Hadef & Partners

The firm: Hadef & Partners is a leading independent UAE law firm, with over 90 lawyers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Just as the UAE has developed since its formation in 1971, so has the firm. Founded in 1980 by Dr Hadef Al Dhaheri, who served as Minister of Justice (2008-2014), the firm has become an internationally respected, full-service business law firm supporting local, regional and international clients and government entities. Hadef & Partners acts for clients from leading regional and international companies, government entitiesa and institutional organisations to prestigious family business conglomerates.

With almost four decades of experience, Hadef & Partners understands the laws, traditions, opportunities and challenges of the region. The firm’s lawyers come from a diverse range of Western and Middle Eastern backgrounds. This market-leading team of advocates has rights of audience in all UAE courts and tribunals. As a result of the quality and diversity of these lawyers Hadef & Partners continues to be entrusted to advise on the most pioneering, complex and strategic projects and transactions in the UAE.

Hadef & Partners’ objective is to remain the law firm of choice in the UAE. To achieve this, the firm’s lawyers continue to deliver high quality legal advice and exceptional client service. This singular goal guides the firm’s strategy and leads to sustained growth year on year

Areas of practice: Hadef & Partners has substantial experience in key practice areas. The firm enjoys a full-service reputation and is often the first port of call for UAE-specific matters from multinational clients and global law firms.

The market-leading dispute resolution practice has extensive experience of national, cross-border and international litigation and arbitration, as well as other forms of investigations and alternative dispute resolution. The firm advises on the full range of disputes including commercial, corporate criminal, employment, engineering and construction and property matters. Hadef & Partners’ advocates have full rights of audience before the various UAE courts and tribunals and the firm’s registered DIFC practitioners are well-versed in the rules and regulations of the DIFC courts.

The firm’s highly reputed property practice advises a full range of sectors on all aspects of property law, and the entire real estate life cycle including project and corporate structuring, land and real estate acquisition, asset management, disposals, disputes and leasing.

All aspects of corporate, financial, banking, regulatory and general transactional work are covered by Hadef & Partners’ corporate team including inward investment, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital, corporate structuring and restructuring, joint ventures, corporate reorganisations and initial public offerings.

The firm’s dedicated commercial team has an extensive practice encompassing the complete range of strategic business and commercial contracts advice, together with specialised expertise in agency, distribution, franchising, sale of goods and services, licensing, services agreements, hospitality management, consultancy, e-commerce, competition, consumer protection and data security.

Hadef & Partners’ engineering and construction team provides a significant level of legal specialism to the engineering and construction sector, by offering industry clients a comprehensive advice service for both procurement and resolving disputes. Clients of the practice encompass the entire development spectrum of developers, financiers, contractors, major sub-contractors and project consultants.

Hadef & Partners’ employment, banking and maritime teams all have many years of specialist UAE and industry knowledge together with extensive international experience in their respective fields, thereby providing clients with a full-service approach to managing their legal affairs in the UAE.