Andre Abou Aad
Counsel
Norton Rose Fulbright (Middle East) LLP
Related services and key industries
Biography
Andre Abou Aad is a financial services and regulations lawyer based in Dubai.
Andre focuses on advisory financial services regulatory matters, regularly advising banks, securities firms, and other financial institutions on all aspects of financial services regulation, including conduct issues, cross-border activities, fintech, anti-money laundering, financial crime and legislative drafting. He also advises clients on managing regulatory and client relationships, and navigating complex regulatory and supervisory proceedings.
Andre's direct experience of financial services regulation started in 2013 at the DIFC's Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) where he worked for three years, before going back to private practice.
Professional experience
Collapse all- LL.M. in Banking and Financial Law, Boston University School of Law, 2008
- D.E.A. (LL.M.) in Banking and Financial Law, Université Panthéon Assas (Paris II) / Université Saint-Joseph, 2006
- Licence en Droit (LL.B.) in International Private Law, Université Saint-Joseph, 2003
- New York State Bar 2010
Advising:
- Numerous leading international financial institutions (including Swiss) - on providing financial services into the UAE on a cross-border basis and on partnerships with UAE asset managers and financial advisors.
- Two ADGM crypto currency exchanges - drafted the market rulebooks of two major crypto currency exchanges established in the ADGM.*
- Numerous clients: change in control and restructuring - regularly advised on change in control regulatory requirements for local group members of major international financial services groups.
- Numerous clients: drafting, reviewing and updating regulatory manuals - regularly drafted regulatory manuals for major international financial institutions and periodically updating them in light of changes in relevant regulations.
- A major UAE money services provider - assisted in obtaining a regulatory payment services license following the enactment of new regulations.*
- Two European Fintechs - assisted European fintech companies in obtaining DFSA Innovation Testing Licenses for an ICO advisor and a DeFI services provider.*
- The UAE business of a major global real-estate group - drafted the AML manual for the UAE member of a major global real estate business, and provided AML training to staff.
- A DIFC asset manager - assisted in the orderly yet very complex wind-down of a DIFC asset manager and the return of troubled client assets.*
- Landmark DFSA enforcement action - involved in the DFSA legal team which brought the largest regulatory fine (at that time) against a major international financial institution.*
*Denotes experience gained prior to joining the firm.
- English
- French
- Arabic