Capital structured to command the room. Equity aligned. Debt controlled. Covenants enforceable.
Equity and Debt Advisory
Equity and Debt Advisory: Capital With Enforcement Built In
Handle structures equity and debt for boards, founders, family enterprises, and private capital operating in or through the UAE. We design capital stacks that hold under pressure, with enforceable rights, disciplined covenants, and clear recourse across jurisdictions.
From primary fundraising to refinancing, recapitalisations, and liability management, we integrate law, governance, and capital into one execution track. Terms are defined, downside is ring-fenced, and counterparties face a structure built for enforcement, not negotiation drift.
Our Equity and Debt Advisory Services: Capital Structured for Control
Handle leads high-stakes capital decisions where structure, jurisdiction, and enforceability decide outcomes. We move from capital strategy to term sheet, documentation, and closing with a single accountable line of execution.
Equity Capital Structuring & Fundraising
Primary and secondary equity mandates engineered for control, governance clarity, and exit-driven alignment.
Debt Financing, Refinancing & Liability Management
Bank, fund, and private debt structured to protect control, manage covenants, and stabilise liquidity.
Capital Stack Design & Recapitalisation
Rebuild capital structures to match strategy, ring-fence risk, and sustain growth under regulatory scrutiny.
Covenant, Security & Intercreditor Architecture
Design covenants, security and intercreditor frameworks that hold in court and across borders.
Why Work with an Equity and Debt Advisory Expert
Capital terms decide control, value, and resilience when markets, regulators, or counterparties turn hostile. Equity and debt advisory at Handle is built to remove ambiguity from capital structure, documentation, and enforcement pathways.
We align capital with strategy, governance, and jurisdictional strength; designing instruments that price risk accurately and define recourse in advance. The result is simple: capital that behaves as expected when tested.
- Integrated equity and debt strategy anchored in enforceable documentation
- Deep UAE and regional banking, regulatory, and private capital insight
- Covenant and security packages designed for real-world enforcement
- Partner-level execution from mandate to closing and post-close monitoring
- Alignment of shareholder, lender, and board interests under one structure
- Capital decisions linked directly to governance, control, and exit options
Better Ask Handle
Why Choose Us to Handle Your Equity and Debt Advisory
Capital advisors rarely own enforcement. We do. Handle integrates legal, banking, and private capital experience into one model, controlling both the negotiation table and the documents that decide outcomes.
Whether you are raising, refinancing, or restructuring, we design equity and debt that preserve control, protect downside, and operate cleanly across UAE and cross-border regimes.
EnquireOne Capital Stack, One Execution Team
Equity, debt, and hybrid instruments structured and documented by a single accountable team from strategy to signing.
Jurisdiction and Enforcement First
Every structure anchored in where disputes will be heard and how security, pledges, and guarantees will be enforced.
Board-Grade Decision Frameworks
Clear options, quantified trade-offs, and governance implications set out for fast, defensible board decisions.
Access to Institutional and Private Capital
Deep connectivity into regional banks, funds, and family capital, matched to mandates that are execution-ready.
Anchored in the Region’s Most Strategic Hubs
We work across the UAE’s leading financial centers, free zones, regulatory authorities, and courts; giving our clients certainty in both capital and law.
When your business turns legal, capital turns critical, and legacy turns strategic… #BetterAskHandle
What's Included in Our Equity and Debt Advisory Services
We structure and execute capital mandates with full visibility on control, covenants, and enforcement. Each engagement moves through a defined framework from assessment to negotiation to closing and post-close governance alignment.
The outcome is a capital stack that withstands scrutiny from investors, lenders, regulators, and counterparties, with terms aligned to strategic and family or institutional objectives.
- Capital structure diagnostics and scenario analysis
- Equity fundraising strategy, investor targeting, and term sheet leadership
- Debt financing and refinancing strategy across banks, funds, and private lenders
- Covenant, security, and intercreditor design and negotiation
- Documentation oversight: shareholders’ agreements, facility agreements, security packages
- Regulatory and jurisdictional alignment across UAE, DIFC, ADGM, and key foreign law frameworks
“Before offering your business for M&A, you must raise it with discipline. Strengthen governance, restore financial clarity, and sharpen strategy. A parented business attracts investors with confidence, not discounts.”
Mohamed abu El-MakaremManaging Partner & Chairman
“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
The Powerhouse of Law & Capital⚬
The Powerhouse of Law & Capital⚬
The Powerhouse of Law & Capital⚬
The Powerhouse of Law & Capital⚬
The Powerhouse of Law & Capital⚬
#BetterAskHandle⚬
#BetterAskHandle⚬
#BetterAskHandle⚬
#BetterAskHandle⚬
#BetterAskHandle⚬
Frequently Asked Equity and Debt Advisory Questions
Handle leads equity and debt advisory for founders, family enterprises, and institutional capital operating through the UAE. We structure capital stacks for control, enforceability, and predictable downside.
When should a board mandate Equity and Debt Advisory rather than negotiate directly with lenders or investors?
Boards mandate equity and debt advisory when control, covenants, or enforcement outcomes are material to the business or family. Direct negotiation often leaves structural risk embedded in documents that only appears under stress. We design the capital stack, define acceptable terms, and run the negotiation track within those parameters. The board retains control of decisions with a clear, quantified framework.
How does Handle approach equity fundraising for founder-led or family enterprises?
We start by defining governance, control, and exit parameters before engaging capital. That sets hard boundaries on dilution, veto rights, board composition, and information rights. We then originate and filter investors whose mandates align with those parameters and lead term sheet negotiation and documentation. The result is equity that brings capital without destabilising control or legacy.
What differentiates your debt advisory from bank-led proposals or in-house treasury work?
We design the debt structure first, then run a competitive, controlled process to match it with lenders. Bank proposals and internal treasury work often accept lender templates and soft covenants that tighten under pressure. Our model defines leverage levels, security, covenants, and cure mechanisms up front. We then negotiate from that structure, not from a lender-first starting point.
How do you manage covenant risk in volatile or growth-stage businesses?
We engineer covenants around realistic performance, volatility, and scenario-tested downside. That includes headroom design, cure mechanics, equity cure rights, and information undertakings that do not cripple operations. We also embed waiver and renegotiation pathways that can be activated quickly if needed. The goal is disciplined accountability without handing premature control to creditors.
Can Handle coordinate both equity and debt changes in a recapitalisation or restructuring?
Yes. We treat the capital stack as a single system and coordinate equity holders, lenders, and new capital providers under one plan. That includes re-cutting security, intercreditor positions, and shareholder arrangements to reflect the new reality. Execution runs through a single statement of work and timeline, with all stakeholders aligned to an enforceable structure.
How do you address cross-border enforcement when security or investors sit outside the UAE?
We select governing law, forum, and security structures based on where value and counterparties actually sit, not just on market habit. That can include parallel security packages, recognition mechanisms, and enforcement mapping across UAE, DIFC, ADGM, and key foreign courts. Our legal and capital teams work as one unit to remove surprises at enforcement stage. Counterparties see a structure designed to be executed, not argued over.
What role do regulators and licensing regimes play in your capital advisory mandates?
Regulatory architecture shapes what capital is possible and how it must be structured. We align each mandate with CBUAE, SCA, DFSA, FSRA, VARA, and relevant sectoral requirements from the outset. That prevents late-stage friction on approvals, security, or investor eligibility. Boards see capital that is not only commercially sound but also regulator-ready.
How involved is Handle in documentation and closing, beyond high-level strategy?
We stay on the file until closing and beyond. Our team leads or supervises term sheets, long-form agreements, security packages, and corporate approvals to ensure terms match the agreed capital strategy. We do not outsource critical drafting turning points to counterparties. Execution discipline is maintained through to signing and first compliance cycle.
What is your approach when a company is already in covenant breach or distressed?
We stabilise the situation by mapping leverage, security, and enforcement options for all parties. From there, we design a recovery or liability management plan that resets terms, introduces new capital where viable, and reorders priorities without sacrificing unnecessary value or control. Negotiations run to a defined timetable and playbook. The objective is to move from reactive concessions to a structured, enforceable outcome.
How do you work with existing legal counsel and financial advisors on complex transactions?
We integrate, not compete. Where existing counsel or advisors are in place, we define roles, allocate workstreams, and centralise capital structure decisions and documentation alignment. Handle leads the architecture of the capital stack and the enforcement logic; other advisors operate within that framework. The board gains a single, coherent capital strategy with coordinated execution.
Our Insights.
Partner-led perspectives on law, capital, and strategy, shaped by live mandates and boardroom realities.
Insights
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Partner with Handle
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