Founder & Managing Partner – AS Legal Consultants
UAE | UK | Middle East
andre.saade@aslegal.ae

Profile

Andre Saade is the Founder and Managing Partner of AS Legal Consultants, a boutique dispute-resolution and advisory firm headquartered in the United Arab Emirates with an expanding presence in the United Kingdom. With over 25 years of experience across the Middle East and GCC, Andre is recognised for his rare ability to bridge civil-law precision with common-law strategy—an expertise that enables him to navigate seamlessly between codified and precedent-based legal systems.

Having started his career in civil-law jurisdictions, Andre later spent more than 15 years with a major international law firm in the UAE and GCC. This dual-system exposure allows him to deliver advice that is both technically rigorous and commercially pragmatic, making him a trusted advisor to global corporations, investors, and international law firms seeking on-the-ground representation in the UAE’s onshore courts, the DIFC, and the ADGM.

Experience

Andre’s practice covers complex commercial and real-estate litigation, hospitality management disputes, and cross-border enforcement matters. He has represented leading developers, multinational manufacturers, global hospitality groups, and institutional investors in high-value disputes and transactions across the UAE, KSA, Qatar, Egypt, and Lebanon.

Before founding AS Legal, Andre co-managed the onshore dispute practice of an international law firm located in the UAE, where he led on flagship real-estate and hospitality projects and major cross-jurisdictional disputes.

His dual experience in both transactional and litigious real estate allows him to advise clients from project structuring through to enforcement and recovery, ensuring a complete understanding of risk, compliance, and strategy.

Representative Experience

• A leading U.S. electric-vehicle manufacturer on disputes before UAE Courts.

• A global luxury conglomerate operating in the perfume and cosmetics sector on commercial-agency termination and distribution disputes.

• A major multinational technology company on consumer-protection and commercial-distribution matters.

• A European industrial group specialising in engineering and energy systems in relation to regional agency and supply disputes.

• A global healthcare and life-sciences corporation on litigation and enforcement matters before UAE courts.

• An international luxury-hospitality brand on owner-operator management agreements and branding issues in the UAE.

• A lifestyle hotel chain under a global hospitality group on operator disputes and project-handover negotiations.

• Multiple regional real-estate developers and investment funds on property acquisitions, share transfers, and development disputes.

Areas of Expertise

• Commercial & Real-Estate Litigation – Acting before all UAE courts in landlord-tenant, developer, and investment disputes.

• Hospitality & Brand Management – Advising hotel operators on management agreements, terminations, and brand-protection strategies.

• Commercial Agencies & Distribution Law – Representing principals and agents under the UAE Commercial Agencies Law.

• Cross-Border Judgment Enforcement – Handling recognition and enforcement of GCC, UK, and EU judgments before UAE courts.

• Real Estate Transactions & Structuring – Advising on asset/share sales, trustee arrangements, and investment structures.

• Corporate & Regulatory Advisory – Providing governance, licensing, and compliance advice across onshore and free-zone entities.

Civil and Common Law Bridge

Andre’s defining strength lies in his ability to translate between legal traditions. Educated and trained in civil-law systems, and having practiced extensively within common-law frameworks such as the DIFC, ADGM, and UK, he brings a hybrid legal mindset to every engagement.

This dual fluency allows him to:

• Strategically coordinate multi-forum litigation across civil and common-law courts;

• Align approaches with international counsel to ensure consistency of legal theory and evidence;

• Deliver outcomes that respect local legislation while satisfying international commercial standards.

Leadership and Vision

At AS Legal, Andre leads a team of UAE-qualified and international lawyers committed to combining big-firm sophistication with boutique precision. His leadership philosophy centres on:

• Strategic Clarity & Depth – Senior-level attention and outcome-driven strategy for every mandate.

• Cross-Jurisdictional Integration – Seamless service across onshore, offshore, and foreign forums.

• Integrity & Innovation – Embedding ethics, transparency, and technology into every aspect of dispute management.

Languages

• Arabic – Native

• English – Fluent

• French – Fluent

Global Outlook

Through AS Legal’s offices in the UAE and UK, Andre continues to expand the firm’s international reach—collaborating with leading global law firms, barristers’ chambers, and institutional clients. His portfolio reflects an enduring mission: to deliver world-class legal representation that is regionally grounded, internationally aligned, and commercially focused.

Closing Note

With 25 years at the intersection of civil and common law, Andre Saade has built a career defined by precision, versatility, and trust. His practice bridges code and case, enabling international clients—from technology innovators and luxury houses to hospitality groups and industrial leaders—to navigate the Middle East’s complex legal landscape with confidence and clarity.