Legal services for the financial services and fintech industry in Dubai & UAE
Why clients trust us
Advise on CBUAE, DFSA, SCA, and VARA regulatory frameworks daily
Handle licensing applications for banks, fintechs, and payment service providers
Run financial disputes in DIFC Courts, onshore courts, and arbitration
Support cross-border financial transactions and fund structuring
Act across UAE, DIFC, ADGM, and the wider GCC
Common disputes we handle in financial services
Banking and lending disputes
We represent banks and borrowers in disputes over loan facilities, security enforcement, guarantees, letters of credit, and trade finance documentation.
Regulatory enforcement and compliance
We defend financial institutions and individuals against enforcement actions by the CBUAE, DFSA, SCA, and VARA, including licence suspension, fines, and director disqualification.
Investment and fund disputes
We act in disputes between investors, fund managers, and sponsors involving misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, redemption disputes, and failed exits.
Insurance and takaful claims
We act in coverage disputes, policy interpretation claims, subrogation recovery, and regulatory matters involving insurers and takaful operators in the UAE.
Fintech and payment disputes
We handle disputes involving payment service providers, e-wallet operators, and fintechs, including licensing disputes, chargebacks, and platform liability claims.
Who we represent in financial services
We act for financial institutions and fintech companies navigating the UAE's multi-layered regulatory environment: banks, investment funds, asset managers, payment providers, insurers, and virtual asset businesses.
Whether you are establishing operations, managing regulatory relationships, or facing enforcement action, we focus on protecting your licence and your business.
Facing CBUAE enforcement or compliance gaps? We help you respond to regulatory inquiries, manage examinations, and defend against enforcement action while protecting your licence.
Banks and financial institutions
Fund structuring questions or LP disputes? We advise on regulatory filings, manager obligations, and disputes over fees, redemptions, and fund governance.
Investment funds and asset managers
Navigating CBUAE, DFSA, or VARA licensing? We handle applications, regulatory sandbox entry, and ongoing compliance for payment providers, e-wallets, and digital banks.
Fintech and payment companies
Insurance and takaful providers
High-net-worth individuals and family offices
Virtual asset service providers
How we handle financial services matters
The UAE financial services sector operates under multiple regulatory frameworks. The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) supervises banks, exchange houses, and payment service providers. The Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) regulates capital markets. The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) oversees firms in the DIFC. The Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) governs the ADGM. And the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) licenses crypto and virtual asset businesses in Dubai.
Each regime has its own licensing requirements, conduct rules, capital adequacy standards, and enforcement powers. Firms operating across multiple jurisdictions face overlapping obligations and coordinated regulatory scrutiny.
The pace of regulatory change is accelerating. Open banking frameworks, virtual asset regulations, payment service licensing, and enhanced AML requirements create ongoing compliance demands. When regulators investigate or take enforcement action, the consequences extend beyond fines to licence conditions, personal liability, and reputational damage.
We work with financial services clients who need lawyers that understand both the regulatory architecture and the commercial reality of operating in this environment.
We have handled hundreds of resolved disputes across regulated and dispute-heavy industries, including financial services and fintech.
The matters we advise on are typically:
Financially material
Multi-party and document-intensive
Time-critical
Exposed to regulatory and enforcement risk
We assess your position
You tell us what's happening. We review the contracts and correspondence and give you a straight answer on where you stand.
We set a strategy
We agree on the objective, the approach, and the fee structure before we start work.
We execute
Whether it's negotiation, arbitration, or litigation, we handle the matter directly and keep you informed throughout.
We close it out
Our goal is resolution, not prolonged billing. We push for outcomes that protect your commercial position.
Specialist legal areas connected to this sector
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