Carla Castanos

• Provide ad-hoc advice on specified legal topics concerning business units on matters concerning corporate governance and legal compliance • Draft and review shareholders related agreements and resolutions to identify areas of legal risks and liabilities and to ensure their alignment with the company's business interest; • Provide legal advice and implement major corporate transactions including mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments, and joint-ventures. • Conduct ongoing research and maintain awareness of changes in laws and regulations that may impact Milaha and its business units, and provide advice on legal matters and communicate all legal concepts and risks to them; • Maintain and follow up on company registration and/ or intellectual property rights • Liaise with other relevant business units in restructuring wholly or partially any exist or new business to Milaha. • Review all sorts of corporate and commercial agreements, procurement and construction agreements both under FIDIC and under Qatar Professional Service Agreement and Qatar Public Works rules, supply agreements, memorandums of understanding, NDAs, joint venture agreements, with a view to limiting exposure to risk and liability • Supervise development of dispute resolution procedures and advise on course of action • Provide legal advice on offshore companies’ legal affairs, including company formation, change of directors, resolutions, share transfers and dissolution. • Review of maritime and shipping agreements, including charter-parties, provision of offshore services, etc. • Review and draft tender instructions, form of agreement and general terms and conditions (tender documentation) • Draft and keep updated legal department's internal policies and procedures to ensure efficiency and compliance with ISO standards • Train interns and newly graduates part of our Qatarization program • Manage the legal department in the absence of VP of Legal

n-house legal counsel for one of the fastest growing free trade zones in the Middle East.
•Providing legal support to businesses registered in the Free Zone and the organisation's different business units on commercial law, labor law, corporate law, GCC customs law and offshore regulations.
•Reviewing, drafting and negotiating all sort of contracts, resolutions and legal notices; including construction contracts (FIDIC), real estate, procurement and distribution contracts, as well as memorandum of understanding, marketing and sponsorship agreements, and joint-venture and cooperation agreements.
•Providing advice on intellectual property rights and customer data protection.
•Writing legal articles for Free Zone's magazine

•Providing legal support to clients in international business law, corporate law, commercial law, international taxation, labor law, intellectual property rights, JV and mergers, and arbitration.
•Advising on, and setting up all sorts of legal vehicles according to the clients’s needs: onshore, free zone companies, offshore jurisdictions, etc.
•Reviewing and drafting international contracts, resolutions, and legal opinions.
•Providing legal advice on international logistics and customs.
•Advising on and providing assistance in settling amicably all sorts of real estate disputes.
•Drafting and negotiating real estate, commercial and leasing contracts
•Registering and providing advice on intellectual property rights and customer data protection.
•Writing legal articles for international magazines
•Giving workshops on a variety of corporate issues to business councils in the UAE, and short-courses for universities.
•Providing advice on best cost-benefit, low-risk expansions to other GCC countries and Far East.
•Applying for and cancelling visas for investors and employees.
•De-registration, liquidation and dissolution of companies and establishments.
•Debt collection

•Drafting labour contracts, hiring and terminating employees
•Drafting internal regulations, safety regulations and hanbooks
•Mediating and settling labour related disputes
•Representing companies before labour arbitration organisms and Labour court
•Drafting commercial and leasing contracts
•Support for HR, especially in documenting employee's violations of internal regulations and contract obligations
•Conducting research and investigation into safety-health labour related accidents
•Dealing with immigration authorities and international hiring

* Research and drafting of a proposal for a new environmental law for the State of Sinaloa (Mexico).
* Review and propose new environmental regulations to municipalities in the State of Sinaloa.