Zouhdi Yakan
Partner

EXPERIENCE 

Shaikha Almehrzi Advocates & Legal Consultants- LAW HOUSE
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Partner
(November 2007 – Present)

Oversee legal operations across Abu Dhabi and Dubai offices, delivering strategic counsel and services to national and multinational clients in relation to UAE law, including, inter alia, the following:

-  Corporate Law & Governance: Structure and restructure UAE businesses, securing regulatory licenses, and drafting bylaws and shareholders agreements. Advising on corporate governance and compliance with UAE laws, attending board and general assembly meetings to guide decisions and manage secretarial tasks.

Highlights

• Co-led corporate restructuring for global crane group, creating ADGM holding and multi-class share structure to secure succession, align family governance, and preserve leadership stability across UAE and international operations.

• Led the restructuring of 10 UAE entities for a multinational conglomerate in engineering, construction, energy, and F&B, overseeing corporate consolidation, facilitating acquisitions by investment entities, and ensuring compliance across UAE, Jersy and Guernsey.

• Led the corporate restructuring of a major retail company operating in the UAE, France, and Lebanon, establishing an offshore entity in the UAE and overseeing the entry and exit of companies to ensure regulatory compliance and operational efficiency.

• Led the corporate restructuring of a UAE-based group in real estate, contracting, and construction, consolidating multiple entities under a holding company, enhancing corporate governance, and ensuring full legal compliance.

• Led intra-group restructuring of a listed financial institution, converting Islamic to conventional operations and transferring of finance portfolio.

• Advised on the restructuring of a regional architecture and engineering consultancy firm across the UAE, Qatar and KSA.

-  Commercial Transactions and M&As: Execute acquisition deals, conducting legal due diligence and drafting term sheets, SPAs and definitive agreements. Negotiate and develop complex commercial contracts, including terms and conditions of sale, franchise, joint ventures, lease, facilities management, advertising and marketing, IT, software licensing, employment, distribution and agency agreements.

Highlights

• Co-led strategic transaction for UAE healthcare group, negotiating key agreements and leading corporate restructuring through an ADGM holding company to centralize ownership and onboard a regional growth fund as shareholder and board member while

preserving founder control.

• Engaged by a leading semi-governmental joint stock company, to review and negotiate the SPA for a share swap acquisition involving multiple companies across UAE and tax haven jurisdictions, ensuring compliance, mitigating risks, and protecting the client’s interests in a complex, cross-jurisdictional transaction.

• Advised on the acquisition of a AED 60M UAE factory.

• Advised a global optical solutions entity on the UAE laws and regulations with respect to the transfer of employees as part of its global sale and transfer of one of its products.

• Advised one of the UAE's licensed financial institutions in its AED 40M acquisition of certain shares in a Dubai Government related entity.

• Acted for a high net-worth local group in an ADGM acquisition. 

• Advised on the acquisition of a privately held investment bank in Abu Dhabi by a listed financial institution.

-   Banking and Finance (Conventional and Islamic): Advising public and private financial institutions and brokerage firms on the dayto-day operations by reviewing and drafting financial documentation including agreements and terms and conditions relating to retail, account opening, term loans, assignments, subordination, loan rescheduling, custody, mortgage and securities for various financial products and instruments as well as commission agency and brokerage agreements. Liaising with regulators and advising on corporate governance and compliance best practices to insure adherence to legal and regulatory requirements. 

Highlights  

• Drafted standard banking documents for a commercial bank during its incorporation process in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) in accordance with the applicable laws and regulations.

• Advised one of the local investment companies on the structure of its crowd funding platform; opined on the process of incorporating a debt and equity investment funding platform under the rules of ADGM and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).     

• Standardized commercial, loan and banking agreements.

• Developed a common terms agreement between conventional and Islamic participating institutions, each in different capacities, and their customers.

• Advised on marketing, promotion, registration and solicitation of foreign funds under the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) in the UAE.

• Developed a financial structure for a brokerage entity aiming to carry out margin trading services in the UAE.

-  Dispute Resolution: Oversee litigation matters, managing client representation across diverse business sectors in court proceedings.

Actively represent and advocate for clients in ad hoc and institutional arbitration proceedings, handling disputes related to commercial contracts, construction, real estate, and investments. Skilled in negotiating out-of-court settlements and drafting comprehensive settlement agreements that efficiently resolve disputes while minimizing client costs and delays.

Highlights

• Sole arbitrator (Ad hoc, appointed by DIAC) in a construction dispute involving UAE parties.

• Ad Hoc arbitration case n° 39/2021, where the court requested ADCCAC to appoint an arbitrator from its roster, with a dispute relating to sale and lease of scaffolding and other construction material;

• ADCCAC arbitration case n° 970/2015, relating to an investment contract;

• ADCCAC arbitration case n° 62/2014, relating to a commercial dispute;

• ADCCAC arbitration cases n° 70/2012 and n° 29/2014 relating to real estate disputes;

• ADCCAC arbitration case n° 26/2013, relating to a construction dispute;

• Ratification and execution before the Abu Dhabi courts of an arbitral award for ADCCAC arbitration case n° 30/2012; and

• Arbitration case n° 1521/2012 conducted via the courts of Abu Dhabi regarding a dispute in relation to the construction of a residential complex. -   Insurance: Reviewing, drafting and advising on documentation for public and private entities including corporate documents, insurance policies, underwriting, and contracts with brokers and service providers. Liaising with regulators and advising on corporate governance and compliance frameworks to ensure adherence to legal and regulatory requirements.

-   Construction/Consultancy: Developing contracts, sub-contracts, standard templates; reviewing, negotiating and amending FIDIC based documentation, tenders, several contracts for supply, installation and operation of electrical works and design, build and turnkey projects.

Highlights

• Developed a model “Consultancy Services Agreement-Design and Supervision” for a leading architectural and consultancy entity.

• Prepared tender documents, including instructions to tenderers, form of agreement, FIDIC conditions of contract for civil engineering construction works for the piling, enabling works and main building works for the headquarters project of a publicly listed entity in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

AHDAB LAW FIRM (Of-Counsel to Weissberg Advocates, Paris, France), Beirut, Lebanon
Associate 
(June 2004 - November 2007)

- Worked at the firm’s Arbitration Practice Group on domestic and international arbitration cases (ad hoc and institutional) and

conducted legal research, drafted correspondences, prepared briefs and submissions pertaining to international sales, banking, B.O.T. and construction (FIDIC) disputes. Participated in arbitration hearings (pleadings, examination and cross-examination of witnesses in Lebanon, Paris, Geneva and Lausanne) and was involved in the exequatur and annulment of arbitral awards before the competent

state courts. Also assisted in drafting arbitral awards, terms of reference and procedural orders. 

Highlights

• CRCICA arbitration case n°233/2001, between Saudi and Danish parties (FIDIC) (FIDIC-Yellow Book), EUR 40,000,000 dispute over delay in the execution of the design of mechanical & electrical works for a refrigeration plant; 

• ICC arbitration case n°12956/DK/RCH, between Syrian and Italian parties (international sales), EUR 4,000,000 dispute relating to delay in delivery & shipment of machines for a glazed titles factory; 

• ICC arbitration case n°13054/EC, between Lebanese and Dutch parties acquisition of a Lebanese bank, dispute arising out of an SPA; and 

• CRCICA arbitration case n°382/2004, between a United Kingdom party and the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt (construction of an airport in Ras Al Sudr) – Dr. El Ahdab was a party ppointed arbitrator.

- Provided diverse services for the firm’s clients including incorporating various ommercial entities, drafting legal opinions on different commercial and corporate matters and drafting and reviewing various commercial agreements.

MEDIATION AND ARBITRATION PRACTICUM, California, USA           

(February 2003 - May 2004)

- Volunteer Mediator, California Academy for Mediation Professionals (CAMP): Mediated and co-mediated a variety of disputes in the court-connected mediation programs of the Los Angeles County Superior Court at Santa Monica Small Claims and Van Nuys Superior Courts, covering small claims, civil harassment, landlord-tenant, commercial, employment, and contractual disputes, most of which resulted in successful resolutions. 

- Extern, American Institute of Mediation: Observed and analyzed mediations conducted by renowned mediator Lee Jay Berman, discussing mediation strategy, techniques, and best practices across landlord-tenant, family, commercial business, shareholder

disputes, insurance, real property, employment discrimination, and medical malpractice.

- Extern, Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services (JAMS): Shadowed Richard Chernick, Vice President and Managing Director of JAMS’ Arbitration Practice, attending and analyzing commercial arbitrations and mediations, reviewing procedural orders and arbitral awards, and discussing case outcomes, legal reasoning, and procedural nuances.

- Research Assistant to Professor Jack Coe, International Arbitrator: Conducted legal research on expropriation for international

arbitration cases.

EDUCATION 

·        PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY, STRAUS INSTITUTE FOR DISPUTE RESOLUTION – Malibu, California, USA - Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Dispute Resolution, May 2004

·        LEBANESE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY (LAU) - Byblos, Lebanon - Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, May 2001 

·        LEBANESE UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF LAW, POLITICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SCIENCES – Beirut, Lebanon - Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), July 2000.

LANGUAGES

- Professional fluency in English and Arabic (written and spoken). - Conversant in French.