Business ownership in the UAE and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries has long been dominated by families. Big and small, these family-owned businesses have played a critical role in spurring the economic success of the region. 

To ensure the continued success of such family-run operations, governments have been crafting laws designed to influence their internal governance. Family business law was needed to address the ever-growing number of shareholders within family businesses. Shareholders within a family can develop competing interests, which raises increased operational risk from disputes, distracted management, and unclear succession and governance.

 Family business law is designed to provide families with a clear-cut legal framework to guide ownership, management, succession, and other issues to benefit all family members and ensure the business continued success.The family business lawyers of Habib Al Mulla & Partners provide expert guidance on family ownership contracts, restructuring, trusts, governance, and other elements of family business law and intersecting laws. We closely track regulatory developments related to family business law throughout the region and have a strong track record of helping family businesses optimise their operations.