Habib Al Mulla & Partners

Investment and Shareholder Disputes, Family Businesses, and Commercial Disputes

Partner and Head of Commercial Disputes (and Family Business Restructuring Division)

Alia Al Mulla is a Partner at Habib Al Mulla and Partners and Head of Commercial Disputes, appearing before courts throughout the UAE in complex civil and commercial litigation. Alongside her practice, she has built a distinctive profile as a public-facing thought leader who translates new legal frameworks into practical guidance and scalable initiatives, work that directly strengthens the ecosystem for women founders, next-generation family business leaders and the lawyers who advise them.

She led the legal engagement for Sharafi Group Investments LLC., successfully registering it as Dubai’s first family company under the new Federal Law No. (37) of 2022 on Family Companies. This was accomplished following sustained efforts and effective coordination with the UAE Ministry of Economy.

In 2025, Alia was a leading voice for Project 54 (“54 Projects for 54 Emiratis”), the firm’s National Day CSR initiative providing full legal support to 54 Emirati SMEs. Following the signing of an MoU with Emirates NBD, the programme expanded to include 17 additional startups and enhanced banking, compliance and advisory support, accelerating progress towards the December 2025 target. Alia publicly championed the initiative, including a featured interview on Dubai Eye 103.8’s Business Breakfast and Dubai TV where she explained the programme’s hands-on, ‘regulatory handholding’ approach and the partner ecosystem that supports founders’ commercial readiness.

Alia also spearheaded the Beyond Legacy series, high-impact roundtables and seminars convening government and private-sector stakeholders to demystify the UAE Family Business Law and advance best practice in governance, succession planning and continuity. The 2025 ‘Beyond Legacy: Empowering Family Businesses’ roundtable, hosted with the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, positioned Alia at the centre of a national dialogue on sustainable, future-ready family enterprises, where she articulated the importance of proactive registration and compliance.

Representative Matters –  Acted for high-profile partners in a substantial family-owned business in a complex shareholder dispute before the Ruler’s Court. –  Represented a leading financial institution in resolving a sophisticated AED 50 million fraud scheme. –  Successfully managed multi-million-dirham claims for construction companies regarding agency fees, debt recovery, and contractor liabilities before UAE Courts. –  Advised a global multinational organization regarding exclusive trade rights and regulatory compliance in the UAE. –  Provided comprehensive legal services for numerous corporate restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, liquidation procedures, and capital restructuring. –  Advocated for local and international real estate developers in high-stakes disputes over incomplete construction projects.

English, Arabic

– International Bar Association (IBA) – Emirates Association for Lawyers and Legal Professionals – Member, Ministry of Justice's Lawyer Admission Committee 2020 – Member, Committee Reviewing Amendments to Federal Law No. 23 of 1991 – Part of Dubai Chambers Trusted Advisors

– University of Sharjah, Bachelors of Law (2014) – Family Business Advising (CFBA) (2025) – Family Wealth Advising (CFWA) (2025)