Founding Partner and Managing Director Faris Raian explains how Leaders Advocates supports clients by combining over 15 years of legal experience, an in-house legal mindset, and a practical understanding of business risk, urgent disputes, and commercial decision-making in UAE.

1) What do you see as the main points that differentiate Leaders Advocates from your competitors?

What differentiates Leaders Advocates is that we do not look at a legal matter in isolation. We first ask what the client is trying to protect, what the commercial risk is, how urgent the situation is, and whether court action, settlement, negotiation, or immediate protective measures will produce the strongest outcome.

I have over 15 years of legal experience, including five years working as an in-house lawyer. That background shaped the way I advise clients today. I understand that business owners and in-house legal teams are not only looking for a legal opinion; they need clear direction, risk assessment, cost awareness, and a strategy that protects their money, assets, reputation, and business continuity.

At Leaders Advocates, we act as strategic legal advisers to our clients. We do not look at a dispute only as a case to be filed; we look at the client’s wider position and ask what route will protect them best. That may involve litigation, settlement, negotiation, urgent protective measures, or a combination of approaches. Our advice is based on the strength of the case, the available evidence, the urgency, the commercial risk, and the realistic outcome the client wants to achieve. This approach allows us to guide clients toward decisions that are legally sound, commercially sensible, and aligned with their best interests.

2) Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?

We expect growth in corporate and commercial disputes, real estate disputes, employment matters, cybercrime, debt recovery, compensation claims, arbitration-related matters, cross-border disputes, and strategic legal advisory work.

The UAE continues to attract investors, entrepreneurs, multinational companies, family businesses, and high-net-worth individuals from different jurisdictions. This creates more complex legal relationships, often involving foreign shareholders, international contracts, overseas assets, enforcement issues, and cross-border disputes.

We also expect more arbitration-related work, especially in commercial, real estate, shareholder, construction, and international disputes, where clients need clear advice on the best forum, the strength of the claim, evidence, enforcement, and realistic recovery.

The main driver is that clients want more than a lawyer who can file a case. They want strategic legal advisers who can assess the risks, identify the best route, and guide them toward the option that makes the most legal and commercial sense.

3) What is the main change you have made in the firm that will benefit clients?

The main change I have made is moving the firm toward a more strategic advisory model. We do not start by asking only whether a client has a legal claim; we ask what the client needs to achieve in practice. Is the priority to recover money, protect assets, stop immediate risk, avoid escalation, or reach a settlement?

This approach gives clients a clearer view before they commit to any legal route. We explain the options, risks, urgency, likely timeframe, and commercial value of each step, so the client can decide with confidence.

We have also strengthened our response in urgent matters. If there is a risk that funds may be moved, assets may disappear, or the client’s position may be weakened, we are structured to act quickly and take protective steps without unnecessary delay.

4) Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?

Yes. Technology has changed both how we communicate with clients and how quickly we can support them. Clients now expect faster updates, easier document sharing, and clearer visibility over the progress of their matters, especially where the issue is urgent or involves parties in different jurisdictions.

At Leaders Advocates, technology helps us coordinate more efficiently with clients, review and organise documents, manage digital evidence, and respond faster in time-sensitive matters. This is particularly valuable in corporate disputes, cybercrime, debt recovery, arbitration-related work, and cross-border cases, where timing, evidence, and communication can directly affect the outcome.

5) Can you give us an example of how the firm’s approach benefits clients?

A recent urgent matter demonstrates our approach. The client was concerned that the opposing party might move assets or leave the jurisdiction within days, so the matter required immediate action rather than a standard legal process.

We quickly assessed the evidence, identified the appropriate urgent route, and coordinated the team to prepare and file the necessary applications. Through experience, fast judgment, and focused execution, attachment measures were issued and the relevant assets were secured within five days.

This reflects how we work in urgent matters: we assess the commercial risk, act quickly, and choose the legal strategy that best protects the client’s position.

6) Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms? Where do you see the firm in three years’ time?

Yes. Clients are no longer looking for legal advice in isolation; they want judgment, direction, and protection. They want to know the right move, not just the legal position.

Over the next three years, I see Leaders Advocates becoming an even stronger legal partner for companies, investors, in-house legal teams, and international clients doing business in the UAE. We will continue to focus on disputes, corporate and commercial work, real estate, employment, cybercrime, debt recovery, arbitration-related matters, and cross-border cases.

Our goal is to be recognised for clear advice, urgent action when needed, and strategies that protect the client’s commercial position, not only their legal rights.