An outsourced legal team on an ongoing retainer: contracts, employment, compliance questions and disputes, from a firm that already knows your business.
Tell us what is happening in your own words. We will explain where you stand and what the sensible next step is.
If your company keeps needing legal advice but does not want to start from zero with a new lawyer every time, a retainer lawyer in Dubai gives you one team to call. MBM provides retainer legal services for companies in Dubai and Sharjah: ongoing advice, contract review and drafting, employment support and, when something bigger comes up, litigation and arbitration from the same team. Your first consultation is free and confidential, and it is a conversation about your needs, not a sales pitch. We take the legal work off your shoulders and make sure you always know where things stand.
A retainer is not a fixed package. The structure that suits a ten-person trading company is not the one that suits a group with its own legal team, so we start with your business. Find the card closest to you.
You need legal advice regularly but a full-time hire is not justified yet. First we check: how often legal questions come up, which contracts and staff matters recur and who decides today. See what a retainer can cover, or talk to us about a retainer.
You would rather agree a structure than receive a separate quote for every small question. First we check: the kind of work you buy most often, how you budget for it and what should stay outside the arrangement. See how a retainer can be structured, or talk to us about budgeting legal support.
Your in-house team needs an outside team for overflow, complex questions or disputes. First we check: where the pressure falls, what you already cover internally and how work would be handed over. See retainer or in-house counsel, or talk to us about supporting your team.
You sign, renew or negotiate agreements often and want them reviewed quickly and consistently. First we check: your templates, your usual counterparties and the terms that cause trouble. See commercial contracts, or talk to us about contract support.
You have staff and a steady stream of contract, termination and policy questions. First we check: your contract templates, your headcount and recent staff issues. See employment lawyer for employers, or talk to us about employment support.
You already use outside lawyers and want something more joined up. First we check: what you use now, where it falls short and what a change would involve. Talk to us about moving your legal work.
A legal retainer is an ongoing arrangement under which a company has continuous access to a law firm it already knows, instead of instructing a new lawyer for each matter. It is usually set out in a written engagement letter that explains what the retainer covers, how it is charged and what falls outside it. As we understand it, Federal Decree-Law 34/2022 on the legal profession requires a written fee agreement, and we confirm the current position at your first consultation. Some businesses call this an annual legal services contract in Dubai, others a monthly arrangement. The label matters less than the content, so read the scope before you sign anything.
What a retainer is not matters just as much. It does not mean every legal task is covered, and it does not remove the need to agree the scope of larger matters. A court case, an arbitration or a transaction is usually agreed separately. A good retainer tells you in advance what is inside the arrangement, what is outside and how we will tell you before anything moves from one to the other.
A retainer can cover whichever of the areas below your company actually needs. This table is a menu of options to discuss, not a price list or a package; the real scope is agreed with you in writing.
| Area | What it can include | How it is usually treated |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday advice | Quick questions from management about contracts, disputes or compliance | Agreed as part of the retainer scope |
| Contract review and drafting | Reviewing supplier, customer and partner agreements; drafting standard terms | Agreed scope and volume, confirmed in writing |
| Employment support | Contract templates, policies, warnings and terminations | Agreed as part of the retainer scope, or agreed separately for a dispute |
| Corporate housekeeping | Shareholder and board documents, simple governance questions | Agreed scope; larger changes agreed separately |
| Dispute readiness | Early advice on a claim, a demand letter or a notice | Early advice can sit in the retainer; a formal case is agreed separately |
| Litigation and arbitration | Court or arbitration proceedings | Agreed separately and in writing |
| Regulatory and licensing questions | Questions about licences, authority notices and approvals | Agreed scope; a formal challenge is agreed separately |
For many companies the first benefit is simply being able to ask. A retainer lawyer in Dubai is the person who already knows your contracts, your counterparties and your habits, so a question that would take an hour to explain to a new firm takes five minutes.
What we handle:
Employers often need a steady stream of small decisions checked: a contract, a warning, an end of service. See our page for employers and for the wider labour law picture.
What we handle:
Ongoing support for the company's own paperwork keeps small gaps from becoming disputes later. For the corporate side, see corporate and commercial law.
What we handle:
In practice, you send a question or a contract as it comes up, and the team that already knows your company answers it. The scope, who your contact is and how you reach us are agreed in writing at the start, so you know what is covered before you rely on it.
The real value of a retainer shows when a dispute or an authority notice arrives. Because litigation and arbitration are handled by the same team, you do not have to change firm or start again. See civil litigation, arbitration and, for licence or regulatory decisions, public and administrative law.
Looking at a legal retainer for your Dubai company? Tell us what you need and we will tell you honestly whether a retainer fits. Your first consultation is free.
There is more than one way to structure a retainer, and the right one depends on how predictable your legal work is. These are general models that we can discuss with you. They are not an MBM price list, and the structure we agree with you is set out in writing.
Whichever model you choose, ask three things: what happens if you need more than the arrangement covers, what happens if you need less, and how you can change the structure later.
Some companies prefer a fixed-term arrangement, often written up as an annual legal services contract. If you are considering one, read the term, the scope, how the work is charged, what falls outside it and how either side can end it. Whatever the term, the arrangement we agree with you is set out in writing before paid work starts.
A retainer is one in-house counsel alternative Dubai companies can weigh up. It is worth considering when your legal work is real but irregular, or when a full-time hire is more than the work justifies. The comparison below is qualitative, because the right answer depends on your volume of work and the cost of the people involved.
| Question | Retainer with a firm | In-house lawyer | One-off instruction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who knows your business? | The firm, over time | A dedicated employee | The firm only for that matter |
| Range of skills | A team across several areas | One person's experience | Whatever the firm brings to that matter |
| Management | None needed on your side | You manage and develop the person | None needed |
| Fit | Regular but varied legal needs | Heavy, constant legal workload | Occasional, separate legal needs |
| When busy | Agreed in the written terms | Capacity is limited to one person | Depends on the firm's availability |
A retainer and an in-house team are not either-or. Many companies keep a small team in-house and use a retainer for overflow, complex questions and disputes. If you already have in-house counsel, we explain how work would be shared.
A PRO or business-setup service typically handles government paperwork, such as licence renewals and visas. A retainer is legal advice. The two can work side by side, but one does not replace the other.
A retainer tends to suit companies that face regular legal questions, and it is less useful for companies that need legal help once in a few years. Recurring legal duties, such as UBO registers, economic substance, AML duties, MOHRE compliance and free-zone compliance officer rules, often make a retainer worthwhile; your accountant or tax adviser handles the tax filings themselves. Honest advice includes telling you when a retainer is not worth it.
A retainer may not be worth it where legal work is a single transaction or a one-off dispute. In that case a single instruction, agreed in writing, is simpler.
A retainer starts with a conversation and ends with a written scope you have read and agreed. There is no obligation at any step before you sign.
You tell us how your business works and where legal questions arise. We tell you whether a retainer fits. The first consultation is free and confidential.
We look at your main contracts, staff structure and any open disputes or notices, so that the scope reflects reality.
We set out what is covered, what is not, how it is charged and who your contact is. You can take it away and consider it.
We collect the documents we need and agree how you will send questions, by phone, WhatsApp or email.
As your needs change, the scope and structure can be reviewed with you, so the arrangement stays useful.
You do not need any of this to call us. If you have a few of these to hand, the first conversation becomes more specific.
Whoever you choose, ask these questions before you sign, including of us.
Retainer clients get the same firm that handles MBM's litigation, corporate and employment matters, not a stripped-down advisory service.
Rated 4.9 on Google reviews. MBM is a founder-led team under Mohamed Badr, who has 17 years of legal experience, with litigation and arbitration handled by the same team and offices in Dubai and Sharjah. For a retainer client that means one relationship from everyday questions to a dispute, a scope and fee in writing before work starts, and plain-language advice. MBM works with group companies in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and the Gulf, which helps when a matter has an international side. That is useful for companies that trade or hold assets outside the UAE.
Corporate, employment, litigation and dispute resolution sit under one relationship, so a contract question and the dispute that follows are not treated as separate stories.
We discuss what your company really needs before we propose a structure. If a retainer is not the right fit, we say so.
MBM has offices in Dubai (Dubai Media City) and Sharjah (Al Khalidiya). You can meet us at either office, speak by phone or send documents by WhatsApp.
Your first consultation with MBM is free and confidential. If you decide to go ahead, we give you the scope and the fee arrangement in writing before any paid work starts, so you know what the retainer covers and how it is charged.
The cost of a retainer depends on the scope you need and how it is structured. Court, tribunal and translation costs, and the cost of larger matters outside the retainer, are separate and depend on the matter. We do not publish a price list, because a retainer is built around your company. Ask at the first consultation and we will answer directly.
Want ongoing legal support for business in Dubai? Start with a conversation about what you need. Your first consultation is free and confidential.
Your free first consultation is with a member of MBM’s legal team in Dubai or Sharjah. It is a conversation about what your company needs, with no commitment to a retainer.
Founder & Managing Partner
Mohamed Badr leads MBM and has 17 years of legal experience. His career has included roles at law firms and multinational corporations in the UAE, advising businesses on high-stakes disputes, corporate restructuring and commercial litigation.
Names and titles as published on mbm-co.com. Your first consultation is with a member of MBM’s legal team in Dubai or Sharjah.
General information about how MBM approaches retainer relationships. Specific terms are agreed with your business in writing.
A retainer is an ongoing arrangement where a business has continuous access to legal advice from a firm it already knows, rather than instructing a new lawyer for every matter. It typically covers day-to-day questions, contract review and a closer working relationship, with the scope set out in a written engagement letter.
For many SMEs and growing businesses it can be, because it gives continuous legal access without a full-time hire to manage, while giving you a team that understands your operations. If your legal workload is heavy and constant, an in-house lawyer may suit you better, and many companies use both.
Terms vary, but they commonly describe a scope of ongoing advisory support, contract review and drafting, how larger matters are handled and how the arrangement is charged. At MBM the scope is agreed with you and set out in writing, so read it for what is included and what is not.
It depends on the scope of support and how the arrangement is structured, so we do not publish a price list. We discuss what your business needs first and then give you the structure and the fee in writing before you commit.
It depends on how steady your legal work is and how far ahead you want to plan. We talk through the options with you at the first consultation and set out what we agree in writing, including how it can change later.
The retainer covers the areas written into the agreed scope. Larger matters, such as court proceedings, arbitration or a transaction, are usually agreed separately and in writing. We explain the line before you sign, so nothing is a surprise.
MBM handles litigation and arbitration as one team, so a dispute does not mean starting again with a new firm. The terms for the larger matter are agreed separately and in writing. See civil litigation and arbitration.
Yes. Many companies use outsourced legal counsel in Dubai to add capacity, a second view or support in areas the in-house team does not cover. We agree how work is shared and who instructs us.
Employment support can be part of a retainer scope, for example contract templates and advice before a termination. A formal labour dispute is usually agreed separately. See our page for employers.
We agree how you reach us and what to expect in the written terms, and we do not promise a fixed response time on this page. You can send a question by phone, WhatsApp or email.
Your first consultation is with a member of MBM's legal team in Dubai or Sharjah. We agree at the start who your contact will be and how the wider team supports them.
No. A PRO or business-setup service typically handles government paperwork such as renewals, while a retainer is legal advice. Many companies use both.
Yes. MBM's first consultation is free and confidential, and it is the usual way to scope a retainer. You tell us how your business works, we tell you whether a retainer fits, and there is no obligation. If you then choose to go ahead, we give you a scope and a fee position in writing before paid work starts.
Your first consultation with MBM is free and confidential. Tell us briefly what has happened. A member of MBM’s legal team will review your enquiry and come back to you with the appropriate next step.
Tell us what kind of legal support your company needs on an ongoing basis. Nothing here commits you to a retainer.
Dubai · Office 3204, Level 32, Business Central Towers – Tower B, Dubai Media City
Sharjah · Office 2001, Level 20, Al Hind Tower, Al Khalidiya District
Tell us what is happening in your own words. We will explain where you stand and what the sensible next step is.
Your first consultation is free and confidential. Tell us about your company and what ongoing legal support would look like for you, and we will explain the options honestly, including when a retainer is not the right fit.
