General Counsel and Head of Legal
Department of Municipal Affairs- Aabu Dhabi
Total years of experience :24 years, 8 months
A. Act as General Counsel to the Undersecretary Office and all DMA’s various divisions and departments
B. Typical Duties:
• Provide legal advice for all DMA governance.
• Provide legal guidance and manages all legal matters for DMA to include, contract preparation, review and execution, lawsuits and legal disputes.
• Bring legal issues and concerns to the attention of the Senior Management and assist in developing related policies for Municipal System.
• Act as a resource on the interpretation of existing or proposed local, or federal laws and regulations.
• Arrange and supervise outside attorneys who provide legal advice or representation in areas of special expertise or in litigation.
• Assist as needed with DMA responses to external communication requests, reporting, complaints, or citations from other governmental organization.
• Supervising Senior Counsel and Staff Counsel and managing legal workload.
• Coordinate with the lawyer appointed by Department of Justice, during representation of the interests of DMA before judicial authorities in all cases filed by and brought against DMA. • Attend the hearings and ensure adequate evidentiary records are available.
• Coordinate with law firms/ legal consultants (if required) and Legal Counsel in order to take legal actions for the protection of DMA rights and interests
• Follow up with the respective Divisions/ Sectors on the execution and adherence to all judgments and decisions rendered by the relevant courts
• Provide legal advice to DMA Divisions in examining their contracts and agreements before submission
• Provide legal advice with respect to RFP’s and RFQ’s prepared by the Procurement Division and other DMA Divisions for various professional services and material requirements and ensure alignment with DMA guidelines and policies
• Review and approve all advertisements and tenders with respect to legal aspects of the relevant documents
* Perform other duties assigned by Under Secretary.
• Reviewing the following Laws & Regulations:
- Federal Public Health Law.
- Federal Food Safety Law.
- Law Regulating the Real Estate Industry in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. - Law of Expropriation for the public benefit.
- law Regulating Building Permits.
- Contractors and Consultants Classification and Engineers Registration process.
- Abu Dhabi Building Codes.
- Real estate appraisal.
- Musataha and Usufruct Rights.
- Organizing property registration in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.
- Implementation Regulation (Mortgages).
- Regulation (Interim Real Estate Register).
- Regulation (Real Estate Development).
- Regulation (Strata and Community Title).
- Regulation (Licensing).
- Owners Association Constitution.
- Developer and broker Trust Account.
- Resolution On Provisions of Real Estate Ownership.
- Guidelines On Calculation and Allocation of Participations Quotas.
- Guidelines On Approval of Long Term Supply Agreements.
- Guidelines On Calculation and Allocation of Participations Quotas.
- Strata Management.
- Implementing On Allocation of Non-Metered Utility Charges.
- Community Management.
- Regulation on Tents.
- Regulation on Municipal Amenities.
- Regulation on Signs and Billboards.
- Regulation on Municipality Slaughterhouses.
- Regulation on Health Control over non
-Food Establishments in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
- Regulation on Swimming Pools in Abu Dhabi.
- Regulation on Public Nuisance in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
- Regulation on Animal Control in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi - - - Regulation for the Law No. \[2\] of \[2012\] Concerning Preserving the General Appearance in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
- Regulation on the residential unites occupancies. - Regulation on Building Permits
- BOT, BOOT, BOO Contract.
- The UAE CIVIL Code and Claims under the RED Book FIDIC in the UAE.
- New Municipal Operational System.
- Municipal Assets Management
A. Act as General Counsel to ADTC’s various divisions and departments as well as the ADTC Board of Directors and the ADTC Executive committee.
B. Typical Duties:
o Provide general written legal opinions on varying circumstances with respect to the overall operational activities of the ADTC.
o Represent ADTC in litigation.
o Contracts--as needed prepare, review, consult, and approve.
o Board of Directors actions--review and approve legislative documents.
o Purchasing--participate and recommend appropriate purchasing actions, as needed.
o Work with other assigned Agency counsel.
o Attend work sessions and meetings with Board and staff when requested.
o Provide written legal opinions and attend meetings as necessary for the resolution of disputes between the ADTC and Contractors and/ or vendors.
o Assist in preparing correspondence or other documents to contractors, vendors, agents, etc. as may be necessary to protect the ADTC’s interest for both the present and future.
o Provide legal representation and act as liaison with the General Secretariat of the Executive Council’s (GSEC) Legal Department, and any legal department of any other government, local or international organization.
o Participate in the development and interpretation of the ADTC’s policies.
o Monitor developments in legislative and regulatory environment.
o Attend the meetings of ADTC Board of directors and the Procurement Committee to provide counsel.
o Review and approve agenda to be considered by the ADTC Board of directors and the procurement Committee at their subsequent meetings.
o Regularly attend ADTC Board meetings (assigned attorney or qualified substitute).
o Provide prompt response to inquiries by the Board or Council.
o Review documents e.g. resolutions, decrees etc..., third party agreements, contracts & related claims, information systems & technology agreements
o Provide legal advice on the termination or amendment of existing agreements
o Review and recommend changes and enhancements to the policies within the ADTC based on Status Quo, international bench marking and best practice.
• Providing advices in hard-fought litigation.
• Offering a highly-commercial focus to dispute resolution based on my many years of experience as an advocate and adviser.
• Providing clients with a clear assessment of their position, the litigious and non-litigious options available to them and a recommendation of how best to achieve a solution.
• Providing advices in many areas of the law, including contract, property law, intellectual property, trade practices, corporate law, international trade law, administrative law, banking and financing transactions, joint ventures, funds management, constructions, leasing and others.
• Advising and represent the interests of television broadcasters, pay television operators, radio networks, newspaper proprietors, film producers, record companies, and book publishers, on all aspects ranging from regulatory and access, defamation, suppression orders, advertising and copyright, through to acquisitions, and joint ventures.
• Advising multimedia publishing company on securing its copyright, trademark and publicity rights for unpublished archival works.
• Advising clients in mergers, acquisition, project financing and corporate acquisitions.
• Advising borrowers, lenders, sponsors, and investors on all aspects of banking and financing transactions.
• Advising clients in insurance (both life and non-life), and stockbroking.
• Advising clients in real estate asset fund issues.
• Advising clients on commercial issues relating to supply and service contracts across a range of industries.
• Advising clients in the telecommunications and media industries and on data security and privacy issues.
• Reviewing product packaging, advertising copy and promotional materials to ensure regulatory compliance.
• Reviewing all contracts and agreements clients propose to enter into and advising clients on all legal, commercial, risk and compliance issues
- Coordinator/Lecturer:
* Private International Law (PG)
* International Trade law (PG)
* Property Transactions Commercial Law
* Law of Contract
- Guest Lecturer:
* International Trade law (UG)
* International Trade Law (PG)
* Intellectual property Law (PG)
Teaching Corporate Law
A patent and trademarks attorney specializing in all aspects of trademarks & patent work. - Conducted numerous jury trials in many areas such as inventions, industrial designs, integrated circuits, trademarks, and geographical indication - Contribution for development the following Laws & Regulations: Trademark regulation no. (1) of 1952, amended by the regulation n. (37) of 2000. Patent law no. (32) of 1999. Patents regulations no. (97) of 2001 Industrial Design law no. (14) of 2000 Industrial Designs regulations no. (52) of 2002 Law for the Protection of Layout-Designs of Integrated Circuits no. (10) of 2000 Regulations for the Protection of Layout- Design of Integrated Circuits Geographical Indications law no. (8) of 2000 Law of Unfair Competition and Trade secrets no. (15) of 2000.
National Centre for Intellectual property, Legal Expert Amman- Jordan, from January 1st 1997 through January 26th 2002. Functions: - Representing a number of clients in a wide-range of trademark related issues and provide a variety of services including initial searches and aiding the clients in the selection, registration, and maintenance of trademarks. - Representing clients in copyrights, media, trademark disputes; infringements and other trademark-related litigation. - A significant expertise in a wide range of legal issue on patents, copyrights, media. - Advising in a wide-range of copyright issues for many types of copyrighted materials, specializing in publishing and software. - Advising on privacy and interception issues related to e-commerce, behaviourally targeted and location-based advertising. - Drafting and negotiating global telecom outsourcing contracts. - Representing IT and media/publishing clients on copyright licenses matters and all other questions of copyright law, in particular copyright levies and copyright enforcement - advising publishing houses on contentious and non-contentious copyright law.
Assisting judges in several areas such as civil, criminal and commercial cases, status investigations, claims assessments, fast injunctions, debt recovery, tax related cases, custom related disputes, professional liabilities and enforcing judgements.