1. Mr. Hamdan, could you share your journey so far and what continues to motivate you today?
My journey into law was anything but predictable. I planned to pursue a future in the sciences – chemistry, physics, and mathematics, so the legal profession wasn’t even on my radar. The turning point came from an unexpected place: my sister. Watching her thrive in the legal field shifted something in me and sparked a curiosity that quickly grew into conviction.
Growing up in a large family with many different siblings choosing career paths before me, I had exposure to countless experiences. Yet law stood apart. It offered intellectual challenge, purpose, and the ability to create real, lasting impact. So, toward the end of my school years, I made a sudden decision to pursue law, and it remains one of the best decisions I have ever made.
There was a period when I stepped away from practice, but that time sharpened my vision. When I returned, it was with a renewed mission: to push the legal services industry forward. Today, that mission continues to drive me. I believe legal services must be delivered with precision, executed with efficiency, and grounded in a deep understanding of what clients genuinely need, not what firms assume they need. That philosophy is at the heart of how we operate every day.
2. Do you see any gaps or areas for improvement in the UAE legal landscape that you aim to address?
Every legal system, no matter how advanced, has space to evolve. The UAE’s legal landscape is strong and sophisticated, but as client expectations rise and global change accelerates, continuous enhancement becomes essential.
One of the key areas of opportunity lies in how we anticipate and exceed client needs. Clients today expect not only legal accuracy but also speed, clarity, transparency, and a seamless experience from start to finish. To achieve this, lawyers must be equipped with modern tools and smarter, more efficient processes.
My focus is on integrating technology and innovation in a way that elevates the entire client journey, from onboarding, to case strategy, to communication, to delivery. By embracing systems that improve precision, efficiency, and responsiveness, we can ensure that legal services in the UAE don’t just meet expectations, but consistently exceed them.
3. How have you seen the UAE’s legal system mature over the past decade, especially with its growing openness to international standards and arbitration?
The transformation has been extraordinary. The UAE has moved far beyond a purely traditional framework, and the introduction of common law courts such as the DIFC Courts and ADGM Courts marked a defining shift in the country’s legal evolution. These courts brought English-language proceedings, international standards, and globally recognized practices directly into the region.
What is particularly impressive is the dynamic exchange that has emerged. The civil law and common law systems now operate side by side, each learning from the other. This proximity has strengthened the UAE’s legal ecosystem, making it more sophisticated, more flexible, and more aligned with global expectations.
The UAE’s legal maturity is not accidental, it is intentional. Today, this hybrid model is one of the country’s greatest strengths, positioning the UAE as a jurisdiction that is not only open to international arbitration but also highly trusted by global businesses and investors who want a legal ecosystem that matches their business needs.
4. What makes the UAE’s legal environment unique compared to other jurisdictions in the region?
The UAE stands apart because it operates both civil and common law systems within a single jurisdiction, something exceptionally rare worldwide. This dual structure gives lawyers the ability to craft sophisticated legal, corporate, and dispute-resolution strategies entirely within the country, without the need to look cross-border for alternative frameworks.
Practitioners and teams here move confidently between both systems, gaining a depth of versatility and global insight that is difficult to find elsewhere in the region.
What truly elevates the UAE, however, is the vision behind its legal development. The country’s leadership is bold, forward-looking, and unafraid to innovate. Regulations evolve quickly, courts modernise at speed, and the entire legal ecosystem adapts in real time to global business needs. This agility, combined with a hybrid legal structure, makes the UAE one of the most progressive and strategically powerful legal environments in the world.
5. What more can the UAE do to strengthen global collaboration in law and dispute resolution?
The UAE already has a powerful foundation. Our onshore courts, alongside the DIFC and ADGM Courts, act as natural bridges between regional practice and global standards. The next phase of growth lies in deepening collaboration, particularly through enhanced inter-court cooperation and structured international exchange programs.
These programs allow judges, registrars, and legal professionals to share knowledge, adopt emerging global practices, and refine procedural efficiency. Such exchanges not only elevate the UAE’s legal ecosystem but also position it as an exporter of best practices to other jurisdictions.
In the field of arbitration, the UAE has already established itself as an arbitration-friendly jurisdiction through its commitment to the New York Convention and its consistent approach to enforcing awards. Building on this momentum with greater cross-border engagement, institutional partnerships, and joint training initiatives will further cement the UAE as a global hub for dispute resolution.
6. As a managing partner, how do you balance strategic growth, client relationships, and internal culture within your firm?
For me, everything starts with alignment. The partners, the management team, and our people must all be moving in the same direction with absolute clarity of purpose. Without that, nothing else works.
Our philosophy at the firm is very deliberate:
We are greedy for perfection — not for growth. If we perfect our services, growth becomes the natural outcome.
Internal culture is at the heart of this. We have spent years shaping an environment where people feel fulfilled, respected, and connected to the firm’s vision. When individuals feel valued and motivated, their performance reflects it and clients feel that difference immediately.
A strong culture creates strong client relationships. And strong client relationships create sustainable, long-term growth. For us, the formula is simple: get the fundamentals right, elevate the client experience, and growth will follow with integrity.
7. The legal industry is known for long hours and high pressure. How do you address work–life balance in your firm?
Work–life balance is one of the biggest challenges in our profession, but I believe it can be achieved when the environment is built with intention. For us, it starts with fulfilment. When people feel purposeful in their work, when they see the impact they create, pressure becomes easier to manage and stress naturally decreases.
We also focus on meaningful, human-centred changes. Shifting our office timing by one hour wasn’t just a logistical adjustment, it transformed the daily rhythm for many of our team members, reducing commuting time by as much as 70%. Our flexible work-from-home arrangements and monthly half-days are designed to give people space to breathe, reset, and take care of what matters outside the office.
Hard work is part of our industry, but it should never come at the expense of a person’s wellbeing. Our aim is to create an environment where people feel supported, inspired, and able to thrive, not just as professionals, but as whole human beings.
8. What mental health or wellness initiatives does your firm prioritize?
Well-being isn’t an add-on for us, it is a core part of how we build a high-performing legal team. Our focus is on creating an environment where people feel supported mentally, emotionally, and physically, so they can bring their best selves to their work.
We run structured wellness initiatives throughout the year, including sessions with physiotherapists, life coaches, and subject-matter experts who help our team build resilience and manage stress in healthy ways. These programs are designed to give people practical tools, not just momentary relief.
Equally important is fostering psychological safety. We encourage open conversations, and if someone feels overwhelmed or disengaged, we address it proactively, long before it affects their well-being or performance. Fulfilment is essential, but knowing your voice is valued transforms how you show up: for yourself, your team, and your clients
We also invest in building long-term resilience through leadership training, mentorship, and personal development programmes that help our people grow not just as professionals, but as individuals. A supported, confident team engages more meaningfully, collaborates more effectively, and strengthens the overall quality of the firm.
9. What advice would you give to Emirati entrepreneurs building professional services firms today?
My advice is focus on perfecting your service. Whether you work in law, finance, consulting, or any technical field, excellence is the foundation. If your service is exceptional, growth will follow.
Equally important is culture. Build the right organisational culture from the very beginning, one where leadership and the team are aligned, transparent, and committed to the same vision. When people move with clarity and purpose, the firm develops strength, resilience, and the ability to grow sustainably.
Excellence in service and unity in culture – those two pillars are what define long-term success.
10. Finally, what message would you share with young lawyers and aspiring practitioners in Dubai and beyond?
Choose your mentors with intention. Early in my career, I focused on who I would be learning from, not just where I was working. The right mentor doesn’t just guide your career, they shape your mindset, sharpen your discipline, and accelerate your growth in ways that stay with you for life.
Be proactive. Opportunities rarely appear on their own. Knock on doors, ask for things to do, and seek out challenging work.
And embrace technology without hesitation. The next generation of legal practice will be defined by those who harness AI, legal-tech, and data-driven tools to work smarter and deliver more value. Master them early, and you will position yourself far ahead of the curve.
