Corporate & Commercial
Corporate and commercial advisory across the UAE — from company formation in the mainland, the free zones and offshore through to mergers, acquisitions, restructuring, commercial contracts, governance and compliance. We advise start-ups, established companies and multinationals under UAE corporate law, and through a dual UAE–India presence we cover both jurisdictions under one relationship.
From formation to compliance.
From selecting a structure to closing a transaction and maintaining compliance, we advise across UAE corporate law for entrepreneurs, startups, established companies and multinational groups.
Business formation & structuring
- Entity selection — Limited Liability Company (LLC), mainland Joint Venture (JV), Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), free-zone Foundation, and offshore holding company.
- Jurisdiction — matching business activity to the right jurisdiction: Mainland, Free Zone or Offshore.
- PRO services — visa assistance and document legalization to get the entity operational.
Mergers, acquisitions & restructuring
- Transaction documents — NDAs, term sheets and letters of intent (LOIs), share and asset purchase agreements, and shareholder agreements.
- Cross-border deals — transactions where the buyer or the target sits outside the UAE, with foreign-investment and cross-jurisdictional compliance.
- Sectors — technology, healthcare, finance, trading and manufacturing, for SMEs, multinationals, investors and family businesses.
Commercial contracts & agreements
- The full range — from retainer agreements to franchise agreements and the wider range of commercial contracts.
- Drafting & negotiation — legally sound documents that protect your interests and mitigate risk.
Corporate governance & compliance
- Governance frameworks — best-practice corporate governance and board advisory.
- Compliance programs — proactive compliance and risk management against relevant laws, regulations and industry standards.
Insolvency, liquidation & banking
- Insolvency & liquidation — advising on UAE insolvency processes and company liquidation.
- Banking legal services — for banks, exchange houses and other entities regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE).
Regulatory liaison & UAE compliance advisory
- Government liaison — permits, licences and regulatory matters with the relevant authorities.
- UAE compliance advisory — AML and regulatory compliance, aligned with free-zone frameworks and evolving standards.
Through our presence in both the UAE and India, cross-border transactions, holding structures and joint ventures are handled under a single relationship — coordinating UAE company law and free-zone setup with Indian company law and FDI, without duplication. It is the route many European and GCC businesses take into India, and many Indian groups take into the Gulf.
A sample of recent matters.
Corporate advisory for UAE companies. Acted for UAE limited liability companies and sole proprietorships on share acquisitions involving mainland and free-zone entities — transaction structuring, Share Purchase Agreements and ancillary documents, with full UAE corporate and regulatory compliance.
Restructuring for exchange houses. Advised UAE-based exchange houses on internal restructuring — governance frameworks and internal agreements — with ongoing support for Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) compliance.
Fund formation at ADGM. Advised a UAE business group on establishing a fund under the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) for succession planning — the formation process, registration application, and drafting the Foundation Charter and Bye-laws under ADGM regulations.
Masdar City incorporation. Assisted a renewable-energy company with full-scope incorporation under the Masdar City Free Zone — regulatory coordination, document execution, visa processing and KYC, liaising with the Masdar authorities.
Set up right, run clean.
The structure decision shapes ownership, tax and licensing — so it comes first, and properly.
Activity & jurisdiction
Defining the business activity and the right jurisdiction — Mainland, Free Zone or Offshore.
Form
Selecting and establishing the structure — LLC, JV, SPV, Foundation or holding company — with PRO support.
Transact
Contracts, acquisitions and shareholder arrangements, with due diligence and clean documentation.
Comply
Governance, AML and regulatory compliance, with liaison to free-zone and government authorities.