How to Choose the Best Lawyer: A UAE Guide
Choosing the best lawyer in the UAE comes down to five checks: whether they are an advocate or a legal
A maritime lawyer in Dubai handles the legal side of shipping, from arresting a vessel to secure an unpaid debt, to defending a shipowner whose vessel has been seized, to fighting cargo, charterparty, and collision claims. The law changed recently and significantly: Federal Decree-Law No. 43 of 2023 on Maritime Law came into force on 29 March 2024, replacing the 1981 Maritime Code that had governed UAE shipping for over four decades. At Hessa Al Hammadi Advocates & Legal Consultants, we act in shipping and transport disputes through our commercial law, litigation, and arbitration practices, and we are licensed before the Dubai Courts, Abu Dhabi Courts, DIFC Courts, and ADGM Courts, which is where arrest applications and shipping claims are actually decided. In a sector where a vessel can sail out of reach in hours, a maritime lawyer in Dubai is the difference between securing your claim and losing it.
Maritime work is unusual because the most valuable action often has to happen within hours, not weeks. A ship is a moving asset, and once it leaves UAE waters your leverage goes with it.
The new Maritime Law was designed to align the UAE with international shipping standards and strengthen its position as a regional hub. Maritime cases are won on speed and paperwork, not on argument alone.
Anyone relying on advice given before 2024 is relying on a law that no longer exists. The changes were substantial, and most of them affect how you secure or resist a claim.
Federal Decree-Law No. 43 of 2023 replaced the 1981 law and overhauled the vessel arrest regime, moving the UAE away from the 1952 arrest framework and toward the principles of the 1999 International Convention on Arrest of Ships. It also shortened the time limits for collision and towage claims, allowed shipowners to establish limitation funds in the UAE courts for the first time, and rewrote the rules on vessel registration.
The Ship Register is now maintained by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, and eligibility to fly the UAE flag was widened, so more vessels can register, including ships still under construction and chartered vessels. Executive regulations and court interpretation of the new law are still developing, so a maritime compliance lawyer should confirm the current position before you rely on it. Check which law governed your contract, because the answer changed in March 2024.
Ship arrest is the most powerful tool in maritime law, and it is what most creditors come to us for. A vessel is worth far more than the debt, so an arrest tends to produce payment quickly.
Under Article 53 of the Maritime Law, a court can order the precautionary arrest of a ship where a “maritime debt” exists, and the new law expanded that list considerably. It now covers damage caused by a ship, loss of life or personal injury connected to its operation, salvage, environmental damage to the coastline and the costs of preventing it, wreck removal, port, dock, and harbour fees, crew wages, towage and pilotage, general average, carriage and charterparty disputes, and disputes over the sale, ownership, or mortgage of the vessel.
The scope is now broad enough that suppliers, bunker providers, port operators, cargo claimants, shipbuilders, and crew members all have a realistic route to arrest. Where the debt is a straightforward unpaid sum, you can also read our guide on how to recover debt in the UAE. An arrest is only useful if it is filed before the ship sails, so speed is everything.
Yes, and this is one of the most significant changes in the new law. It widened the net for creditors considerably.
Under Article 54, you may arrest not only the vessel connected to the debt, but any other ship owned by the debtor at the time the arrest application is submitted. The old law was far narrower, requiring the debtor to have owned that sister ship when the debt first arose, which allowed debtors to shuffle ownership and escape. Sister ship arrest is not available where the claim relates specifically to ownership, mortgage, or sale of a particular vessel.
There is a limit on the other side too. Where the claim is against a bareboat or time charterer rather than the owner, the ship can only be arrested while the charter is still running, not after it has ended. Identifying every vessel in the debtor’s fleet, quickly, is often what makes an arrest succeed.
If you are the shipowner or charterer, an arrest is a commercial emergency. Every day the vessel sits idle costs money in crew, fuel, port charges, and broken schedules.
The new law improved the owner’s position in two important ways. First, the party seeking the arrest must now provide countersecurity when they apply, to cover the crew’s expenses and the maintenance of the vessel during the arrest, which discourages speculative or under-funded arrests. Second, a P&I Club Letter of Undertaking can now be accepted by the court as security to lift an arrest, instead of the large cash deposit that was previously needed. That change alone can free a vessel far faster.
There is also a strict deadline in the other direction: the claim confirming the validity of the arrest must be filed within five days of the arrest order. Helpfully, the merits of the dispute can now go to an arbitral tribunal rather than being forced into court, which resolves a long-running conflict under the old law. Owners should act within hours of an arrest, because the cost of a seized vessel compounds daily.
This is a question worth asking today, before any dispute arises, and many shipping companies have not checked.
Under Decree No. 34 of 2021, the Emirates Maritime Arbitration Centre was abolished, and its caseload was transferred to the Dubai International Arbitration Centre. If your charterparty, bill of lading, or shipbuilding contract still names EMAC, that clause now points to an institution that no longer exists, and sorting it out after a dispute has started is slow and expensive.
Our arbitration practice is led by a dedicated Head of International Arbitration, and we act before DIAC, the ICC, the LCIA, and ADGCAC, which between them handle the great majority of shipping arbitrations touching this region. You can read our guide on how arbitration works in the UAE. Reviewing your dispute clause now costs a fraction of fixing it later.
Maritime problems rarely stay inside a single area of law, which is why they need a firm that covers several.
Freight and bunker payment fraud in particular has grown sharply, and it needs a criminal complaint filed fast, not just a civil claim. Shipping disputes cut across contract, liability, employment, and crime, so they need a firm that works across all four.
The best maritime lawyer in Dubai is chosen on where they can appear and what they can prove, because an arrest application is only as good as the court that hears it.
Learn more about Hessa Al Hammadi Advocates. In maritime work, court access and speed matter more than a brochure.
A trusted maritime lawyer in Dubai moves at the speed the sector demands: filing an arrest before the vessel sails, or lifting one before the losses mount. With a new Maritime Law, a wider list of maritime debts, and a defunct arbitration centre still named in older contracts, the ground has shifted for everyone in shipping.
Whether you are chasing an unpaid maritime debt, defending an arrest, or reviewing your charterparty clauses, we will give you a straight assessment. Our fees are explained clearly at the outset through our legal consultation service.
Facing a shipping dispute? Contact Hessa Al Hammadi Advocates on +971 50 211 6931 or email info@nhalhammadi.com to book your 45-minute initial consultation with a maritime lawyer in Dubai.
They arrest vessels to secure unpaid maritime debts, act for owners to lift arrests, and handle cargo, charterparty, collision, salvage, and crew claims before the UAE courts and in arbitration.
Federal Decree-Law No. 43 of 2023 on Maritime Law, which came into force on 29 March 2024 and replaced the 1981 Maritime Code. It overhauled ship arrest, registration, liability limitation, and time bars.
Yes, where your claim is a recognised maritime debt under Article 53. The list is broad and includes port fees, crew wages, cargo and charterparty claims, salvage, and environmental damage.
A P&I Club Letter of Undertaking can now be accepted by the court as security to lift an arrest, instead of a large cash deposit. The arresting party must also post countersecurity for crew and vessel upkeep.
Call +971 50 211 6931 or email info@nhalhammadi.com to book a 45-minute initial consultation. We will review your contract or dispute, explain your options, and set out all costs clearly at the outset.
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