tokenised commodity platforms, and innovative insurance-backed digital-asset products. His extensive background provides deep insight into the intersection of traditional finance, Islamic principles, and emerging digital technologies.
He currently serves as Vice-Chairman of Devimpact Consultants, furthering the development of impact-driven fintech solutions within the GCC and Africa. A sought-after speaker, Adil has shared his expertise on CBDCs with prominent organizations like the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).

Abdullah Metwalli bridges transactional precision with courtroom readiness for Hoot Innovation Hub's emerging-technology clients. As Co-Founder of the firm, he combines regional insight with common-law reasoning gained from his UK education.
Since co-founding the firm in 2024, Abdullah has led significant corporate-governance and investment-structuring mandates, including drafting MoAs, share-sale agreements, and token-ready joint ventures. Simultaneously, he steers dispute teams effectively in both the DIFC and UAE federal courts.
Prior to Hoot, Abdullah was a core member of AWS Advocates' consultation group, managing client accounts end-to-end and training junior associates. He brings hands-on experience liaising with regulators and free-zone authorities, providing clients with efficient access to licenses, visas, and Web3 sandboxes. His LL.B. in Law with Finance from the University of Essex equips him to analyze both the legal precedents and the underlying financial aspects of complex deals.

Vlad Mozharov blends fifteen years of start-up leadership with blue-chip operational expertise to help clients transform traditional assets into tech-enabled revenue streams. His focus lies at the intersection of Property Technology (PropTech), Mobility, and Hospitality.
As Chief Executive Officer of Wise View Realty (Dubai), Vlad is spearheading the development of a blockchain-ready property management platform designed to tokenize rental cash-flows for international investors. He leverages his deep understanding of operational efficiency, honed through roles in hospitality and mobility, to drive innovation in real estate.
Vlad also holds board positions at StayLuxx, a luxury short-stay platform, and CharterClick, an e-commerce boat rental marketplace he founded, which now aggregates over 8,000 vessels across 54 countries. His previous experience includes scaling new units for CarSwitch across the UAE and KSA, and sales strategy roles with prestigious brands like Shangri-La and Waldorf Astoria.

Based in Dubai, Yuki Yoshizawa serves as a crucial bridge connecting Japanese medical technology innovation with capital markets in the Gulf region. He specializes in advising on acquisitions, growth equity investments, and joint-venture structures specifically tailored for cutting-edge therapeutic devices.
At MCO I, a Dubai platform dedicated to importing Japanese technology into the GCC, Yuki leads deal sourcing and financing efforts. He plays a key role in headline projects like mediVR KAGURA®, an Osaka University spin-out utilizing immersive VR for neuro-rehabilitation, which is now being deployed in over 120 healthcare facilities worldwide thanks to Yuki's efforts in securing funding and partnerships.
Yuki is a regular speaker at prominent industry events such as MEDTEC Japan and Arab Health. There, he decodes complex topics like reimbursement pathways, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliance, and ESG-linked valuation models, providing valuable insights for both investors and med-tech founders.

Luca Rubino couples Forbes 30-Under-30 creativity with a decade of C-suite execution experience in mobility, luxury, and Artificial Intelligence. He engineers innovative growth models that fuse data science with compelling brand storytelling, an expertise he now channels to support Hoot's digital-asset and fintech clients.
As Co-Founder & CEO of a stealth generative-AI venture in Riyadh and a board member at the sustainability label The Giving Movement, Luca operates at the forefront of technology and impact. Previously, he co-founded Kiri Technologies, whose "drive-to-earn" crypto-rewards program powers EV fleets for major brands like Jeep and FIAT across Europe.
Luca also launched EV Lab (within Chalhoub Group) as the GCC's first omnichannel Electric Vehicle platform. While serving as Automobili Pininfarina's Global Head of Digital, he achieved 900% organic social growth and brokered significant tech-gaming partnerships worth US $30m. Founder of the strategy firm Rubino & Partners and an advisor to luxury houses, he is highly regarded for opening investor pipelines and structuring token-ready loyalty ecosystems.

Ibrahim Igbariye channels over 15 years of finance, marketing, and deal-making expertise into Gate2Gulf Real Estate's "full-solution" model for UAE property investors. As CEO since 2022, he leads the advisory team in sourcing prime off-plan and ready-to-move assets from top developers.
He engineers alternative investment structures designed for superior ROI and smooth exit horizons. Under his leadership, Gate2Gulf has significantly expanded its institutional client base and launched sophisticated data-driven dashboards that benchmark rental yields and capital growth corridors across Dubai's key districts.
Ibrahim's cross-disciplinary edge was sharpened during his time as CEO of TikTak Media (2017-2022), where he built a 40-person growth marketing unit specializing in high-volume real estate lead generation. Previously, as CFO of Webisaba, he managed P&L for an international e-commerce portfolio, refining the risk metrics he now applies to property underwriting. His career began in retail sales management, grounding him in customer-centric negotiation.

Salwa Al Hawamdah turns entrepreneurial vision into operational reality, drawing on a decade of front-line experience across Dubai and Toronto. As the founder of SAPPH-X, she guides growth-stage ventures through the complexities of go-to-market logistics and cross-border structuring.
At Hoot, Salwa leads the Business Formation & Client Services desk. She orchestrates the entire setup process, from trade license issuance and shareholder registers to establishing Web3-ready corporate vehicles compliant with VARA and DIFC regulations. Her expertise ensures that new entities launch smoothly and adhere to all regulatory requirements.
Previously, Salwa served as a business consultant and dual-hatted HR officer at Aws Younus Group, where she streamlined onboarding for over 200 staff across four GCC jurisdictions. As Operations Manager at Alfan, she supervised monetization strategies for music artists, driving significant conversion growth. Her early career in hospitality honed the communication and multitasking skills essential for navigating fast-moving fintech and real-estate client needs.

Farhan Ahmed is a dual-qualified disputes and compliance strategist adept at bridging the legal systems of South Asia and the Gulf. As Managing Director of Silver Arrow Consultancy in Dubai, he provides crucial guidance to corporates, family offices, and fintech start-ups navigating commercial litigation, international arbitration, and complex multi-jurisdictional regulatory audits.
Drawing on a decade of courtroom and boardroom experience, Farhan honed his skills first as an associate barrister with Law Valley in Dhaka, and later as a legal associate at Abdulla Al Suwaidi Advocates in the UAE. There, he crafted defense strategies for high-value shareholder and construction disputes and advised on the enforceability of DIFC judgments.
He is frequently retained to draft cross-border investment agreements, structure Sharia-compliant financing deals, and design ESG-aligned governance frameworks for manufacturers and tech exporters expanding into the UAE. Early in his career, Farhan served as a legal-compliance officer for a major Bangladesh-based apparel conglomerate, where he streamlined supply-chain contracts to meet stringent EU import standards.

Kamal AlTouma architects the firm's demand engine, operating at the critical intersection of Web3, legal services, and search-led growth. As CMO of Hoot – Innovation Law Hub, he designs sophisticated SEO, Google Ads, and content funnels that effectively translate complex UAE crypto-licensing regimes (VARA, SCA, ADGM) into qualified mandates for the firm's lawyers and fintech advisors.
With over 10 years of end-to-end digital marketing experience, Kamal brings a data-first approach that routinely cuts customer acquisition costs by double digits. His strategies ensure clients' tokenization and exchange-licence offerings achieve prominent visibility on page-one search engine results pages (SERPs). He blends deep technical expertise with storytelling finesse.
Before Hoot, Kamal launched omnichannel campaigns for diverse clients and led IT infrastructure at Alfouad Group. Certified by Google and the UAE TRA, he mentors a multilingual team, meticulously tracking every click against court-compliant ROI metrics. Kamal champions ethical, privacy-safe advertising stacks that satisfy both regulators and algorithms.