Corporate Services

MIO enjoys a preeminent position in the UAE’s legal industry. We are particularly known for our expertise in corporate matters. Throughout our decades of service, we have acted for, and continue to represent, corporations such as financial institutions and major insurance, construction and, real estate development companies. Our long-standing relationships with such clientele are a testament to the quality of the corporate legal services that we provide.

MIO provides world-class corporate consultation and litigation services for the following broad categories:

• Banking and Financial
• Construction
• Insurance
• Commercial Claims

“We believe every successful business relies on strong financial arrangements.”
The UAE has a robust, sophisticated banking system regulated by its Central Bank, which directs monetary, credit and banking policy and supervises its implementation in accordance with the UAE government’s policies. MIO has among its clients more than thirteen major banks in the UAE, along with several major financial institutions. Throughout our 35-year history, we have acted for banks and financial institutions and built long-standing relationships with our clients due to the trust they repose in MIO and the quality of legal services provided to them.

COMMERCIAL AND ISLAMIC LITIGATION

We have a team of skilled litigators who regularly defend and bring claims stemming from complex credit facilities, Islamic finance, sanctions, derivatives, commodities, and foreign exchange transactions before the various dispute resolution centres in the UAE. MIO’s extremely high success rate in Commercial and Islamic litigation is demonstrative of the quality of the firm and the services it provides.

The following are the broad categories in which we have acted:

• Enforcement of mortgage agreement against the following categories of assets:
• Real Property
• Movable Assets
• Marine Vessels
• Travel Ban applications in the context of mortgage enforcement, to prevent mortgagees from fleeing the country to evade UAE justice.
• Filing bounced cheques cases before the Civil and Criminal Courts.
• Enforcement of judgments within and outside the UAE
• Miscellaneous banking litigation.

MIO also provides world-class legal advice to our banking clientele, encompassing all areas of corporate and regulatory affairs across the UAE. Our expertise in, and deep awareness of, the country’s legal environment; combined with our strong contacts with local authorities ensures that the advice and services we provide is practical, and considerate of our clients’ larger strategic and commercial interests. Our reputation in the market is a testament to the quality of our work. The following are the broad categories of services we provide for banks in our corporate and regulatory affairs practice:

• Advising on structuring, negotiating, and documenting financial transactions.
• Representing local and international banks and financial institutions in both conventional and Islamic transactions.
• Advising on all areas of local laws and regulations as they pertain to banking affairs.
• Drafting and reviewing banking agreements and documents for enforcement both within and outside the UAE.
• Advising on debt restructuring, acquisition finance and asset finance/Islamic finance.

Banks and financial institutions have some of the most stringent legal and regulatory obligations, and routinely undertake complex, risky transactions. It is thus vital to utilize the services of a law firm that has deep and broad knowledge of the UAE legal system and a larger socio-economic environment. MIO perfectly fits this description. The quality of the services we provide ensures that our clients have satisfactory outcomes when we act for them.

CONSTRUCTION

Construction has always played an integral role in the growth of the UAE economy. After winning the bid to host the Expo 2020 in 2013, Dubai has sizably ramped up its construction projects to account for the millions of visitors expected to come into the country during the six-months expo period.

In addition, the UAE is focusing on long-term sustainable projects such as the Hyperloop and the Mohamed bin Rashed Solar Park and Museum to expand the breadth of its infrastructure assets.

One of the main factors which led to the existence of the megaprojects is the substantial reform in laws governing the relationships between parties in the construction industry. The experience gained by the UAE government in the aftermath of the 2008 economic downturn played a critical role in bringing forth new regulations to make industry practices transparent and in line with global standards.

It is no secret that disputes in the construction industry are common and run through every level of the contracting supply chain. UAE law allows disputes to be resolved by way of mediation, litigation, or arbitration. The most common method of dispute resolution by far is the UAE courts. Depending on the project location or contract terms, either federal or state courts are involved.

In the event of litigation, we will file and/or defend your claims at every stage of the courts, including the Court of First Instance, Appeal and Cassation. During the litigation process, we can also recommend third party engineering experts who can prepare and submit technical reports as evidence. If our client is a claimant, we also help by enforcing a final judgment and recovering the adjudged amounts in their favour.

Arbitration has proven to be a popular choice for resolution of commercial disputes by multinational companies. The recently enacted UAE Federal Arbitration Law 2018, based on the internationally accepted UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law) model law, added more clarity to the arbitration process, thereby strengthening the UAE’s position as an effective avenue for arbitration. Our experienced lawyers have a holistic understanding of UAE laws concerning arbitration, as well as all International Chamber of Commerce Rules on conciliation and arbitration. MIO has acted in dozens of arbitration cases, including FIDIC disputes between employers and main contractors. We regularly represent clients before arbitration centres such as the Abu Dhabi Commercial Conciliation and Arbitration Centre and the Dubai International Arbitration Centre. Our lawyers are experienced in both civil and common law and can conduct proceedings in English and Arabic.

“Protecting our clients’ rights with the help of insurance laws and precedent.”

The insurance sector has long been one the world’s largest service industries, boasting a complex web of services covering institutional and personal matters. The UAE has developed an insurance industry largely due to the presence of international businesses. As the UAE economy continues to evolve, identifying risks and situate insurance covers to mitigate those risks, assume increasing importance. The continuous growth and change in this sector have resulted in the UAE Insurance Authority imposing substantial new regulations related to insurance practices for both businesses and individuals. A natural result of this growth and change is an increasing demand for legal services by clients with challenging insurance law related needs.

Since its inception, MIO has operated a specialist insurance practice to provide a holistic suite of services regarding the UAE’s insurance industry. This includes representing regional and international insurers, brokers, third party administrators and reinsurers. We also offer advice on all types of insurance protections and claims to corporations in a wider range of industries.

As counsel of choice for the UAE’s preeminent insurance companies, MIO routinely handles complex, high-value insurance disputes. We have been involved in the establishment of numerous insurance businesses in the region, be it through joint ventures, free zone independent structures or, on occasion, reinsurances. Whether it be multinational insurers, small specialist insurers, or even Shariah-compliant insurance firms, MIO has excelled in being their backbone. In addition to our long-term relationships with several major insurance companies in the UAE, we provide counsel and litigation services to insured individuals and entities.

Our reputation in this vast area of the law combined with our comprehensive knowledge of insurance laws, decrees, and relevant regulations, are among the reasons our clients entrust us to provide the most accurate advice on insurance relationships.

The following are the broad categories in which we provide legal services to the insurance industry:

• Life credit risks
• Professional liability
• Product liability
• Construction risks
• Property & personal injury
• Marine policies

With the emergence of the UAE as a major hub of trade and commerce, poised strategically between Europe and Asia, the importance of quality legal services for commercial affairs has taken on a new importance. A burgeoning economy, and an ever-growing prominence as an international trading hub, has made the UAE market incredibly attractive to major international players. This has led to an ever increasing, whilst increasingly complex, demand for quality legal services across the country.

We have decades of experience in commercial affairs. We work in conjunction with the UAE regulatory authorities to ensure we provide practical and cost-effective legal advice. Our commercial affairs practice includes the following main areas:

• Consultancy, Contract Drafting and Review
• Legal Notices
• Incorporation of Corporate Entities

We represent clients in negotiations within the context of commercial or corporate transactions. Our services include the verification of all documents relevant to the dealings between the parties and any incidental matters. In such transactions, our representation includes a wide range of parties including developers, purchasers, consultants, contractors, and project managers.

In alignment with our representation of clients in negotiations, we routinely draft, review and interpret a variety of commercial and corporate agreements, including contracts relating to construction, distributorships, franchises, and joint ventures. Our team has decades of combined experience in all aspects of complex, and high value transactions.

We can issue legal notices on our clients’ behalf prior to initiating litigation in attempting to resolve a legal dispute amicably. Such notices can also be issued with the attestation of a notary public if a client so desires.

Our expertise and knowledge of the UAE legal and regulatory environment ensures that our clients have satisfactory outcomes when we advise them of the intricacies of setting up businesses under the various jurisdictions in the UAE, including the numerous Free Zone Areas, and any peripheral issues. MIO remains apprised of the latest developments incorporate law cases concerning companies. Therefore, we conduct due diligence to ensure our clients are made aware of and understand how such laws and amendments apply in relation to their businesses. This includes being active in restructuring Memorandums of Association in accordance with the New UAE Federal Commercial Companies Law No. 2 of 2015. Thus, ensuring that our advice is practical and up to date.