Middle East Group

At Collas Crill, we have established a wide range of charitable structures from local Guernsey LBGs through to large charitable foundations for some of the World's wealthiest families. Our specialist Middle Eastern Team also have experience in advising regional families on the Islamic charitable principle of Zakat.

Depending upon your jurisdiction, guardianship, delegates and powers of attorney are useful tools in helping a party to deal with the financial affairs of another, whether that is paying bills, managing bank accounts or otherwise. If you need assistance dealing with your own affairs then a power of attorney may be appropriate. This will enable you to choose who can carry out any actions, and the extent to which they can take those decisions, on your behalf. If, however, it sadly becomes the case that an individual cannot handle their own affairs any longer then a guardian or delegate will be need to be appointed by the court to look after that individual's affairs. Whether you are choosing to give someone power to deal with your affairs, or you have a relative who can't deal with their own any longer, careful consideration needs to be given, and advice sought, to decide what route is most appropriate.

Demand for legal professionals with a working knowledge and understanding of Shariah law concepts continues to rise reflecting the growth in Islamic finance products and services for institutions and private clients. Our team of experienced finance lawyers regularly work with onshore law firms, banks, managers and service providers to assist clients in the UK, the Middle East and Asia, as well as trust and corporate service providers servicing clients in this area.

Dubai has no specific pensions law as such but Dubai-based companies do need to plan for and fund end of service gratuity payments. Instead of a pension, local laws require companies to make a severance payment when employees leave the business This can be a significant liability to fund and can often come at the most unwelcome of times such as during an economic downturn. Companies who have failed to set money aside to meet these payments have historically been unable to afford to reduce headcount as they have not planned or budgeted for severance payments. Although it is difficult for some smaller firms to set money aside to fund their entire historic liability, it is never too late to start setting aside at least some provision for this potentially large liability. If done well, these end of service schemes can be self-funding and can also achieve a company's CSR aims by impact investing in very worthy causes both within the region and more widely.

Private trust companies (PTC) and private trustee foundations (PTF) are an ideal solution for clients wanting to divest themselves of ownership while still retaining a level of control. A PTC, or its most recent incarnation, the PTF, is a corporate vehicle which is used by a family in place of a professional trustee so that the family themselves can control the board of the trustee and thereby control the underlying assets.