DIFC Courts and ADGM Courts
Litigation and Dispute Resolution
Shallon CSP is fully registered before the DIFC Courts under Part 1 and Part 2 of the registration framework for legal practitioners, and before the ADGM Courts. Our lawyers hold rights of audience in both jurisdictions and represent clients across the full range of commercial disputes, from pre-action advisory and urgent injunctive applications through to trial, judgment enforcement, and appellate proceedings.
We are also retained by other law firms as advocacy counsel where specialist rights of audience are required in the DIFC Courts or ADGM Courts. If your firm needs registered practitioners to appear on its behalf, we work under your instruction while you retain the client relationship and overall conduct of the matter.
DIFC Courts Litigation
The DIFC Courts are an independent common law court system established under Dubai Law No. 9 of 2004. They apply English common law, operate entirely in English, and their judgments are enforceable within the UAE and in over 170 jurisdictions through bilateral and multilateral enforcement frameworks. For clients with cross-border exposure, that reach matters as much as the quality of the proceedings.
Shallon CSP is registered under both Part 1 and Part 2 of the DIFC Courts framework for legal practitioners. That dual registration allows our lawyers to appear before the Court of First Instance, the Small Claims Tribunal, and the DIFC Courts of Appeal. We advise on the full procedural lifecycle of DIFC litigation, including case assessment, pre-action correspondence, drafting and filing of pleadings, disclosure, interim and urgent relief, and trial preparation.
DIFC Courts — Practice Areas
Our DIFC Courts practice covers the following categories of dispute:
- Commercial contract disputes and breach of contract claims
- Banking and financial services litigation
- Employment disputes involving DIFC-registered employers
- Real property and leasing disputes within the DIFC
- Shareholder and company disputes involving DIFC entities
- Enforcement of foreign court judgments and arbitral awards
- Applications for injunctions and freezing orders
- Winding up petitions and insolvency proceedings
- Asset preservation and interim relief applications
- Multi-jurisdictional enforcement and recovery
ADGM Courts Litigation
The Abu Dhabi Global Market Courts are a specialist common law court system operating within the ADGM financial free zone. They apply English common law principles, operate under rules modelled on the Civil Procedure Rules of England and Wales, and were established pursuant to the ADGM Courts, Civil Evidence, Judgments, Enforcement and Judicial Appointments Regulations 2015. Judgments of the ADGM Courts are directly enforceable in Abu Dhabi and are subject to recognition in other jurisdictions in the same manner as DIFC Courts judgments.
Shallon CSP holds full registration before the ADGM Courts. Our lawyers have rights of audience before the Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeal, enabling us to represent clients at every stage of proceedings within this jurisdiction.
Our ADGM Courts practice covers commercial and civil disputes, banking and financial services litigation, employment matters, enforcement of domestic and foreign judgments and arbitral awards, applications for injunctions and interim relief, fund and asset management disputes, and winding up and restructuring proceedings.
When choosing between the DIFC Courts and ADGM Courts, the primary consideration is usually the location of the relevant entity and the governing law clause in the underlying contract. Both courts apply English common law and offer comparable procedural frameworks. The DIFC Courts are the natural forum where the contract or entity is DIFC-based; the ADGM Courts where it is ADGM-based. Where there is a choice, we advise on the strategic considerations — including enforcement prospects, case management timelines, and judicial experience with the relevant area of law — before proceedings are issued.
Retained by Other Firms as Advocacy Counsel
A significant number of law firms advising clients on DIFC and ADGM matters are not themselves registered to appear before these courts. When a matter requires a hearing, contested application, or trial, those firms need qualified practitioners with confirmed rights of audience and experience of how each court operates.
Shallon CSP accepts instructions from other law firms on this basis. We are retained as advocacy counsel to conduct oral hearings, argue motions and applications, attend case management conferences, and represent clients at trial. The instructing firm retains overall conduct of the matter and the client relationship throughout. We work to a brief provided by the instructing firm and confine our role to the steps requiring court access.
We approach these arrangements with professional discretion. Enquiries from law firms seeking to instruct us in this capacity are treated in confidence from the outset.
Why Instruct Shallon CSP
Shallon CSP is a conflict-free, independent legal practice. We do not act for financial institutions or major corporates on a standing retainer basis, which means we are free to act against them when our clients need us to.
Procedural Depth
We understand how the DIFC Courts and ADGM Courts operate in practice, how judges approach case management, what the courts expect from parties at each stage, and where disputes are decided before the first hearing. That knowledge informs how we advise from the first instruction.
Cross-Border Capability
Most significant disputes before the DIFC Courts and ADGM Courts have a cross-border dimension. Our international practice spans the UAE, Europe, and offshore centres. We advise on the complete picture, not only the local proceeding, and can coordinate with local counsel in other jurisdictions where required.
DIFC and ADGM Institutional Knowledge
Beyond litigation, Shallon CSP advises on DIFC and ADGM Wills, trusts, foundations, and company structures. That institutional knowledge of both free zones gives depth to our litigation practice that a purely contentious firm cannot offer.
Independent and Conflict-Free
We act for individuals, families, and businesses. We do not carry institutional conflicts that limit our ability to advise freely. Our instructions are taken solely on the basis of a client’s interests, and that independence is a standing feature of our practice, not an exception.
