UCL الدكتور خالد علي الحضرمي law firm continues the strategic development of its regional expertise in the Middle East. As part of a new phase, the firm is launching practices in the Sultanate of Oman and the Kingdom of Bahrain—jurisdictions that have established themselves as key hubs for international trade and investment.The new directions are being developed under the leadership of UCL’s current partners and managers, ensuring continuity of expertise and consistently high quality standards.

The new practices will be headed by UCL Partner Tamrin Darbakov. Tamrin is an expert in international law and corporate structuring. He oversees the development of offices in Mauritius and Kazakhstan and specializes in cross-border projects, regulatory compliance, and business model design. He has participated in projects with a total value exceeding $100 million; his clients include government bodies, developers, technology companies, and retailers. Tamrin was named the leader of Forbes’ “30 Most Promising Russians Under 30” (2025) and was also recognized in the Rossiyskaya Gazeta legal ranking (2025).

“Launching practices in Oman and Bahrain is a logical continuation of UCL’s strategy to build a network of jurisdictions that provides clients with flexibility in international structuring and access to the GCC region’s banking infrastructure. We are seeing growing interest from investors and corporations in Islamic financial instruments, trading platforms, and new logistics routes.

Our goal is to offer clients comprehensive solutions that combine legal support, compliance, and financial infrastructure,” Tamrin Darbakov comments on the launch of the new practice areas.

The practices will also be led by Sergey Ratoziy, UCL Senior Manager. Sergey specializes in international financial logistics and foreign trade support across the CIS, the Middle East, Africa, the EU, and Asia.

Sultanate of Oman

The practice is focused on supporting international trade, logistics, and infrastructure projects. UCL provides end-to-end legal support—from company formation on the mainland, in free zones, and in special economic zones to launching projects in commodities trading, logistics, shipping, and energy. A dedicated track covers licensing for industrial and service activities, as well as corporate and contractual structuring. For clients planning a physical presence in the region, the team supports management relocation and the establishment of an operational office, along with ongoing legal support for day-to-day business activities.

Kingdom of Bahrain

UCL’s Bahrain practice is focused on establishing and supporting financial and investment structures. The team assists with licensing investment and financial companies and setting up asset management structures and advisory platforms. Fintech projects and the development of investment platforms are also in focus. The team supports family offices and investment funds and offers Sharia-compliant solutions, including structuring Islamic investment products.

Banking and Financial Infrastructure

A dedicated workstream within the new practices is building a robust financial foundation for international businesses. Services include opening corporate and investment bank accounts, onboarding regulated companies for banking services, payment/settlement solutions and escrow services. The team ensures effective engagement with banks across the GCC region and helps build the payment infrastructure required for international operations.

Cross-Border Support

UCL provides full-cycle support for international projects—from market entry strategy to the launch of operational activities. The team handles strategy development, company formation and licensing, banking infrastructure onboarding, investment and corporate structuring, as well as corporate governance and ongoing legal support for businesses in new jurisdictions.