Stage 01
Structure and protect
We help establish family business governance arrangements, shareholder agreements and appropriate holding structures to clarify ownership, responsibilities and decision-making.
Private Client & Family Business
Private Client & Family Business Lawyers in Dubai
Shuaib Alsuwaidi Advocates & Legal Consultants provides private client and family business legal services in Dubai and across the UAE. Our lawyers advise individuals, founders and business-owning families on protecting family wealth, managing business interests and planning for future generations. Our services include family business governance, shareholder arrangements, succession and estate planning, wills, trusts, foundations, holding structures, and resolving family-related disputes.
How we help
How we help families protect wealth and plan for the future.
Whether you are a founder planning for the next generation, a family business seeking clearer governance or a family member facing a disagreement, our private client and family business lawyers in Dubai help you understand your legal options. We assess your circumstances, identify relevant UAE legal requirements and recommend practical approaches aligned with your family's objectives.
Stage 02
Plan and transition
We advise on wills, succession and estate planning, and on trusts or foundations where appropriate, helping families prepare for the transfer of wealth and business interests to future generations.
Stage 03
Resolve and adapt
When family circumstances change, or disagreements arise, we assess the available legal options, support negotiations where appropriate and advise on updating existing arrangements.
Clients
Who we help with private client and family business matters.
Wealth and family businesses involve several people with different priorities. We advise with a clear view of how each person's interests fit together.
Business-owning families
Families who own and run companies together and want clear rules for ownership, roles and decisions.
Founders and shareholders
First-generation owners planning for succession, a change in leadership or a gradual transfer of shares.
Individuals and households
Individuals and families protecting assets in the UAE and abroad and clearly setting out their wishes.
Next-generation family members and beneficiaries
Heirs and family members who need to understand their rights, or who are dealing with an inheritance or a disagreement.
Services
Our private client and family business services.
Practical advice on the structures, documents and decisions that keep family wealth and family businesses secure under UAE law.
Discuss your family's plans-
01
Family business governance and charters
We help families set out how the business is owned, governed and managed. That includes family charters, family councils, decision-making rules, roles for family members and the process for bringing in the next generation. A charter often starts as a statement of principles, so we also look at how it connects to the legal documents that make it effective in practice.
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03
Succession and estate planning, including DIFC and ADGM tools
We advise on wills and succession plans that reflect your wishes, taking into account your residence, nationality, religion, family circumstances and where your assets are held. Where appropriate, we advise on the wills services and legal tools available through the DIFC and ADGM, and compare them with onshore options so you can choose the route that suits you.
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04
Trusts, foundations and holding structures
We advise on whether a trust, a foundation or a holding company is the right vehicle for your objectives, and on how it should be set up, governed and funded. We consider the family's goals, the assets involved, the jurisdictions concerned and how the structure will work in practice once it is in place.
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05
Family disputes and negotiated solutions
When family members disagree about a business, an inheritance or a shared asset, we assess your position, set out your options and, wherever possible, work towards a negotiated outcome that protects relationships and value. Where a dispute cannot be resolved, we act in mediation, arbitration or court proceedings, working with our litigation team.
Our approach
How we run a private client matter.
Our approach is the same on every mandate: understand your objectives and your family's circumstances, identify the key risks and agree a plan that is realistic, discreet and commercially sensible.
Understand
We learn about the family, the business, the assets and what you want to achieve.
Map the options
We set out the structures and routes available, the risks and the likely outcomes in each jurisdiction that matters.
Document
We prepare and negotiate the wills, agreements, charters and structures needed to put the plan in place.
Review
We keep the arrangements under review as the family, the business and the law change.
People
Your private client and family business team.
Our legal team supports clients across civil, commercial and corporate matters, including legal research and documentation. The lawyer or lawyers working on a private client matter will depend on its nature and the experience required, and our Managing Director oversees the firm's advisory work.
Shuaib Al Suwaidi
Managing Director | Senior Legal Attorney — Dubai, UAE | All legal services.
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Omar
Criminal lawyer; civil, commercial and criminal litigation, legal drafting and court filings.
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Basim
Corporate legal assistant; litigation support, commercial matters and legal documentation.
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Mostafa
Civil & commercial procedure research.
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33+ years in UAE legal affairs
Leadership
The experience behind our advice.
Our Managing Director, Mr Shuaib Al Suwaidi, brings more than 33 years of experience across UAE legal affairs, including legal opinions, legislative review, regulatory governance and advisory work for public-sector bodies. That background supports the clear, rule-based thinking that good governance and succession planning depend on.
His career includes senior legal roles with the Dubai Police General Command and Dubai Customs, where he worked on legal policy, compliance and institutional development.
Read Mr Shuaib Al Suwaidi's full profileCareer highlights
- Dubai Police General Command, 1989–2015Legal and advisory roles, reviewing federal and local legislation and advising senior departments.
- Dubai Customs, 2016–2022Director of Legal Affairs, with responsibilities spanning legal compliance, regulatory development and organisational reform.
Areas of expertise
- Legal opinions and consultations
- Regulatory compliance and governance
- Legislative drafting and policy review
- Agreements and cooperation memoranda
- Administrative disputes, grievances and complaints
Need guidance on succession, governance or a family matter?
Speak to our legal team to discuss your circumstances and the options available under UAE law.
FAQs
Private client and family business FAQs.
Answers to the questions families most often raise at the start of a matter.
Who needs succession planning, and when should we start?
Anyone who owns a business, property or other assets in the UAE, or who has family members who depend on them, benefits from a plan. The best time to start is before a change forces the question, such as a new generation joining the business, a sale, a marriage or a move between countries. Early planning also gives you more options.
What happens to my assets in the UAE if I do not have a will?
The outcome depends on factors such as your religion, nationality, where you live and where your assets are held. The default rules may not match what you would have chosen, and the process can be slow and uncertain for your family. A properly prepared and registered will gives your instructions much greater clarity, so we review your position early.
What is the difference between a DIFC or ADGM will and a will registered onshore?
The DIFC and ADGM each provide their own wills services, registries and court processes, while onshore courts offer separate routes. Which is suitable depends on your circumstances and your assets, so we compare the options before recommending one and explain what each means for your family.
Do we need a trust or a foundation?
Not always. A trust and a foundation are different tools, and each can sit alongside, or in place of, a simple will or holding company. The right choice depends on your objectives, the assets, the people involved and the jurisdictions concerned. We set out the options, their costs and how they would work in practice before you commit.
Is a family charter legally binding?
A charter is often a statement of shared principles and may not create enforceable rights on its own. Its legal effect depends on how it is written and how it is linked to documents such as shareholder agreements and the company's constitutional documents. We make sure the charter and the legal documents support each other.
Can you help if family members who own a business together disagree?
Yes. We start by reviewing the shareholder agreement, the company's constitutional documents and any dispute resolution provisions, and then set out your options. Many family disputes are best resolved by negotiation or mediation, and where that is not possible, we advise on arbitration or court proceedings.
Can you work with our international advisers?
Yes. Many families have assets, family members or advisers in more than one country. We coordinate with your international counsel, tax advisers and wealth managers so that the UAE law points fit within the overall plan.
How do you structure fees for private client work?
We are open to hourly rates, fixed fees for defined scopes and, in some cases, stage-based or blended approaches. Fee options are discussed openly at the start of each mandate.
Start the conversation
Planning for the next generation or facing a family disagreement?
A short, confidential first conversation is usually enough to work out what you need and how we can help.
Speak to our legal teamDubai Office
Dubai Healthcare City
Oud Metha Offices, 403Dubai Healthcare City
United Arab Emirates Office details & directions ↗