Victoria is an English qualified solicitor holding a Bachelors degree in Law with more than twenty years’ experience as a practising solicitor gained from both the UK and the UAE markets.

Victoria heads the Commercial Practice at Hadef & Partners, frequently advising both local and international clients on cross-border transactions involving, IP and brand protection, commercial agency, data protection, consumer protection and competition law issues, across a wide range of business operational matters including the sale of goods and services, outsourcing, and consultancy arrangements, distribution, franchising, e-commerce, and hospitality management.

Victoria’s commercial advisory practice covers a range of corporate commercial topics, in a number of sectors including TMT, food and beverage, FinTech, leisure and hospitality, healthcare and life sciences, education, and consumer goods and retail. She provides strategic advice relating to the growth of her clients’ businesses, and their relationships with their customers and third parties, advising on transactional matters including joint venture, agency, franchising and licensing arrangements. She supports her clients with the preparation and negotiation of partnering and collaboration agreements, technology and software licensing, hosting and support contracts, distribution and manufacturing agreements, IP licensing, hospitality management documentation, data transfer agreements, and customer and supplier terms and conditions.

Victoria has been with Hadef & Partners in Dubai since 2012, prior to which she practised at London City firm Lewis Silkin LLP, predominantly advising clients on corporate transactional and commercial matters in the media and healthcare sectors.

Admissions

• Solicitor, England & Wales

• Advising an international luxury goods conglomerate on the legal and regulatory impact of adopting AI technology in its call centres for quality assurance, efficiency and compliance, intended to be deployed in its UAE-based as well as international call centres. 
• Advising an oncology platform provider on its proposed app launch in the UAE for the provision of consumer-facing oncology diagnostic and holistic care. 
• Advising a luxury vehicle manufacturer on the legal and regulatory aspects of collecting vehicle tracking data and driver data using SIM technology. Our solutions-driven advice included methods to minimize the personal data collected and the application of the UAE consumer protection regime to the subscription based services offered using such collected data.
• Advised a Swedish DRM-protected audio streaming, music and podcast platform to project manage a multijurisdictional review of the legislative and regulatory framework for copyright and licensing across five Middle Eastern countries.
• Advised a Swiss luxury watch maker on a joint venture with its local distributor and the successful de registration of the existing agency, encompassing advice on agency, former distribution termination and settlement terms.
• Advising a well-known GCC airline regarding its business operations in the UAE, including advising on a wide range of commercial contracts, including contracts for the purchase of goods and services, IT-related contracts, consumer-facing contracts, collaboration agreements, and general day-to-day commercial operational matters. 
• Advising a ‘cooling as a service’ provider, drafting a comprehensive suite of documents for their in-house legal team covering their cooling as a service initiative. Working closely with our Licensing and Regulatory team advising on the regulatory aspects of providing a de-centralized cooling service in the Emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. 
• Advising an international premium gym provider on the contentious termination of its area (regional) franchise with a UAE-based master franchisee.
• Advising one of the largest international entertainment companies in the world with regard to the impact of the UAE competition law regime upon its proposed purchase of licenses pertaining to a leading content delivery system.