Practice areas
Corporate and commercial
Buying and selling businesses, management buyouts, shareholder agreements and the contracts you trade on.
What we do
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Selling a business
Share and asset sales, from heads of terms and due diligence to completion and earn-outs.
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Buying a business
Due diligence scaled to the deal, and warranties that protect you after completion.
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Management buyouts
Coordinating sellers, managers and funders so the deal completes on time.
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Shareholder agreements
Who decides what, how shares are valued, and what happens when someone leaves.
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Commercial contracts
Terms of business, supply, distribution and commercial agency agreements.
How we work
Karim Haddad leads our corporate work, with partners from real estate, employment and private client joining each deal where it touches their area. That matters on a family business sale: the property, the staff and their visas, and the sellers’ own wills are all part of the same transaction.
We work on deals from AED 1 million to around AED 100 million, mostly owner-managed businesses selling to a trade buyer, to management or to a regional investor.
How a business sale runs
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Heads of terms
We review the offer and flag terms worth changing before you sign anything.
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Due diligence
We help you answer the buyer’s questions and prepare the data room.
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Negotiation
Share purchase agreement, disclosure letter and any new service agreements.
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Completion
Signing, payment and the share transfer filings with the DIFC Registrar, the free zone or the Department of Economy and Tourism. Typically 10 to 16 weeks in all.
Fees
Published so you can compare. Your quote confirms the exact figure in writing.
Typical fees
- Shareholders’ agreementUp to four shareholders
- AED 9,500
- Terms of businessFor sales to other businesses
- AED 4,500
- Business sale or purchase up to AED 10 millionShares or assets
- AED 55,000–95,000
- Management buyoutActing for the management team
- From AED 75,000
All fees are plus 5% VAT. Deal fees depend on the size of the business and how much due diligence is needed; we give you a capped fee once we’ve seen the heads of terms. Registry and licensing fees are extra.
Ask for a quoteKarim took the management buyout from heads of terms to completion in eleven weeks, with the bank, the sellers and us all kept in the loop.
Questions about corporate and commercial
Can you act for both buyer and seller?
No. The two sides’ interests conflict, so each needs its own lawyer.
What about tax on the sale?
We work alongside your tax adviser on corporate tax and the structure of the deal, and Eleanor Hale’s team updates your wills and succession plan for the proceeds.
How long does a sale take?
Usually 10 to 16 weeks from signed heads of terms. Good preparation is the biggest thing that speeds it up.
Talk to Karim Haddad
A free 20-minute call with Karim, our legal director for corporate work, usually within one working day.
Direct line +971 4 555 0391
