Bin Sevan Advocates & Legal Consultants

Corporate

Partner - Head of Corporate

Rita Kaufmann is a UK-qualified solicitor and seasoned legal advisor with a diverse international background and over a decade of cross-sectoral experience. As Head of Corporate at Bin Sevan Advocates & Legal Consultants, she leads the firm’s corporate and commercial practice, advising clients on a wide range of matters including M&A transactions, corporate structuring, real estate, employment, and wills/probate.

Rita has particular expertise in cross-border transactions, joint ventures, shareholder agreements, and high-value commercial contracts. She regularly assists clients with UAE regulatory and licensing requirements and advises foreign investors on market entry strategies, entity formation, and compliance with local laws and regulations. She is also a registered DIFC Wills Draftsman and frequently supports high-net-worth individuals and families with estate planning and probate matters.

Alongside her corporate work, Rita has a strong background in international arbitration. She has served on counsel teams and acted as tribunal secretary in proceedings under a range of institutional rules, including UNCITRAL, DIAC, HKIAC, ICSID, ICC, and VIAC. Her arbitration experience spans complex disputes in the energy, construction, manufacturing, employment, and shareholder sectors.

Rita holds an LLM from the University of Law (London), an LLB from the University of London, an MBA from the University of Bradford, and a BA in International Relations from Vassar College (NY, USA). She has actively contributed to the arbitration community through past roles with Young ICCA and R.E.A.L. (Racial Equality for Arbitration Lawyers), and is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).

English, German, Spanish,

Dubai Legal Affairs Department

Solicitors Regulation Authority (England and Wales)

Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb)

Bachelor of Arts in International Studies (focus on Economics and Politics), Vassar College, (Poughkeepsie, NY)

Bachelor of Laws (LLB), University of London, (London, UK)

Master of Business Administration (MBA), with Merit, University of Bradford, (Bradford, UK)

Master of Laws (LLM) in Corporate and Commercial Law, University of Law, (London, UK) (Specialisations: Mergers & Acquisitions, Commercial and Trade Law, Employment Law)

Diploma in International Financial Centres, Compliance, and AML Issues, Magna Cum Laude, Swiss Academy  (Dubai, UAE)

Certificate of Accreditation in Mediation Training, Phoenix Disputes Solutions, (London, UK)