Melissa has a wealth of commercial expertise in the Middle East across a variety of sectors.
Melissa is a partner and the head of our Commercial and IP practices in the Middle East, based in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
She provides advice to international businesses on commercial, corporate and general litigation matters relating to their operations in the UAE and the wider Middle East region. Her experience includes advising on: hospitality; IT; IP; franchising; media; data protection; privacy; consumer protection; food; sports; healthcare; and regulatory matters.
Melissa is admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland and holds an LLB from the Queensland University of Technology, Australia and a Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance. She is a member of INTA, American Bar Association (with memberships to the Franchising Committee, Intellectual Property Committee and the Business Law Section), Chartered Secretaries Australia (Australian Division of ICSA), she is the Middle East representative on the Franchising Committee of the International Bar Association, and is a member of a number of UAE, UK, Australian and women’s business associations.
She holds practising certificates with the QLD Law Society, Solicitors Regulatory Authority (England & Wales) and is registered with the Dubai Legal Affairs Department.
Bird & Bird is a respected international law firm, with offices across the globe. But that’s only part of the story. We’ve build our international reputation not only on exceptional legal expertise, but also on our ability to think beyond the details of law.
Since opening in the UAE in 2011, we have built a specialised presence in the Middle East, with a clear sector focused strategy and a team of experienced industry experts.
Our team has an in-depth understanding of the laws, business practices and customs of the region, and its core industries. Through our offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, our full-service UAE practice provides innovative corporate and commercial advice to local, regional and international clients in all areas of business law, with a focus on sectors and industries that are important to the development of the region.
We offer extensive corporate and commercial advice in the following sectors: Aerospace, Defence & Security, Aviation, Education, Energy & Utilities, Fashion & Retail, Franchising, Licensing & Multi-Channel Strategies, Hospitality & Tourism, Infrastructure, Intellectual Property, Media, Sports, Technology & Communication.
Our lawyers are know for creative business thinking. At Bird & Bird we understand that law is the connecting force – We see the connections and communicate them with clarity.
We focus on legal innovation in cutting edge areas and have deep knowledge within strategic areas of importance to those operating in today’s emerging markets.
What connects us globally is our passion and commitment to our clients. Our dedication to offer creative, practical, and sometimes even ground breaking solutions is the kind of work we are know for. We bring results. And, in the end, results are what matter.
We are a global law firm with and invaluable grasp of strategic commercial issues. We aim to deliver tailored local advice and seamless cross border services. We have 28 offices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific as well as close ties with firms in other parts of the world.
