The Firm
About QAF Legal — Architects of Advocacy in Abu Dhabi
Our Story
A Firm Rooted in Abu Dhabi
QAF Legal is a premium boutique law firm founded in Abu Dhabi, UAE, delivering sovereign-grade legal counsel across the Middle East. The firm was established by Mohieeldin Elbanna, a lawyer with over 20 years of experience in the MENA region, with a vision to bridge civil and common law traditions and provide clients with a truly international legal practice rooted in the UAE.
From our headquarters in Abu Dhabi, we serve clients before ADGM Courts, DIFC Courts, UAE Mainland courts, and international arbitral tribunals. Our team of lawyers brings together expertise from both civil law and common law backgrounds, enabling us to represent clients in any UAE jurisdiction and across the Middle East.
Our boutique structure is deliberate. It allows us to deliver partner-led attention to every matter, combining the depth of a full-service firm with the focus of a specialist practice. We have since expanded to include a Cairo office serving clients in Egypt and supporting cross-border investment between Egypt, the UAE, and the wider GCC region.
Today, QAF Legal advises multinational corporations, financial institutions, family businesses, government-related entities, and high-net-worth individuals. Every engagement is led by experienced lawyers committed to precision, diligence, and results — and to delivering premium legal counsel across the UAE and the wider Middle East.
Our Philosophy
Sovereign-Grade, Client-First, Commercially Pragmatic
At QAF Legal, our philosophy is built on a single standard: sovereign-grade counsel. We hold every matter — large or small — to the calibre of legal advice expected by sovereign entities, governments, and multinational corporations, and we make that standard accessible to businesses and individuals alike.
Our approach is unapologetically client-first: we listen before we advise, we explain before we act, and we keep clients informed at every stage of their matter. We pair deep legal scholarship with commercial pragmatism, treating each client's commercial reality as part of the legal problem to be solved.
The result is advice that is not only technically rigorous but commercially usable — counsel that protects, advances, and creates value. For us, quality is not a marketing claim; it is encoded in our name, our processes, and the standard of work we deliver on every file.
What Makes Us Different
A Rare Combination in the Region
What sets QAF Legal apart is a rare combination that few firms in the region can match. We are genuinely multi-jurisdictional: our lawyers appear before ADGM Courts and DIFC Courts — both English common-law forums — as comfortably as before UAE Mainland civil-law courts, and through our Cairo office we extend into the Egyptian legal system.
That cross-system fluency means a single, integrated team can carry a matter from a mainland contract dispute into a DIFC arbitration, or structure an investment that spans Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Cairo, without the client ever changing firms. We are equally strong in litigation and transactional work — we draft and negotiate the deal today and defend it in court tomorrow — which gives our advice a defensive realism that pure-advisory firms cannot offer.
We are also a tech-enabled practice: modern matter management, secure document workflows, and a client portal put transparency and responsiveness at the centre of the client experience. Appearing before both common law and civil law courts is not a capability we claim — it is what we do, daily, across the UAE and Egypt.
Our Values
The Pillars
Quality Assured
Our name QAF embodies our commitment to quality. Every matter we handle meets the highest professional standards, from initial intake through resolution.
Sovereign-Grade Counsel
We deliver legal counsel at the standard expected by sovereign entities, governments, and large multinational corporations — available to businesses and individuals of all sizes.
Dual-System Expertise
Our team's civil and common law backgrounds give us a unique ability to navigate both UAE Mainland courts (civil law) and ADGM/DIFC courts (common law), providing clients with comprehensive representation in any UAE jurisdiction.
Client-Centric Approach
We understand that legal matters can be complex and stressful. Our approach is to provide clear, practical advice that empowers our clients to make informed decisions. We communicate transparently and keep clients informed at every stage.
Where We Appear
Jurisdictions We Serve
ADGM Courts
We represent clients before the ADGM Courts, which operate under English common law with proceedings in English. Our ADGM practice covers commercial litigation, employment disputes, corporate advisory, and regulatory compliance.
DIFC Courts
We represent clients before the DIFC Courts, including the Court of First Instance, Court of Appeal, and Small Claims Tribunal. Our DIFC practice covers commercial disputes, employment claims, and arbitration.
UAE Mainland Courts
We represent clients before UAE Mainland courts in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, and across the UAE. Our mainland practice covers civil, commercial, and real estate litigation.
Egypt (Cairo Office)
Through our Cairo office, we provide legal services in Egypt including corporate advisory, commercial litigation, cross-border investment support, and arbitration under CRCICA and ICC rules. We bridge the UAE and Egyptian legal systems for clients operating across both.
Leadership
Our Partners
Client Experience
A Secure Digital Workroom
No more chasing emails. Every client receives private, real-time access to their matters, documents, and invoices through the QAF Client Portal.
Visit Client Portal →Active Matters
Get in Touch
Book a Consultation
To learn more about how QAF Legal can help with your legal matter, contact our Abu Dhabi office.
Our Office
Abu Dhabi
QAF Legal
Al Najdah Street, Al Danah, Zone 1
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
www.qaflegal.com