At Yungo Law, our journey over the past year has been all about significant milestones. From our founder Clotilde Iaia-Polak‘s journey to becoming a qualified solicitor in England and Wales, to our office move and team growth, there’s a lot that’s happened. So as we head towards the end of 2023, we wanted to take a moment to remember some of those milestones – and introduce you to our new expanded team of lawyers who will be leading team Yungo into 2024!

Lexis Nexis Women in Law Award Shortlist

We were incredibly proud that Yungo Law was chosen as a finalist for the Equality Initiative Law Firm of the Year Award at the Lexis Nexis Women in Law 2023 Awards.

We have taken significant steps to ensure that women in the legal field are recognised and given the chance to reach their full potential. We’ve achieved this by promoting women to senior positions, mentoring young female lawyers, and supporting events that promote and support women in law. Yungo Law’s flexible working model reflects its commitment to creating a supportive and balanced environment.

Lawyers can work from home for two to three days a week or from the office, depending on their preferences. We’ve also recently introduced a 4.5-day workweek, with Fridays as remote working days, to promote rest and relaxation. We also encourage employees not to deal with work-related emails and messages after working hours, highlighting the importance of setting and respecting professional boundaries.

These forward-thinking practices are in line with the values that have earned Yungo Law this remarkable recognition and represent a positive change in the legal industry.

Expanding our law firm offices in Dubai

We recently moved to larger offices in Dubai, with the help of our partners at Servcorp. It’s a significant step in our journey as a UAE law firm, and it’s not just about having more physical space. It’s about creating a place where we can collaborate as a team on the days we come together, and to make our clients feel more at home when they visit us.

Flexibility is important to us, especially in the legal field. While everyone can work from home when needed, we also think it’s important to get together for team building. We care a lot about our lawyers’ well-being, and it’s a big part of our firm’s values. We work hard to make our workplace a great fit for both their work and personal lives, as well as for our clients.

Clotilde’s SQE Journey

This July, our founder Clotilde Iaia-Polak passed her SQE and became qualified to practice in England and Wales. The Solicitors Qualifying Examination, or SQE, is the assessment for all aspiring solicitors in England and Wales, and is designed to assure consistent, high standards for all qualifying solicitors. Clotilde’s deep understanding of both Italian and English law, along with her knowledge of the UAE’s legal landscape, positions her as an excellent legal partner through complex legal matters in a variety of jurisdictions.

This achievement underlines Yungo Law’s main purpose, which has always been to assist European clients in the UAE and those in Europe looking to do business here. It also adds an extra level of expertise to our team of experienced business lawyers from around the world.

Talking about her journey to SQE qualification, Clotilde said “It was a long journey as a working lawyer, managing partner and mother/step-mother of four children. I am very proud of this achievement but also all it will bring to our clients at Yungo Law, especially UK clients looking to do business in the UAE”.

Introducing Our New Legal Stars at Yungo Law

Yungo is powered by a team of lawyers who share our mission when it comes to high standards of ethics, professional values, outstanding client service and collaboration. We are thrilled to have added to our collective recently with three new lawyers, all of whom bring different skills and experience to add to our diverse team. We asked each of them why they chose to work with Yungo Law.

Zarqa Altaf: With over a decade in the legal field, Zarqa’s journey began in 2006. Zarqa specialises in litigation, fighting for rightful compensation and justice. She’s also a guiding hand in family law, ensuring fair settlements in divorce and helping families secure their future through comprehensive wills.

“In today’s fast paced and demanding landscape, finding a workplace that values women empowerment, work-life balance and employee development is a rare gem. However, my decision to work for Yungo Law was driven by the company’s unwavering commitment to these principles. With a focus on empowering women, providing flexibility to work from home and fostering a healthy work-life balance, Yungo Law has created an environment where employees feel cared for and supported in their personal and professional growth.”

Ahmed Sabry: Ahmed, a native Arabic speaker, is a qualified attorney with extensive experience in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. His expertise spans various areas, from commercial law to family law.

“Working alongside Clotilde and the team, I’ve witnessed a culture that places immense value on mentorship and leadership development. Yungo Law doesn’t just offer a job; it provides an opportunity to excel. The encouragement to learn, grow, and lead is what sets this firm apart in the legal industry. It’s a place where young lawyers can truly flourish and make a meaningful impact.”

Annibale Daddario: Annibale is a trainee at Yungo Law, completing his two-year work experience to qualify as a solicitor in England and Wales. With a unique background in biomedical science and a focus on corporate and commercial law, Annibale brings fresh insights to our team.

“My decision to become part of Yungo Law’s team was driven by the firm’s dedication to championing diversity and recognising its employees’ individuality. The firm’s adoption of a flexible work-from-home program provides the work-life balance I deem to be a key element in enhancing one’s productivity, efficiency, and success. Most importantly, Yungo Law’s unrivalled high-quality training and heterogeneous workload solidified my choice, as I am eager to grow professionally in an environment that truly cherish the development of its team members.”

Looking Ahead: Yungo Law’s Commitment to Excellence and Growth

The arrival of our new team members, Clotilde’s achievement, and the office move all come together to make us even better at what we do. It’s a sign that we’re dedicated to growth and improvement. We’re genuinely excited about how these changes benefit our clients and partners. Together, we’ll keep offering excellent legal services, designed to meet your unique needs.

In Clotilde’s words, “As we look ahead to 2024, Yungo Law is gearing up for some exciting changes. Our big plans include doubling our team in the next couple of years and focusing on strengthening our services for private clients. In 2023, we opened our Family Law Department, and it’s been growing rapidly. We’ve also teamed up with some fantastic partners like St James’s Place Asia and Middle East, as well as other local players, to provide top-notch services in areas like wills drafting and cutting-edge technology for wills.

We’ve also been investing in our team’s personal and professional growth. We’ve brought in an executive coach for an intensive six-week training program. This program is all about leadership, trust, confidence, and building a strong team. It’s also about boosting our social and emotional intelligence. We want to give everyone the chance to lead with kindness and strength, because we believe that when everyone has leadership skills, it makes our company stronger and creates an environment where we all support each other’s growth and success.”

Yungo Law is your legal partner in the UAE and EU. We can draw on over a hundred years of experience of supporting private clients and corporations in the UAE, Italy and France to support you. No matter what your legal challenge, the team at Yungo Law has the expertise to tackle it head-on. If you are a client in the Middle East or Europe looking for support, or a lawyer looking for a different way to work, get in touch with Clotilde Iaia Polak on clotilde@yungo.ae.

.

Scan the code