Banking & Finance

Hadef & Partners is a leading law firm with recognized expertise in banking and finance. We serve a diverse clientele, including financial institutions, corporations, governmental authorities, issuers, arrangers, underwriters, project sponsors and private equity participants across various sectors. 

We provide comprehensive legal advice on a wide range of financial transactions, such as acquisition finance, project and structured finance, privatization, rescheduling, corporate restructuring, asset finance, debt capital market and Islamic finance transactions. 

The firm has played a significant role in the UAE's infrastructure development, advising lenders, sponsors, and government entities on the majority of the country's water, power, and sewage projects. We have also advised major real estate developers and banks on financing numerous real estate and hospitality projects. With strong working relationships with global law firms in the US, UK, Europe, and the Far East, we frequently participate in high-profile, cross-border transactions that impact the UAE. We are often the first choice for issuing UAE legal opinions to foreign lenders and are regularly involved in the region's most prominent financings.

In addition to our transactional work, we remain at the forefront of financial services regulation and the drafting of new laws in the UAE. We have drafted numerous Federal and Emirate-specific laws and treaties, as well as project-specific decrees for establishing corporate entities and implementing projects. 

 A substantial component of the firm's expertise lies in its deep understanding of the UAE market, its practices, procedures, and the workings of key government and regulatory bodies such as the Central Bank, Federal Ministries, the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA), the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) and the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA). 

The key feature that distinguishes Hadef & Partners from the global law firms is its first tier dispute resolution group and governmental relationships that permits the firm to advise with more certainty on the outcome of transactions. This knowledge, combined with our strong relationships with international and regional banks, positions Hadef & Partners as a leading law firm in the UAE's banking and finance sector.

• Advised the international sponsors KEPCO, EDF, and Kyushu Electric Power Co as UAE counsel in connection with a US$3.8 billion ADNOC led project Lightning financing, comprising high voltage direct current undersea  pipelines between onshore Abu Dhabi and offshore electricity stations.
• Advised the project sponsors Metito and Orascom in the Mirfa water treatment and transmission lines financing to ADNOC onshore oil fields in Abu Dhabi.
• Advised AMEA Power as UAE counsel in connection with two separate loan financings (aggregating approximately USD 1.1 billion) for the establishment of a solar power project in the Aswan Governorate in Egypt and a wind power project in the Red Sea Governorate in Egypt.
• Advised Emirates in connection with a refinancing and financial restructuring involving a number of quasi-government and government entities.
• Advised Emirates Development Bank in connection with a AED300 million credit facility for the expansion of a prominent hospital in the Emirate of Dubai.
• Advised as UAE and DIFC counsel, a multilateral development finance institution, in relation to a US$97.5 million secured financing.
• Advised lenders as UAE counsel in connection with a term loan financing to a multinational borrower with two UAE subsidiaries.  
• Advised as UAE co-counsel in connection with a Chapter 11 filing of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX Group.
• Advised finance parties as UAE counsel in connection with a US$1.56 billion financing for a leading German multinational online food-delivery service.
• Advised a global financial institution on the UAE legal and regulatory landscape applicable to the cross-border trading of carbon credits and emissions allowances.
• Advised a global trading and investment banking group in connection with the UAE regulatory framework applicable to promotion and marketing of an exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the UAE.
• Advised JBF RAK creditors in the UAE financial restructuring in bankruptcy proceedings in the RAK courts.
• Advised a GCC family business on the financial regulatory framework applicable to digital wallets and processing of payments.