Law & Arbitration · Arbitration
Corporate Arbitration
Shareholder, joint venture and M&A disputes resolved in a private forum, with ownership and control at stake.
Handle structures corporate arbitration as a board-level instrument — running shareholder, governance, joint venture and M&A disputes through tribunals in the UAE and abroad, with relief designed around control, valuation and exit rather than damages alone.
When this is needed
Corporate arbitration in the UAE: where the mandate begins.
- A joint venture is deadlocked, and the shareholders’ agreement sends disputes to arbitration.
- A buyer has a warranty, indemnity or earn-out claim under a share purchase agreement.
- A minority investor’s information, consent or exit rights have been disregarded.
- A family group’s ownership dispute threatens control and must be resolved privately.
Matters Handle leads
Corporate disputes where ownership is decided.
Four corporate dispute types. One strategy aligned with the capital structure.
Shareholder & Governance Disputes
Board, consent and minority rights enforced.
Joint Venture Deadlock
Deadlock triggers and buy-out mechanics resolved.
Post-Closing M&A Claims
Warranty, indemnity and earn-out disputes.
Family Ownership Disputes
Control and succession conflicts resolved privately.
The scope
Corporate Arbitration — scope, made explicit.
A focused, premium mandate — with ownership, control and value at the center.
Constitutional Document Review
Articles, SHA and side letters read together.
Interim Control Measures
Assets and governance protected while the case runs.
Valuation Evidence
Share value and loss supported by experts.
Regulatory Interface
Licensing and approval impacts managed.
Exit & Restructuring Outcomes
Buy-outs and restructurings executed after the award.
The mandate
Corporate disputes are decided in the capital structure.
In corporate arbitration, the remedy often matters more than the finding: a buy-out at a fair value, the enforcement of a deadlock mechanism, the restoration of information rights or an adjustment of price. Relief is framed from the shareholders’ agreement, articles and transaction documents outward.
Handle aligns the arbitration with the business — protecting operations and governance through interim measures where available, coordinating with regulators where licences or approvals are affected, and preparing the restructuring or exit that follows the award.
What the mandate delivers
- Shareholder and governance claims
- Joint venture deadlock resolution
- Warranty, indemnity and earn-out claims
- Valuation and forensic evidence
- Interim governance and asset protection
- Post-award buy-out and exit execution
How the work runs
Four disciplines. One corporate outcome.
Every corporate arbitration is run with ownership mapping, remedy design, interim protection and post-award execution.
01
Map the Ownership
Rights traced through every constitutional document.
02
Design the Remedy
Relief framed around control, value and exit.
03
Protect the Business
Operations and assets secured during the case.
04
Execute the Outcome
Award implemented through buy-out or restructuring.
The Handle model
Practice-led. Never fragmented.
The matter may begin here — it stays connected to strategy, capital and law.
Strategy & Operations
The work stays connected to market position, operating model, performance and execution governance.
M&A & Capital
The work stays aware of capital readiness, investor review, transaction logic and deployment discipline where relevant.
Legal & Regulatory
The work stays protected through structure, rights, governance, enforceability and regulatory or dispute readiness.
Why Handle
Corporate disputes resolved with the business intact.
A corporate arbitration can be won while the company is lost — Handle links the claim to the governance, capital and operating continuity of the business it concerns.
- Shareholder, JV and M&A dispute focus
- Remedies designed around control and exit
- Valuation expertise from the M&A practice
- Interim measures to protect operations
- Regulator-aware strategy for licensed businesses
- Post-award restructuring capability
Good litigation is disciplined project management. Clear filings, clean evidence, and a hearing plan that your board understands. That is how outcomes travel from courtroom to cash.
Hamda Al FalasiPartner, Law & Arbitration
Engagement paths
Where this work typically begins.
Growth & Expansion
When the asset must scale capacity, geography, capital, partnerships or market share.
Turnaround
When the asset must reset structure, capital, law, governance and operations under pressure.
Coverage
Arbitration seated in the UAE — and enforced where assets sit.
Handle runs corporate arbitrations from Dubai under DIAC, ICC and other rules, seated onshore, in the DIFC, in ADGM or abroad, for shareholders, boards, family councils and capital providers across the seven priority verticals.
Forums · Courts & arbitration
Arbitration · Related mandates
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Questions, answered
Corporate Arbitration — questions, answered.
How Handle approaches corporate arbitration in the UAE.
What is corporate arbitration?
Arbitration of disputes about companies and their ownership, such as shareholder, joint venture, governance and M&A disputes.
Can shareholder disputes be arbitrated in the UAE?
Many can, where the shareholders’ agreement or articles contain an arbitration clause, though some company law matters may remain with the courts.
How is joint venture deadlock resolved through arbitration?
By enforcing the deadlock mechanism in the agreement, such as a buy-sell or put-call provision, or determining the dispute behind it.
Are post-closing M&A disputes usually arbitrated?
Share purchase agreements frequently provide for arbitration of warranty, indemnity, completion accounts and earn-out disputes.
Can minority shareholders use arbitration to protect their rights?
Yes, where their investment or shareholder agreement contains an arbitration clause covering information, consent and exit rights.
Can a tribunal order a buy-out of shares?
Depending on the agreement, the applicable law and the rules, tribunals can grant relief that gives effect to transfer or buy-out provisions.
Is corporate arbitration confidential?
It is generally more private than court proceedings, and confidentiality is reinforced by agreement and procedural orders.
How long does a corporate arbitration take?
It varies with complexity and party conduct; Handle sets a timetable plan at the outset and reports scenarios to the board.
Does corporate arbitration affect regulatory approvals?
It can, where ownership changes require approval or licensed individuals are involved, so regulatory steps are planned alongside the case.
Insights
Perspectives from live mandates.
Partner-led analysis on law, capital and strategy, shaped by boardroom realities across the UAE and the GCC.
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Work with Handle
Begin with Corporate Arbitration — kept connected to the whole Handle model.
When ownership, control or a deal is in dispute.
Request an initial review
When control of the business is contested.
Set out the matter. A partner reviews it and responds with a defined route, strategy and accountable lead.
- Partner-level review of every request
- Strict confidentiality and privilege from first contact
- One accountable partner from review to execution
