Best Corporate Lawyers in Abu Dhabi: 2024 Guide

As a corporate lawyer who has worked in Abu Dhabi for more than seven years, I am often asked to suggest the best corporate lawyers in the emirate. Abu Dhabi is a great place to do business, but companies in all kinds of fields need expert legal advice to make their way through the rules and regulations.

Many of the best corporate lawyers in Abu Dhabi have given me the chance to work with and against them during my time as a lawyer here. I have also kept a close eye on new artists.

This 2024 guide is based on my own experience as well as feedback from clients and other lawyers. It lists the best corporate lawyers and law firms in Abu Dhabi that you should think about if your business needs legal help.

How I Chosen the Best Abu Dhabi Business Lawyers

I used the following criteria, as an experienced business lawyer, to find and choose the best lawyers to include in this guide:

• Expertise: Lawyers with a lot of experience in UAE corporate law and popular areas of practice such as starting businesses, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, commercial agreements, licensing, and rules and regulations.
• Client Portfolio: Lawyers and law firms that work with large multinational corporations, the government, new businesses, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a variety of fields.
• Reputation and Recognition: Top lawyers and law firms are recommended by clients and other lawyers as excellent sources of legal advice. Those that have won awards and rankings from legal directories.
• Full-Service Capabilities: Firms that offer all kinds of corporate legal services, such as transactional, advisory, and dispute resolution.
• Deal Sheet: Lawyers who have helped with big deals and transactions in Abu Dhabi in the past.

Top Corporate Law Firms in Abu Dhabi

For businesses in Abu Dhabi, these are the best corporate law firms I know of:

Al Suwaidi & Company

Many people think that Al Suwaidi & Company is one of the best law firms in Abu Dhabi and the UAE for corporate matters. A few highlights:

• For more than 30 years, they have been helping people with very complicated M&A, JVs, private equity, and venture capital deals.
• Strong ties with government agencies, regulators, and large family businesses.
• Over 90 lawyers have experience working in big law firms around the world.
• Took care of the recent IPOs of ADNOC subsidiaries on the ADX.

As co-counsel for Al Suwaidi, I have done a lot of work with him on private equity investments and mergers and acquisitions. Their business partners, such as Hani Al Nahyan and Samir Kantaria, give them very good business and practical advice while also being completely honest and trustworthy.

Al Tamimi & Company

With 16 offices in 9 countries, Al Tamimi & Company is one of the biggest law firms in the Middle East. Their business development team in Abu Dhabi stands out for:

• Providing advice to international clients on how to enter the UAE through joint ventures, acquisitions, setting up subsidiaries, and other means.
• How to figure out the rules for a free zone vs. a mainland company. I have sent a number of tech startups to Al Tamimi for help with their structure.
• Managing transactions that involve more than one jurisdiction and have ties to the MENA region.
• More than 90 lawyers with experience working in other countries work in Abu Dhabi.

In the past seven years, I’ve known a number of Al Tamimi lawyers, including partners Samer Qudah and Muneer Khan, who provide excellent client care and helpful advice.

Hadef & Partners

Hadef & Partners is a well-known and respected law firm in the UAE that has a lot of experience in corporate, finance, construction, real estate, and arbitration law. They’re the best for:

• A lot of local family businesses and conglomerates need strategic legal advice.
• Companies in the education, healthcare, and hospitality sectors have to deal with a lot of complicated rules.
• Services for settling disagreements and arbitrating them. I have worked on important cases with Hadef’s strong litigation partners, such as Muneer Khan and Samer Qudah.

When they give advice on deals or transactions, Hadef corporate lawyers like Ahmed Allouz and Alex Ghazi are sharp, practical, and focused on getting results.

Top Corporate & Commercial Lawyers in Abu Dhabi

Along with law firms, these are some of the best individual Emirati and international business lawyers in Abu Dhabi as of 2024:

Hani Al Nahyan, Al Suwaidi & Company

Is co-head of Al Suwaidi’s corporate practice and works on some of the biggest M&A and private equity deals in the UAE. He works with global investors and regional conglomerates on multibillion-dollar deals.  These deals like mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and pre-IPO restructuring and compliance issues.

In the past five years, I’ve worked with Hani on a number of private equity and merger and acquisition (M&A) deals. Even though he’s dealing with tough problems, his calm demeanor and practical approach make people feel confident.

Dr. Habib Al Mulla, Baker McKenzie

Dr. Habib Al Mulla is a famous lawyer in the UAE because he has helped build and grow the country for more than 50 years. Among his contributions are

Maher Al Obaidli, Hadef & Partners

Writing up a number of business laws and rules for the UAE and the wider GCC region.

Being in charge of Baker McKenzie’s Middle East practice, which gives advice to governments and Fortune 500 companies.

Not many lawyers are as good as Dr. Habib at understanding UAE’s business and legal systems. His decades of experience in corporate law have given him a lot of valuable knowledge.

Maher Al Obaidli, Hadef & Partners

Maher Al Obaidli is the managing partner of Hadef & Partner. He has been a lawyer for almost 30 years and helps clients with corporate governance. Transactions, local partnerships, and regulatory issues.

Government agencies, family businesses, banks, and multinational companies from all fields have asked for his help. Companies can do better in the Abu Dhabi market if they hire Maher for strategic legal advice.

Samer Qudah, Al Tamimi & Company

Samer Qudah is one of the co-leaders of Al Tamimi’s corporate commercial practice. He helps clients from around the world with complex M&A deals, joint ventures, commercial agreements, and setting up subsidiaries in the UAE.

Over the past seven years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Samer on a number of M&A and private equity deals. It stands out that he pays close attention to details and can give clear advice on tough issues.

For businesses and lawyers in Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) has become a major hub. Some of the best lawyers from ADGM firms that I recommend are

• Kennedys Law LLP’s Farah El-Sayed
• Karim Aly, Ince
• Chand Singh, Clyde & Co.

Evaluating the Best Option for Your Company

When looking for a lawyer in Abu Dhabi, you should think about several things. Like the lawyer’s experience in your case, the firm’s abilities, and how well they fit with your personality.

Most trustworthy law firms offer a free initial consultation to learn more about your business’s needs and figure out the best legal services for you.

As a corporate lawyer with a lot of experience in Abu Dhabi, I would be happy to give you personal referrals and suggestions. If you contact me and tell me about your company’s legal needs and priorities.

Thanks for reading this guide. I hope it helps you find the best corporate lawyers and law firms in Abu Dhabi in 2024. Please let me know if you need anything else!