Raya Abu Gulal
R.A.G Legal Consultancy is a boutique legal advisory firm based in Abu Dhabi, led by its founder and supported by a team of highly experienced senior consultants. The firm has been named Corporate Law Firm of the Year in the United Arab Emirates at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2025, recognising the strength of its corporate offering and the calibre of advice it provides to clients across the Middle East. Raya Abu Gulal serves as Founder and Managing Partner.
Corporate work sits at the centre of the practice. The firm advises on company formation, closure and the administrative services that accompany the corporate life cycle, and supports businesses on the commercial arrangements that underpin their growth, including joint ventures, agency and distribution structures. This focus on the fundamentals of establishing and operating a company in the region is complemented by a wider practice that helps clients address the legal questions arising as they enter the market and expand.
Beyond core corporate matters, R.A.G Legal Consultancy offers employment advice across the public and private sectors, commercial real estate work, and regulatory guidance spanning data protection and anti-money laundering compliance. It also advises on finance matters, including debt capital markets and fintech. That breadth allows the firm to act as a single adviser on the interlocking corporate, commercial, regulatory and employment issues that businesses face when structuring transactions or entering the UAE market.
The firm's team comprises UK- and US-qualified lawyers with extensive experience across common law and civil law systems and many years of practice in the Middle East, trained at major international firms. This dual-system depth is well suited to the region's cross-border deal flow, where clients frequently require advice that bridges different legal traditions and the specific requirements of UAE law.
Raya Abu Gulal is an award-winning, multilingual legal adviser with more than fifteen years of experience. She established the consultancy in 2012 after roles at leading international law firms, and advises on matters ranging from cross-border transactions and market entry to employment and compliance. Under her leadership, R.A.G Legal Consultancy has built a reputation as a nimble, senior-led alternative to larger practices, and its recognition as Corporate Law Firm of the Year in the United Arab Emirates at the Corporate INTL Global Awards 2025 reflects the standing it has earned advising businesses across the region.
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