Adela is a seasoned corporate lawyer with over 24 years of experience, including more than 16 years in the Middle East. Based in Dubai, she advises clients across the full lifecycle of complex local and cross-border transactions, including early stage and venture capital investments, private equity, M&A, joint ventures, and corporate reorganisations in the UAE and wider GCC region across a variety of industries. Adela was named M&A Lawyer of the Year at the LexisNexis Women in Law Awards 2025 and is ranked by Legal 500 EMEA 2026 as a Leading Partner for TMT in the UAE.
Experience
Representative matters
Representative matters
Advised a DIFC based life insurance broker on the transfer of shares by an existing shareholder to a new entity as part of a wider group restructuring.
Advised a DIFC REIT in relation to various corporate matters, including the holding of their annual general meeting and certain related complex matters.
Advised a DIFC REIT in relation to various corporate and regulatory matters, including matters relating to a number of annual general meetings and extraordinary general meetings, a share buy-back programme, a number of reductions of share capital (including the first court-approved share capital reduction in the DIFC).
Experience
Advised a DIFC based life insurance broker on the transfer of shares by an existing shareholder to a new entity as part of a wider group restructuring.
Advised a DIFC REIT in relation to various corporate matters, including the holding of their annual general meeting and certain related complex matters.
Advised a DIFC REIT in relation to various corporate and regulatory matters, including matters relating to a number of annual general meetings and extraordinary general meetings, a share buy-back programme, a number of reductions of share capital (including the first court-approved share capital reduction in the DIFC).
Advised a DIFC asset manager on its establishment, and a follow-on corporate restructuring.
Advised a DIFC fund manager on the establishment of a film fund in the DIFC as a qualified investor fund (using an investment company structure).
Advised a DIFC investment company in relation to a corporate restructuring and migration from the DIFC to Luxembourg, as well as various corporate matters, winding up matters, and shareholder disputes.
Advised a Finnish company and their advisers on UAE aspects of the acquisition of an oil-related services company owning a branch in Abu Dhabi.
Advised a JV partner in a multi-jurisdictional aviation group on the acquisition of the other JV partner's share in the group.
Advised a Norwegian government fund entity in connection with the structuring and establishment of a multi-jurisdictional collective investment fund, created in connection with certain investment opportunities in Angola.
Advised a Singapore based External Fund Manager on various matters relating to their DIFC based qualified investor fund (umbrella fund), including the creation of additional protected cells/sub-funds and other regulatory matters.
Advised a Singapore-based listed company in connection with UAE aspects of the reverse takeover of a shipping group of companies based in Dubai, including carrying out and coordinating legal due diligence investigations and advising on a related corporate reorganisation.
Advised a Spanish private equity house in connection with the acquisition of a UK on-street and off-street car park meter provider.
Advised a UAE investor on an investment in a US based private equity fund and a bolt-on acquisition of a large F&B franchise business.
Advised a UAE listed company on a shareholder loan to one of its Bahrain subsidiaries.
Advised a UAE oil and gas company on corporate aspects of a US$1bn reverse takeover of a Nasdaq New York listed SPAC.
Advised a UAE telecom company on a proposed joint venture with a large number of mobile telecommunications providers in the MENA region.
Advised a UK fund manager on aspects of the establishment of a DIFC fund manager and QIF.
Advised a UK investor in relation to the entry into a JV arrangement with a Dubai partner, as well as the subsequent sale of its share by the local partner to a new local partner.
Advised a US based television systems group on the acquisition of a free zone company and various follow on corporate matters.
Advised a US goods manufacturer and supplier on the establishment of a UAE presence, as well as a proposed restructuring of its supply/distribution arrangements in the UAE and the wider region.
Advised a VC investor in relation to an investment into a franchised VC accelerator business by a private equity investor.
Advised a hospital operator in connection with the group's corporate reorganisation and two subsequent venture capital backed equity investment rounds.
Advised a large GCC retail group in connection with the private equity aspects of a mezzanine loan facility made available to it by the private equity arm of a major local bank.
Advised a large private equity fund manager on the establishment and licensing of their DIFC private equity fund manager and various fund entities.
Advised a leading UAE asset manager on the migration of a Jersey fund to the DIFC and its DIFC establishment as a public fund (followed by its listing on Nasdaq Dubai).
Advised a leading UAE based private equity fund on a co-investment into a business process outsourcing business.
Advised a leading auction house on various regulatory matters relating to their DIFC presence.
Advised a leading business accelerator group on the establishment of an ADGM entity to operate the free zone's fintech accelerator.
Advised a local business incubator business on the establishment of a US$100 million venture capital investment fund in the Cayman Islands as well as on various related investment matters.
Advised a major US defence contractor on corporate structuring matters.
Advised a multinational F&B business on its proposed IPO and listing on Nasdaq Dubai.
Advised a private equity company on a £4 million investment in a manufacturer of a new carbonated drink.
Advised a private equity house on the £246 million buyout of two business supplies groups.
Advised a private equity house on the US$ 128 million acquisition of a healthcare company through a secondary buyout.
Advised a private equity investor in connection with various post-acquisition matters relating to its investee companies (including share transfers, good leaver/bad leaver provisions, share related clauses in compromise agreements, etc.).
Advised a private equity investor on the £80 million buyout of a leading maker of industrial fans and ventilation systems.
Advised a prominent corporate investor on the establishment of an umbrella fund in the DIFC as a qualified investor fund (using a protected cell company structure), to be managed by a Singapore regulated fund manager acting as an External Fund Manager (the first External Fund Manager permitted by the DFSA to manage a DIFC fund).
Advised a venture capital backed wireless mobile technology provider in connection with a number of bridge financing rounds and a subsequent recapitalisation.
Advised an ADGM REIT fund manager on the acquisition by the REIT of certain real estate assets by way of contribution in kind to the capital of the REIT entity (share sale).
Advised an ADGM fund manager on the establishment of a private REIT in the ADGM and corporate aspects of the contribution in kind of a real estate seed asset to the REIT (asset sale).
Advised an Australian investor in relation to the entry into a JV arrangement with an Abu Dhabi partner, and the business’s subsequent winding up.
Advised an Indian private equity investor in relation to a private equity shareholders' agreement relating to a UAE entity.
Advised an international education group and school operation on a proposed joint venture with a Doha-based group of school operators for the purposes of acquiring leasehold rights to land and a building and operating a school on that land.
Advised an international insurance business on various regulatory and corporate matters in connection with the incorporation and authorization by the DFSA of a subsidiary, as well as the transfer of the business of an existing branch to the newly formed subsidiary.
Advised an international services offices group (listed on the Australian Securities Exchange) on the spin-off, multijurisdictional reorganisation and proposed listing of its European, Middle Eastern, African and Indian business on Nasdaq Dubai.
Advised an investment company in connection with several private equity-type investments in Dubai-based businesses, which involved taking of a multi-jurisdictional security package by the investor.
Advised an investor in social businesses on its investment by way of convertible notes into a Kenyan company operating medical clinics providing medical care in the slums of Nairobi.
Advised members of a prominent local family on shareholder arrangements relating to the family business and the eventual disposal of their equity interest in such business.
Advised members of a prominent local family on the reorganisation and sale of their equity interest in a UAE business to a US buyer.
Advised the management team of a Formula 1 team in connection with the buyout of the Formula 1 team.
Advised the owners of a multinational visa processing business on its US$350m+ sale (share sale) to a private equity fund and the related corporate restructuring of the target group.
Advised the shareholders of a provider of prepaid and debit card processing and licensed software on the company's sale to a US-based provider of banking and payments technology.
Advised the shareholders of a software solutions provider to the oil and gas industry on corporate matters relating to the exit of a private equity investor.
Advised various international clients on issues relating to the promotion of foreign funds in the UAE and DIFC.
Advised venture capital investors and investee companies in connection with various funding rounds of venture capital backed companies.
Advised a Chinese money remittance business on the establishment of a presence in the UAE.
Advised a steel plant located in the Hamriyah Free Zone on various matters relating to the joint venture arrangement between its shareholders, as well as other various corporate matters such as management changes, corporate approvals of financing transactions, etc.
Advised a NASDAQ listed US company, on UAE aspects of the acquisition of an IT group of companies, including legal due diligence in relation to a Dubai business and reviewing and commenting on the share purchase agreement and providing structuring advice in relation to the acquisition of the Dubai business.
Advised a UAE major group of companies on the sale by one of its subsidiaries of a 50% equity stake in a retail joint venture to its joint venture partner.
Advised a UAE construction chemicals company in relation to various cross border joint ventures.
Advised a US listed company which is a global industry-leading provider of outsourced solutions to the broadcast and live event industries on the acquisition, on UAE law aspects of the acquisition of a group of companies which is a market leader in the live event industry, providing display, audio, video and lighting solutions.
Advised a local entrepreneur on the proposed disposal of his air courier company to a UK listed buyer.
Advised a healthcare group on the purchase of a stake in a hospital business from an exiting minority investor.
Advised an international fruit trading group on corporate restructuring matters, including the change of its UAE management and ensuing corporate disputes and corporate aspects of employment disputes.
Advised a leading management and engineering consultancy group on the acquisition of an engineering consultancy business with presences in the UAE and Italy.
Advised on the UAE localization of terms of business of various foreign companies doing business in the UAE
Advised the majority and lead shareholder of a regional logistics group on the sale of his stake in the business and various post-completion issues.
Worked with Fintech Hive Dubai accelerator for the purposes of assisting startups taking part in the program.
Credentials
Education
Education
- College of Law, London, 2004, PgDL
- College of Law, London, 2004, LPC
- University of Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, 1999, Diploma in Law, European Business Law
- University of Bucharest, 1999, Law Degree
Professional admissions & qualifications
Professional admissions & qualifications
- England and Wales
- The Government of Dubai Legal Affairs Department
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