Global Law Experts Welcomes Shoeb Saher as its Exclusive Commercial Law Member for the United Arab Emirates

Global Law Experts is pleased to welcome Shoeb Saher as its Exclusive Member for Commercial Law in the United Arab Emirates.

Shoeb is an experienced UAE corporate and commercial lawyer who has practised in the country since 2008. He advises corporate clients, family-owned businesses, investors, founders and international companies on transactions, commercial arrangements, restructurings and business disputes.

His appointment strengthens the Global Law Experts network’s commercial law offering in one of the world’s most active and rapidly developing business jurisdictions.

Extensive UAE and Cross-Border Experience

Shoeb is admitted as a Solicitor of England and Wales and as an Advocate in India. He also holds an LL.M. from the University of Birmingham.

He spent approximately seven years with Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla, where he gained substantial experience advising Fortune 500 companies, multinational businesses, major regional corporate groups and prominent family-owned enterprises.

His career also includes an industry secondment with a leading UAE telecommunications operator. This provided direct exposure to the requirements of in-house legal departments and the importance of delivering advice that is legally sound, commercially practical and capable of implementation within a business.

Shoeb later founded Economic Law Partners, a UAE legal consultancy that provides businesses with direct access to senior legal counsel.

His work combines international law firm experience with a lean and responsive advisory model. Clients receive direct partner-level involvement, commercially focused recommendations and, where appropriate, greater predictability over legal costs.

Corporate and Commercial Expertise

Shoeb’s practice covers a broad range of corporate and commercial matters, including:

• mergers and acquisitions;

• share and asset purchase transactions;

• joint ventures;

• shareholder agreements;

• corporate restructuring;

• complex commercial contracts;

• commercial agency and distribution arrangements;

• construction and development contracts;

• employment and senior management matters;

• insolvency and bankruptcy;

• shareholder and business disputes; and

• outside general counsel services.

He has advised on transactions with an aggregate value exceeding AED 5 billion.

His experience includes acquisitions, disposals, shareholder exits, investment structures, joint ventures, corporate reorganisations and high-value contractual arrangements.

Shoeb’s work often involves cross-border ownership structures and parties from multiple jurisdictions. His qualifications and UAE experience allow him to approach these matters with an understanding of both international commercial expectations and the practical requirements of operating in the UAE.

A Practical Approach to Commercial Risk

A defining feature of Shoeb’s practice is his focus on the commercial purpose of the legal work.

Rather than treating a contract or transaction as an isolated legal exercise, he considers how the arrangement will operate in practice, how responsibilities will be measured and what will happen if the relationship between the parties deteriorates.

This approach is particularly important in shareholder agreements, joint ventures and long-term commercial contracts.

Issues such as management control, funding obligations, reserved matters, transfer restrictions, deadlock, default, liability and exit rights can become significant sources of dispute if they are not addressed clearly at the outset.

Shoeb helps clients identify these risks early and translate the commercial understanding between the parties into workable legal documentation.

His transactional experience is complemented by his involvement in contentious matters. This enables him to consider how contractual provisions may be interpreted, challenged or enforced if a dispute arises.

Insolvency, Bankruptcy and Restructuring

Shoeb also advises companies, shareholders, directors, creditors and investors on insolvency, bankruptcy and restructuring matters.

Financial distress often requires more than a narrow legal assessment. Clients must consider business continuity, creditor exposure, shareholder interests, security arrangements and the prospects of a negotiated solution.

Shoeb’s corporate and commercial background enables him to consider these issues together.

His work may include reviewing the legal and financial position of a distressed business, advising on creditor and debtor rights, negotiating restructuring or settlement arrangements and coordinating with insolvency practitioners, financial advisers and UAE court advocates where formal proceedings are contemplated.

Early advice is particularly important in such matters because delay can significantly reduce the options available to the company and its stakeholders.

Supporting International and Professional Referrals

Global Law Experts’ network is built around trusted professional relationships across jurisdictions.

Shoeb regularly works with overseas law firms, accountants, tax advisers, insolvency practitioners, corporate service providers and investment professionals whose clients require legal support in the UAE.

He can assist with the UAE elements of international transactions, corporate structures, shareholder arrangements, commercial contracts, insolvency matters, employment issues and business disputes.

He is accustomed to working as part of a broader professional team and can provide focused UAE advice while the referring adviser continues to manage the principal client relationship and wider international mandate.

This collaborative approach is particularly valuable in cross-border transactions where clients require coordinated advice across several jurisdictions.

The Changing UAE Commercial Law Environment

The UAE’s commercial and legal framework continues to develop at a rapid pace.

Recent reforms, including Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 concerning the Civil Transactions Law, form part of the country’s continuing modernisation of its legal system.

For businesses, legal reform creates both opportunity and risk. Existing contracts may need to be reviewed, standard templates may require updating and decision-makers must understand how changes to statutory rights and obligations may affect future transactions and disputes.

Commercial arrangements in the UAE may also involve an interaction between federal law, emirate-level procedures, free-zone regulations and specialist jurisdictions such as the Dubai International Financial Centre and Abu Dhabi Global Market.

Questions of governing law, jurisdiction and enforcement should therefore be considered at the beginning of a transaction rather than only after a dispute has arisen.

Shoeb regularly writes on UAE corporate and commercial law developments, focusing on the practical consequences for businesses, investors and in-house legal teams.

His commentary aims to translate legislative change into clear actions, including improving documentation, reviewing risk allocation, strengthening notice procedures and updating governance arrangements.

Why Shoeb’s Appointment Matters

Shoeb’s appointment as Global Law Experts’ Exclusive Commercial Law Member for the United Arab Emirates reflects his combination of:

• long-standing UAE legal experience;

• international legal qualifications;

• leading law firm training;

• experience advising Fortune 500 and major regional clients;

• transactional, insolvency and dispute-related expertise;

• direct senior-level client involvement; and

• a practical and cost-conscious approach.

This combination makes him well suited to businesses seeking clear and commercially focused UAE legal advice, as well as international advisers requiring a reliable UAE legal partner.

Global Law Experts is pleased to welcome Shoeb to the network and looks forward to sharing his insights on commercial law, corporate transactions, insolvency and the continuing development of the UAE legal landscape.

Shoeb Saher is the founder of Economic Law Partners. He is a Solicitor of England and Wales, an Advocate in India and has practised in the United Arab Emirates since 2008.