Our Vision

Al Jallaf Advocates & Legal Consultants aim at upholding our highly visible position in the UAE market as a provider of legal solutions for the aviation industry. As we do not confine ourselves to the exclusivity of aviation law, it is our mission to further develop and excel in major practice groups, such as corporate/commercial and litigation, as well as infrastructural law. Infrastructure has seen an immense boost in the UAE over the past few years, and we ought proactively to move in pace with the current economic turnarounds. Our commitment to the quality of work, the development of our people, and the interests of our clients, contacts and community as a whole, remains intact.

Our Strategy

We at, Al Jallaf Advocates & Legal Consultants, strive at all times to act as a truly client-orientated organisation with a strong focus on relationship management, workforce, teamwork, and personal development. These principles, coupled with other standards of professional conduct, such as perfectionism, integrity, discipline, alertness, attention to detail, confidentiality, and risk management, form the groundwork of our practice and lead us to deliver quality, service, and value for money.

Our Services

Below is the outline of our major practice groups.

Aviation

Al Jallaf's aviation specialists offer our clients extensive experience in negotiating and drafting aircraft financing arrangements, operating leases, wet and dry leases, joint venture agreements, general operations agreements, air alliance agreements and code sharing agreements. We are also experienced in attending aircraft deliveries, assisting in aircraft registration, advising on international air law and regulatory issues, and representing clients in litigation of disputes concerning all aspects of air transport. In addition, we provide our clients with legal analysis of the latest aviation related laws, international conventions and treaties, as well as assessment of the potential impact of these developments on their current business practices.

The firm enjoys an excellent working relationship with the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and the Dubai Government's Department of Civil Aviation. Our lawyers are also actively involved in local and international conferences and seminars on all aspects of aviation.

Commercial

As part of the firm's more general commercial practice, our lawyers advise and represent national and international clients in fields of local and international commercial law, including companies law, commercial agencies and franchises, intellectual property, investments and banking, indemnities, insurance and bonds, maritime, construction, real estate, labour, and travel and tourism.

Companies Law

When it comes to establishing new business enterprises, assisting clients with purchasing and selling, or entering into partnerships, Al Jallaf provides our clients with the utmost personal and professional legal advice and services. Our services focus on getting to know our clients, understanding their business needs and desires, developing a legal strategy to best satisfy their interests and keeping our clients informed and involved throughout.

Commercial Agencies/franchises

The UAE laws governing commercial agencies and franchises are unique to those of most of the rest of the world. For both principals and franchisors local legal advice is essential. Likewise, to ensure protection and enforcement of one's rights as an agent and/or franchisee, the counsel of a good, local commercial lawyer is invaluable.

Based upon years of experience, Al Jallaf's lawyers understand the legal and practical aspects of the local laws, as well as the expectations of the international principals and franchisors. We use that experience and understanding to establish, protect and preserve the relationship, by contract, registration, and, if required, appropriate court action.

Intellectual Property

The cornerstones of a good business are its name, its marks, its products and services and its reputation. Al Jallaf assists our clients in protecting those assets through local and international registration of trademarks, trade names, service marks, service names, copyrights, patent and design rights. We also enjoy good working relationships with various governmental agencies and international organisations, whose roles are to safeguard legitimate intellectual property rights in the UAE and internationally.

Our lawyers are experienced in pursuing and defending infringement claims in the courts of the UAE, as well as in other international arenas. They are also actively involved in organising and participating in international conferences which focus on various aspects of and developments in the field of intellectual property rights.

Investments, Banking & Project Finance

Local and international investment and banking laws, rules and regulations are undergoing rapid change, and Al Jallaf continuously endeavors to remain abreast of the developments in these fields. The firm is well-versed in advising and representing financial institutions, customers and investors in matters involving traditional banking issues, such as those arising out of negotiable instruments, personal and business credit, documentary credits, guarantees, sureties and collateral mortgages, trusts and regulatory compliance. In addition, we are also knowledgeable and experienced in the more sophisticated financial and legal issues involved in loan syndications, mergers and acquisitions, project financing, IPOS and private placements.

Maritime

Al Jallaf Advocates are adept in obtaining prejudgment remedies in this field, such as writs of attachments, - which are extremely effective to preserve and protect our client's interests and frequently have the ancillary benefit of assisting in securing an early settlement of a client's claim. We also provide assistance to clients in negotiating and drafting contracts for shipping, handling and warehousing cargo, as well as for financing, purchasing, selling, leasing and registering commercial vessels.

Construction

From negotiating and drafting general contracts and sub-contracts consistent with local and international standards, to properly documenting claims and potential claims throughout the construction period, to negotiating, arbitrating and litigating claims during and after the construction period, Al Jallaf lawyers are there as integral part of our construction clients' teams. Our construction lawyers are knowledgeable in construction laws, rules, regulations and practices applicable in the UAE, under FIDC contracts and in many other countries.

We recognise the extreme importance of strong documentation in construction claims and cases, and by maintaining regular and close contact with our clients throughout a construction project, we ensure that the client's claims are fully documented, properly preserved and resolved as early and expeditiously as possible. Our legal services are available to our clients on a retainer basis, which has proven to be extremely economical for our construction industry clients who desire this type of ongoing protection.

Indemnities, Insurance & Bonds

Reviewing insurance policies for purposes of analysing the scope and adequacy of coverage based on insured's particular circumstances is another service which more and more of our clients are finding extremely useful and highly cost effective. Al Jallaf provides advice and representation to our clients on general indemnity, insurance and bond coverage and claims. We also assist clients in obtaining proper protection, as well as preserving and pursuing claims under general comprehensive, specialised equipment, health and major medical, professional liability, and directors and officers liability insurance, performance and payment bonds and general indemnity agreements.

Real Estate

In the UAE, real estate is now a booming market. Whether you are a seller, a buyer, a lessor or a lessee, keeping up with the applicable and changing laws, rules and regulations, which vary considerably from emirate to emirate, is more than a full time task. Al Jallaf makes a point of being involved at al levels of real estate developments in the UAE. We liaise with real estate developers, real estate firms, mortgage companies, financial institutions and governmental agencies to ensure that we can provide our clients with the most up to date information on their rights and responsibilities, as well as insights on anticipated changes and further developments to assist them in planning their portfolios and investments.

Employment

While labour contracts filed with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in the UAE are, by law, standard, the actual contract under which the employer and employee conduct their legal relationship is most often much more substantial and detailed. This contract can and should be negotiated and drafted to ensure that each party's rights and obligations conform to their desires, expectations and the law. Al Jallaf's lawyers are adept at drafting such contracts and reviewing existing contracts of employment for both employers and employees to advise them of their rights under the contracts and the law. We also represent both employers and employees in employment disputes before the ministry, the courts and in arbitrations.

Travel and Tourism

Because of our expertise in the field of aviation, we possess a unique understanding of the travel and tourism industry and an appreciation of the legal framework in which it operates. This expertise, when combined with our extensive general local and international commercial law practice, allows us to service all the legal needs of our international travel and tourism industry clients.

Al Jallaf assists clients in establishing new travel and tourism businesses, purchasing and selling existing businesses, entering into joint ventures, negotiating and preparing general sales agency agreements, contracting to provide or purchase industry-related services and products, and addressing various industry-specific employment issues.

Family law, Criminal law and Shari'ah

While Al Jallaf considers itself primarily a commercial law firm with a specialisation in aviation law, its goal is to be a full service firm to which its clients can come for all their legal needs. We have lawyers on staff who have been trained in and are familiar with family law, criminal law, and Shari'ah and who can represent the interests of our clients in the courts and before other governmental authorities, if and when the need should arise.

Our credentials

We would like to list below some examples of cases and deals handled by us

•  Providing daily advice and consultancy on aviation, corporate/commercial, litigatory, employment and insurance matters etc

•  Acting for major market players, as well as small and medium size enterprises operating in the UAE, in relation to the establishment of corporate vehicles

•  Representing multinationals vis-à-vis local agents and/or franchisees on a broad array of matters in relation to the protection, non-infringement and enforcement of rights in licenced products/services

•  Acting on behalf of copyright owners in relation to unauthorised use of etc

•  Completing a multimillion project finance deal involving the financial lease of aircraft by a major airline and the underlying consolidated fund-raising from major international financial institutions

•  Handling a rig arrest case in the courts of Ajman and Dubai

•  Advising high street property owners, project developers and leasing agencies in relation to a broad array of aspects arising from the lease of premises business in Dubai

•  Acting, on behalf of an international airline, in a casualty case involving alleged damage and injury to health of an employee

•  Representing an individual in a divorce case involving the separation of property rights etc