Sultan Al-Abdulla & Partners

As one of the few full service premier advisory law firms in Qatar, our corporate and commercial team draws on its expertise and experience to advise on all aspects of domestic and cross-border matters and transactions. As Qatar’s corporate and commercial landscape continues to develop, our team maintains its cutting edge awareness of developments, regularly updating clients on new and emerging corporate trends and practices.

The advisory team invests time in understanding our clients’ needs so it can deliver astute, relevant and effective advice. Our team not only advises on corporate structures, but also gives sound commercial advice with regard to share voting rights, company management, JV structuring, general assembly meetings, and employment related issues. Given the restrictions on foreign investment in Qatar, we are able to advise our clients on the optimal structuring of corporate arrangements to ensure their goals are met in compliance with the law.

In addition to providing commercial and industry insight, our team also supports our clients throughout the dispute resolution process, including mediation, arbitration, or litigation up to and including the Court of Cassation (the highest court in Qatar).

As a dedicated Qatari law firm, our extensive local experience affords us the knowledge to provide bespoke advice with respect to the following corporate and commercial matters:

• Agency Agreements
• Asset/Business Purchase
• Competition Law
• Corporate Re-structuring
• Distribution and Franchise
• Agreements
• Employment
• Foreign Direct Investment
• Free zones
• Intellectual Property Licensing
• Joint Ventures
• Shareholders Agreements
• Share Sale and Purchase Agreements
• Manufacturing and Supply Agreements
• Mergers and Acquisitions

A company is only as good as its employees and although every company wants to run efficiently, occasionally employment and immigration issues arise. As a trusted on-the-ground adviser we work with our clients to anticipate these issues and provide solutions that allow human resources departments and managers to operate with confidence.

Our service spans the entire employment experience, from initial immigration and employment advice, to end of service payments and retirement. We have also assisted our clients in drafting internal HR policies, grievance and disciplinary procedures, redundancy planning, sponsorship arrangements, and secondment structures.

Not only do we advise on general employment and immigration issues, we consistently encounter more esoteric employment concerns, such as leave and entitlement to overtime for shift-workers, transfers of sponsorship and employment, maternity leave entitlements during officially recognised holidays, payments in lieu of leave, extensions of notice periods, non-compete provisions, confidentiality issues, and the Wage Protection System.

As part of our employment and immigration service offering, we not only advise on contractual and statutory issues, but regularly represent our clients before the courts of Qatar, up to and including the Court of Cassation, the highest court. We advise on structuring the initial terms of employment to minimise dispute exposure, and provide real-time support for ad hoc employment and immigration issues and disputes. We also provide bespoke internal training to our clients on matters ranging from health and safety, to data protection and anti-corruption/anti-bribery legislation.

A company is only as good as its employees and although every company wants to run efficiently, occasionally employment and immigration issues arise. As a trusted on-the-ground adviser we work with our clients to anticipate these issues and provide solutions that allow human resources departments and managers to operate with confidence.

Our service spans the entire employment experience, from initial immigration and employment advice, to end of service payments and retirement. We have also assisted our clients in drafting internal HR policies, grievance and disciplinary procedures, redundancy planning, sponsorship arrangements, and secondment structures.

Not only do we advise on general employment and immigration issues, we consistently encounter more esoteric employment concerns, such as leave and entitlement to overtime for shift-workers, transfers of sponsorship and employment, maternity leave entitlements during officially recognised holidays, payments in lieu of leave, extensions of notice periods, non-compete provisions, confidentiality issues, and the Wage Protection System.

As part of our employment and immigration service offering, we not only advise on contractual and statutory issues, but regularly represent our clients before the courts of Qatar, up to and including the Court of Cassation, the highest court. We advise on structuring the initial terms of employment to minimise dispute exposure, and provide real-time support for ad hoc employment and immigration issues and disputes. We also provide bespoke internal training to our clients on matters ranging from health and safety, to data protection and anti-corruption/anti-bribery legislation.

A company’s intellectual property is one of its most valuable assets. Concepts such as identity, quality, service, and efficiency are often tied to a company’s logo and trademark. However, intellectual property goes beyond branding. Many companies spend years developing processes, trade secrets, methodologies, and policies in order to differentiate themselves from the competition. As the global economy grows and companies increasingly expand beyond their home territories, the protection of intellectual property rights becomes a very real concern and tangible risk.

We understand the importance of protecting intellectual property and consistently offer practical commercial advice to secure the IP rights of our clients. We have extensive experience advising both private and governmental entities on all manner of intellectual property related matters such as:

• Acquisition Rights
• Cyber-squatting
• Data Protection
• Digital Signatures
• E-Commerce
• Franchise and Distribution
• IP Registration
• Technology Transfers
• Terms and Conditions of Use
• Trademark Licensing

Our highly regarded dispute resolution team specialises in litigation and arbitration relating to a variety of matters, and excels in defending clients’ IP rights in litigation and contentious proceedings before courts of Qatar.

Unlike many other firms, we can offer a one-stop-shop service through our affiliate, AraMarks Intellectual Property LLC. Acting in concert with AraMarks, we can assist clients through all phases of IP filing and registration including clearance, prosecution, and maintenance in addition to IP advisory services like portfolio management, IP due diligence and consultancy.

Sultan Al-Abdulla & Partners’ litigation team handles civil litigation in all three levels of the Qatar court system being the Court of First Instance, the Court of Appeal, and Qatar’s highest court the Court of Cassation.

Civil Litigation

We assist our clients in developing a litigation strategy at the outset of a dispute including evaluations of the relative strengths and weakness of the parties’ positions and recommendations on actions to preserve or enhance our clients’ claims. We provide clear guidance on court procedures and procedural rules that are very unfamiliar to many of our clients. We draft pleadings, of course, which are required to be in Arabic, and ensure proper coordination with our clients who are not Arabic speakers.

SAP has a particular expertise in litigating (and arbitrating) construction disputes. The firm has handled some of the highest value construction disputes in Qatar with multi-billions of dollars at issue. We are experts in the issues that commonly arise between parties to design, engineering, procurement and construction contracts in Qatar, including:

• Contractor’s Standard of Care
• Change Orders and Variations
• Claims for Extensions of Time and Prolongation Costs
• Liquidated Damages
• Acceleration Claims
• Concurrent Delay
• Apportionment of Liability
• Contractual Notice and Time Bar Provisions
• Failures to comply with contractual processes and procedures

Criminal Litigation

In Qatar, criminal litigation can be initiated by the State of Qatar or by a company or individual on its own initiative. SAP represents companies and, where interests are aligned, their employees in asserting and defending criminal claims.

Enforcement Proceedings – Qatar Court Judgements & Arbitral Awards

SAP has extensive experience representing clients before the Enforcement Court without regard to the identity or status of the judgement creditor. We have knowledge based on experience of the procedural laws applicable to enforcement proceedings and the practical manner in which Qatar courts act. We often work with advisers outside of Qatar who identify money or assets of a judgement / award debtor in Qatar, and have participated in multi-jurisdictional efforts to monetise court judgements and arbitral awards. We represented a considerable number of clients in proceedings to enforce arbitral awards, and have undertaken proceedings to annul or contest enforcement of arbitral awards.