We have signed in three countries and I have no idea which law governs any of it.
Trading across borders multiplies the paper rather than the business: different governing laws, different enforcement realities, and contracts that were fine domestically and are ambiguous abroad. We own the contract layer across jurisdictions and coordinate local counsel where a matter needs local authority — one relationship rather than five.
Dinmore Bell acts as the outsourced General Counsel for businesses trading across borders, particularly the UK–UAE corridor: cross-border contracts, governing law and jurisdiction, entity structure, and coordination of local counsel where local authority is required. It is a retained function on a fixed monthly fee.
How we own it
Governing law and the place it will actually be argued
A governing law clause is only as good as the enforcement behind it. We choose the combination of law, jurisdiction and dispute mechanism that gives you a judgment worth having in the place the counterparty holds assets.
One structure, several countries
Entity structure, intercompany agreements and transfer arrangements that hold together — so a UK company and a free-zone entity are one business rather than two that share a name.
Local counsel, instructed and held
Where a matter needs local authority we instruct local lawyers, brief them properly, hold the budget and stay accountable for the outcome. You keep one relationship and one point of accountability.
Where specialists come in
We do not practise the law of any jurisdiction and do not undertake reserved legal activities. Advice on the law of a foreign jurisdiction, litigation and any matter before a court are handled by locally qualified lawyers whom we instruct and coordinate. Cross-border tax, transfer pricing, customs and immigration matters are handled by appropriately qualified specialists. International transfers of personal data are made under an International Data Transfer Agreement or the UK Addendum to the EU standard contractual clauses. We hold the budget and remain accountable for the commercial outcome.
Services we run here
- Do you cover jurisdictions outside the UK and UAE?
- We coordinate them. The corridor we know first-hand is UK–UAE; elsewhere we hold the commercial position and instruct local counsel, which is the same model a large in-house team uses.
- Mainland or free zone?
- It depends on what you are selling and to whom, and the answer changes what you can invoice and who you can employ. It is worth an hour before incorporation rather than a restructure afterwards.