Norlisa Hanlon Rosslee

Expertise

Norlisa is an associate in the Gateley Middle East corporate team based in the Dubai office. She advises corporations on structuring and restructurings, specialising in advising family-owned businesses and private clients on their structures. She assists clients in navigating complex challenges, ensuring the sustainability of their businesses as well as the smooth succession of their business to the next generation.

Norlisa has also worked as a secondee to free zone authorities and has assisted clients with general corporate and commercial matters. Norlisa has significant experience advising on a number of transactions, working with clients in the MENA region in relation to their regional and international assets. Her clients operate in the retail, consumer, education and industrial sector.

Experience

1. Assessing KSA law to determine the feasibility of introducing a non-KSA national into an existing corporate structure and working with the KSA-based large multinational business on introduction a new ownership structure based on our findings.
2. Drafting family protocols based on workshops with family members of a large African-based conglomerate. The workshops included individual sessions with each family member to understand their respective intentions for the future of the family business, their personal objectives and how these aligned with the succession planning of the founder.
3. Drafting foundation charters and by-laws for use in the Dubai International Financial Centre based on the family constitution of a large UAE family business.
4. Secondee at a UAE free zone authority assisting the legal department with queries on regulations, compliance guidelines and potential new regulations.
5. Advising a UAE public body on the federal Family Business Law, suggesting enhancements to legislation specific to UAE family businesses to provide them with tools to improve business sustainability and family unity.