our expertise
Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration and Litigation
We handle small, large-scale, and multi-jurisdictional commercial arbitrations and are able to respond quickly and effectively to client needs where time pressure and key strategic decisions are often vital.
We have extensive experience across DIFC Courts, ADGM Courts, and UK Courts, appearing and conducting litigation in various cases. We also provide mediation services to our clients as needed.
We also have vast experience in international arbitration centers, in the UAE and London. We have affiliations with the Singapore International Arbitration Centre and Lagos Courts of International Arbitration.
Our CEO is well recognized within the GCC and internationally for her contributions to arbitration and is appointed to the Advisory Committee of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre. We provide training on international best practice worldwide for arbitration institutions.
With a network of associated Counsel in many jurisdictions, we can ensure client needs are met.
Private Client
We work with high-net-worth families and understand the legal and practical issues that arise in private wealth work and planning for succession. We advise families on business structures and corporate governance to best cater to their needs.
Our CEO is retained as a personal advisor to ultra-high-net-worth individuals and is experienced in dealing with different personnel, and fully understands the importance of providing discrete, confidential, and strategic advice at all times.
SOL advises families on trusts, family charter agreements, and how best to protect family interests and the intentions of Founders. We offer a bespoke service to UNHW individuals and corporates wishing to establish or migrate business operations to the UAE. As part of the full provision service for our ultra-high-net-worth clients, we are able to assist in securing citizenships in foreign jurisdictions and are closely connected to providers who assist in advising in respect of investments and businesses overseas.
We also provide a full-service offering for the establishment of start-ups and migrations in UAE for companies both onshore as well as in free zones in the UAE.
Employment Law
With over 20 years’ experience in employment law and experience that spans overseas, we offer a specialist and bespoke service in employment law and act for both employers and employees including senior board level employees and executives in a variety of disciplines.
Our services range from drafting policies, procedures, and handbooks, to advising on all aspects of the employment relationship from start to finish and appearing in and resolving contested matters. We appear as advocates at the DIFC and ADGM courts and work closely with local counsel for any matters that litigate at the UAE courts. We also deal with global mobility, share incentive schemes, and HR needs for international businesses.
We provide tailored advice specifically catered to businesses and are strategic and focused on each client’s needs. Our employment offering also covers advisory and transactional work including employment issues that occur in the reorganisation of business. We undertake local and international investigations and disciplinary meetings on behalf of our clients.
In addition, we provide employment law training including workplace harassment and bullying, employee retention, and unconscious bias.
Sarah has co-authored the first and only guide to a comparative approach to DIFC and UAE Employment law and is also appointed as a visiting lecturer in DIFC and UAE Employment Law, leading the module at LLM level at Middlesex University Dubai.
Tech Law
The team is regularly invited to speak at conferences within the UAE, GCC, and internationally on Smart Contracts, NFTs, the Metaverse, Web3, Digital Assets, Blockchain, and Cryptocurrency. We are well versed in negotiating multi-jurisdictional tech deals, SAFE Agreements, SAFT Agreements, and have advised a number of start-ups in the UAE.
We have a hands-on approach with the work we involved in and are currently in communication with overseas regulators in respect of Crypto and Blockchain regulations.
Our CEO acts as external General Counsel for Dan Holdings, a multinational technologies startup founded in Dubai in 2018. Dan Holdings invests in blockchain, technology and green energy startup, and has developed blockchain-powered products and services.
In August 2022, our CEO was appointed as the External General Counsel for Pixelated Apes, one of the largest digital marketplaces for crypto collectibles and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). She was shortlisted at the first Middle East Blockchain Awards for the ‘Most Influential Female in Blockchain’.
Our team was appointed to advise female tech startups in investment readiness for ‘She Wins Arabia’, a joint initiative between International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).
Corporate and Commercial Contracts
We draft, review and negotiate contracts to ensure our client’s commercial business interests are met, and incentivize the counterparty to sign.
We provide corporate and commercial services which include drafting and advising on various documents including:
– Memorandums of Understanding
– Sale and Purchase Agreements
– Heads of Terms
– Shareholder Agreements
– Collaboration Agreements
We assist clients on company legal matters from a compliance and regulatory perspective including the implementation of corporate governance policies.
We work with trusted partners, where necessary, to ensure the best quality of service and to meet the needs of our clientele from the start of the process to the end.
Sports Law
Sports law is a rapidly evolving area with significant growth in the Middle East aligned with legal and regulatory challenges. Our team has been advising clients in the sports industry for many years, both in the UAE and the UK, and also serves as advisors and negotiators for athletes, coaches, trainers, managers, sponsors, media teams, and sports federations. We seek to balance sport and the commercial interests that arise.
We are involved in a variety of sports law disciplines, including:
– Arbitration Proceedings
– Advertising Agreements
– Sponsorship Agreements
– Management and Agent Contracts
– Television
– New Media Rights and Broadcast Agreements
– Image rights
– Company set-ups
– Employment matters
– Joint Ventures and Acquisitions
– Transfer negotiations
– Intellectual property
– Anti-competition
Internationally, we have worked with premiership football clubs in medicolegal investigations and redundancy issues, presenting findings and solutions to Executive Boards. We have also been involved in transfers in the German football market and work with athletes in various jurisdictions.
Fashion Law and Entertainment Law
We are increasingly involved in advising on legal issues in the fashion industry including intellectual property protection, rights of publicity, compliance, employment, corporate responsibility, licensing, merchandising, distribution and franchise agreements. We have advised a major fashion house in the UAE in relation to employee issues and misuse of employee benefits. We are involved in the first fashion law seminar in the Middle East.
We offer protection for the interests of artists and have successfully registered the IP rights to songs written, composed, and sang by our clients as well as negotiated multi-jurisdictional contracts for performance rights. We manage the interests of an Artist and DJ internationally.
We advised a major Italian luxury fashion house in respect of misuse of employee benefits and are retained Counsel for one of the largest jewellery brands in the UAE.
We have been published in respect of HR Issues of Fashion in the GCC; Fashion Law in the Metaverse in the UAE; and we have spoken globally on fashion cases emanating in the metaverse.
Our CEO has been appointed to the Advisory Board of ‘Fashion Law Arabia’ by Sader, which is the first fashion and luxury law platform to further the vision of promoting the larger trends in fashion and luxury in the GCC and globally.
Our CEO has successfully completed the Fashion Law Certificate Program 2023 from Milano Fashion Institute covering fashion processes and business models (including France, Italy, Brazil, and China) fashion IP processes, fashion negotiation, design, fashion pipeline and counterfeiting, marketing and promotion agreements, and merchandising plan: how to plan and design a fashion collection.