‘Charles Laubach gives very practical advice on ISDA matters, and gives a lot more insightful advice than other brand name law firms in this area.’

‘Charles Laubach is a pleasure to work with, as he provides clear, concise and timely advice. His turnaround time is also very good.’

‘Esoteric area of law providing guidance and advice to US FCM’s for reliance – A&A’s attorneys were well versed in the ask and delivered quality work product in a timely and efficient manner.’

‘I found the A&A attorneys to be engaged, knowledgeable and thorough.’

‘Afridi is a versatile firm with broad coverage of services and practice areas. Their longstanding presence in the Middle East enhances their understanding and “pulse” of the market. Importantly, they are one of the UAE law firms with the highest tenure among their lawyers — a clear indication of their ability to recruit and retain talent.’

‘Charles Laubach has been consistently excellent both in the quality of his legal counsel and responsiveness. He is also very commercial and client oriented. He has provided to my bank and broker-dealer clients opinions on the structuring of complex products (prime brokerage, derivatives, securities lending, margin lending) and on the evaluation of the credit risk represented by UAE counterparties. He is also the official provider of the industry legal opinions on repurchase agreements and securities lending agreements.’

‘The team is solid. We searched for months to find timely, accurate, and useful legal advice. ’

‘Muneer Khan is one of the best lawyers out there. Confident, hugely experienced and knowledgeable and provides a sense of comfort which is unparalleled.’

‘Great professionals. Very good knowledge of the region and the regulatory framework of all the region. Great reactivity on the day to day work.’

‘Muneer Khan is highly knowledgeable and we were really impressed by his work.’

‘Great and growing team, well connected in the region, including with all regulators.’

‘Adam Wolstenholme – very ambitious, commercial and available. Matthias Ng – excellent subject matter expertise and fast delivery.’

‘Simmons ticks all of the top law firm boxes. They have a good breadth of coverage, expertise and are able to resource queries sufficiently to turn around small queries and large projects alike. Whilst they employ some good technology tools and make available some platforms to clients, undoubtedly their people are their key attribute.’

‘Special attention goes to Adam Wolstenholme – newly minted partner at the team who brings a raft of experience, pragmatism, responsiveness and personal touch to client interactions.’

‘The firm provides access to a diverse range of advisory areas, and provide key capabilities across a number of disciplines. The service provided is very efficient and clearly they have great knowledge across the banking and finance sector. Given the firm’s background in virtual assets, they have a strong understanding of fintech and regulatory implications. It is clear that they are engaged at the highest level with key governmental policy makers and I would argue that this is one of their key capabilities. As a result in some respects they are one of the key players involved with shaping the legal and regulatory space. This puts them in a unique position to advise clients ahead of time to ensure they are prepared well ahead in advance of legal and regulatory changes.’

‘The team is responsive, commercial and has sound experience in financial services as a subject, as well as in context of the market in which we operate.’

‘Up to date and client-minded for UAE and Middle East related fin reg matters linked to investment management and investment services.’

‘Hardeep Plahe is our excellent and contact at Addleshaw Goddard: his knowledge and his being client-minded make  him our trusted counsel for more than 10 years for any UAE and DIFC related financial regulatory question linked to investment management and investment services.’

‘Bird & Bird’s team was fully supportive that we are a startup, so understood how we operate and how sensitive our cash outflow is. Additionally, the team was fully informed with the regulations in the freezone we are operating from, so when we asked for certain legal documents, you can immediately see the team bringing up all applicable regulations that may potentially impact the scope of work and how we could address them.’

‘I worked with Jessica White and Gregory Man. Both are top class when it comes to providing proper consultancy and legal advise. They knew how to meet regulatory requirements for our fintech operations whilst ensuring we stay innovative in our approach.’

‘Our experience with DLA Piper has been exceptional, thanks to their client-centric, solutions-focused approach grounded in deep industry expertise. From the start, they provided a hands-on, tailored strategy that evolved with our needs, offering ad hoc advice that was practical and directly relevant to our business. Their flexibility in engagement has been critical, ensuring that their solutions are not just responsive but also aligned with our long-term objectives.’

‘The diverse backgrounds of the DLA Piper team have proven invaluable, particularly in navigating complex regulatory environments. Their extensive cross-border capabilities have allowed us to manage our multinational operations seamlessly, and we trust DLA Piper confidently as our legal partner for expanding into new markets globally.’

‘DLA Piper is defined by the exceptional expertise and unwavering dedication of the individuals in its team. Their profound understanding of both the financial and technology sectors, particularly in the context of microfinance and complex corporate structures, has been a critical asset for us.’

‘We’ve especially valued the collaborative working relationship we’ve built with Adrianus Schoorl. His leadership and strategic insights have been vital to our success, consistently providing practical, forward-thinking solutions that align with our business objectives. His deep understanding of the fintech space, combined with his proactive and approachable style, has made him an invaluable partner in our growth and development.’

‘Deep subject knowledge and excellent client engagement. Strong network with the relevant authorities that gives them a competitive advantage.’

‘Gabriella Savastano is incredibly knowledgable when it comes to matters of financial services regulation. She is a trusted advisor in the UAE Fintech space. Her advice is always easy to understand, succinct and commercial.’

‘The reason we go to Gabriella Savastano is that she is always available to lend a helping hand and is very easy to approach. We often have ad hoc urgent queries that arise and we are always made to feel as if we are the priority.’