Legal Services

We have a deep understanding and breadth of experience advising on technology legal matters, acting for both service providers and customers alike. In the projects and commercial arena, this regularly involves drafting, reviewing and negotiating various IT contracts (from relatively simple ad hoc technology service agreements, to complex and long-term framework service agreements and equipment procurement contracts). We have a particular niche of experience and expertise in travel and aviation-related technology agreements.

Experience of our consultants includes:

• Advising a global software analytics company on the drafting and negotiation of its suite of technology licensing and services agreements with various customers in the Middle East.
• Advising the UAE headquarters of two multi-national travel technology companies on their IT master services agreements with various global airline customers, and on distribution agreements with MEA region airlines and other travel industry suppliers.
• Advising a major enterprise cloud services provider in connection with communications licensing and technology regulatory queries regarding its proposed service offerings in the Middle East, as well as its online retail arm in connection with regional electronic commerce, product compliance and distribution and agency related queries.
• Advising a Middle East government ICT regulatory authority on the development of a licensing framework and related regulatory instruments (policies, guidelines, etc.) regarding electronic contracting and signatures, as well as in connection with consumer protection, electronic payments and data regulation.
• Advising several UAE-based airlines, educational and financial institutions on a host of agreements (and corresponding regulation) related to the procurement of IT infrastructure/equipment and services, software licensing, electronic payments, and outsourcing arrangements.

Our communications practice encompasses commercial and projects work, but our particular niche area in this space is on matters of regulatory interpretation, compliance and risk analysis. On the commercial side, we have advised on contracts addressing matters such as network and equipment procurement, enterprise communications services master agreements, and agreements for the use of spectrum and orbital resources in the satellite space. On the regulatory side, we frequently advise on matters of communications licensing, regulatory compliance (for example, in connection with regionally restricted telecoms services) and the practicalities and legalities of market entry. Our clients especially appreciate our pragmatic and commercially-minded approach coupled with our deep knowledge of ‘black letter’ legal and regulatory requirements.

Experience of our consultants includes:

• Advising global in-flight and maritime communications connectivity providers on various regulatory and commercial queries regarding the provision of services in the Middle East region and other markets worldwide, including on the commercial elements of agreements with airline customers and service provider partners in the Middle East.
• Advising a major global telecommunications provider and a submarine cable services provider on multiple technology and communications regulatory queries in respect of proposed enterprise service offerings and projects across the Middle East and Africa, as well as in relation to commercial aspects of customer agreements.
• Advising several Middle East regional government communications regulatory authorities in connection with the drafting and development of new regulatory frameworks, pertaining to matters such as administrative fines, consumer protection, type approval, and spectrum regulation.
• Advising three different VSAT service providers on licensing and related compliance obligations regarding their operations in Qatar, Oman, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
• Advising various clients (both within and outside the Middle East) in relation to regulatory requirements and restrictions related to various aspects of communications services, including VoIP, VPNs, and encryption technology.

One of our core practice areas complementary to our wider TMT focus is our work on data protection and privacy related matters. In fact, the experience of our consultants has put us at the forefront of data protection legal development and reform in the region, having advised on the preparation of the first data protection framework issued in the GCC. This is supplemented by our extensive knowledge of other international privacy frameworks and ‘best practice’ approaches to data processing. We also regularly advise various private sector clients, across numerous sectors, on related compliance obligations in the privacy space.

Experience of our consultants includes:

• Advising numerous clients across the Middle East on the potential extra-territorial implications of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on their regional operations.
• Advising a global IT services provider on the legal and regulatory implications (both Federal and Emirate level) of providing an outsourced data management platform for patient health information (and other personal data) in the UAE.
• Advising a global cloud-based enterprise services provider on data protection and privacy considerations in connection with its contracts with Middle East regional customers.
• Advising a global automobile manufacturer in connection with data protection and privacy implications surrounding the implementation of certain employee policies and customer satisfaction surveys across its Middle East offices.
• Advising clients across numerous industry sectors in connection with various aspects of their operations from a data protection standpoint across the Middle East, including such matters as appropriate consent mechanisms, cross-border data transfers, privacy notices and policies, data processing agreements, audits, and security breach notification requirements.

We have advised a number of clients on media and content-related inquiries in the Middle East region, and have a deep understanding of the cultural considerations and regional nuances that help shape content regulation and related compliance considerations. Our work has involved advising on content licensing and distribution arrangements, advertising and sponsorship matters, and providing pre-publication content clearance advice. We have also advised on the development and reform of media regulatory frameworks in the region.

Experience of our consultants includes:

• Advising a major global social media platform regarding various regulatory considerations of doing business in the Middle East, including content regulation and related host liability concerns, terms of use, consumer protection, lawful access, cybercrimes law and data protection.
• Advising a global, subscription-based content on demand platform in connection with the regulatory considerations underpinning its launch in the Middle East region (with a particular focus on UAE and Saudi Arabia).
• Advising a multi-national television conglomerate and streaming services corporation on the suitability of its global terms of use, privacy and cookie policies for a channel launch across the MENA region.
• Advising a Middle East media group on various online copyright infringement claims and providing in-house content regulation training sessions to group editorial staff.
• Advising on the development of a new national media law in a Middle East country, as well as on the establishment (and underlying regulatory and licensing framework) of a media-oriented economic free zone.