Q: Can the law of other countries be applied in Dubai Court if the parties in the case are not Emirati? How to check which law will be implemented in each case? Any specific procedure?

Q: Hi, We are UAE FZ Company. A US (Californian) Supplier is threatening to take us to court (in California), over an unpaid invoice, for year 3 of a 3-year service contract. The UAE end user only used the system for a few months & only paid us for 2 years. We informally cancelled, verbally, the 3rd year. My question is: if they manage to achieve a judgement against us in the USA, is it enforceable in the UAE? P.

Q: Can we bypass the arbitration clause in a contract and file a suit in the court? Please provide any article and law case for this.

س: مرحبًا، لدي استفسار. أبرمت عقد عمل مونتاج لمسلسل تلفزيوني. حدث تأخُّر كبير في تسليم الحلقات وأخطاء ومشاكل كبيرة بالحلقات المسلّمة. وفي هذه الحالة، وجب تطبيق الشرط الجزائي المتَّفق عليه بالعقد بقيمة 1000 دولار مثلاً. إذا كان متبقي للشخص المتعاقَد معه بحسب العقد دفعة أخيرة لما بعد التسليم بقيمة 500 دولار، فهل تُخصَم في هذه الحالة من قيمة الشرط الجزائي أم يسقط حقه في الدفعة الأخيرة ويُطالَب بدفع الشرط الجزائي بالكامل؟

س: عقد فيه تحكيم دولي ومقاول الباطن أتمّ الأعمال وتم تسليم المشروع ولكن المشروع كان فيه تأخير ومقاول الباطن وصل مرحلة الإفلاس ولا يستطيع الذهاب إلى التحكيم الدولي. رفع قضية إثبات حق وبالفعل تم تعين خبير هندسي وحسابي وبعد الانتهاء من الاجتماعات مع كلا الطرفين وإيداع كل منهم الأوراق الثبوتية، أظهر التقرير أن مقاول الباطن له حق فوق 22 مليون درهم. المقاول الرئيسي دفع في أول جلسة بشرط التحكيم. مقاول الباطن في حالة إفلاس وهو الآن مُعرّض للسجن بسبب القضايا المتراكمة عليه من البنوك والموردين. هل يُسجَن ويضيع حقه بسبب شرط التحكيم؟ وهل هناك حل بإنهاء القضية عن طريق محاكم الدولة كونه وصل مرحلة الإفلاس وبالفعل رفع قضية إفلاس ولكن تم رفضها لكون رخصته التجارية منتهية وعليها حجوزات؟ ما الحل في هذه الحالة؟ أرجو من أهل الخبرة الإفادة! شكرًا لتعاونكم!

Q: Dear sir/madam, It is said that DIFC-LCIA has been abolished in Sept 2021 so now where will real estate disputes which contain this condition of jurisdiction be filed?

Q: Dear sir/madam, We are a U.K-based company. We signed a contract with a U.K-based company and a Dubai-based company. Both of the latter companies are owned by the same owner - who moved to Dubai for tax reasons. We handled sales for his company. At some point, he breached the contract by making sales behind our back and so we terminated the contract citing breaches, and sent a pre-sue letter. Stupidly, our contract didn’t have a country clause for where disputes could be handled even though all contracted work happened in the U.K. In an attempt to beat us to the punch, the owner of the Dubai (and U.K.) company filed a lawsuit against us in Dubai. Here is my question: Would I not attend my first instance hearing and sue them from the U.K? Or do I risk it and defend in Dubai and counter sue there? I’m absolutely petrified to make the wrong move. Also what would happen to me personally if there is a judgment against me given I may ignore their proceedings?

Q: In the UAE, if two parties enter into an agreement, can a party give up the right to bring a lawsuit against another party by writing these words in the same agreement?

Q: The case is that the parties did not agree on the governing law of the contract and the parties are residing in different countries. Also, the contract was concluded by each party in its country. Would it be possible to argue that two different laws could be applied (laws of the countries of each party) to the extent possible as the governing law in accordance with Article 19(1) of the Federal Law No. 5 of 1985?

Q: Dear Lawyers, There is a JV agreement between Party A and Party B. An Addendum was made in which Party C was added and subcontracted all its work to both Party A and Party B, forming a wholly separate contract. There is an arbitration clause in the JV agreement. Is Party C bound by that clause? DIAC.

The law promulgates UAE Civil Procedures Code (Civil Procedure Law) which governs civil procedures in the United Arab Emirates, including the prosecution before the courts, litigation and execution.