Cabinet Approves New Laws to Modernise UAE Legal Sector

The UAE Cabinet has approved a new legal framework aimed at modernising the legal sector, introducing comprehensive regulations for legal consultancy firms, law firms, and legal professionals for the first time.

The new licensing system will establish clear guidelines for foreign law firms and legal consultancy offices, facilitating increased international engagement in the UAE's legal industry. It also updates licensing procedures for individual lawyers, revising their rights and duties to reinforce professional ethics and strengthen the client-lawyer relationship. The reforms standardise registration for legal researchers, advisors, and representatives working in law firms, ensuring that all legal service providers meet official licensing requirements.

One major change is the renewal criteria for lawyers, which now require participation in training courses, legal seminars, or conferences to maintain professional certification. The training process for new lawyers has also been simplified, with structured programmes designed to ease their transition into legal practice.

Additionally, law firms and legal consultancy companies can now be established as partnerships, limited liability companies (LLCs), or sole proprietorships, with detailed regulations governing their founding contracts, licensing, and management. To prevent conflicts of interest, lawyers and consultants are prohibited from working at multiple firms, and all partners must be licensed legal practitioners. The new law also provides guidelines on the suspension or death of a partner, ensuring business continuity in professional legal services.