Mark Gilligan focuses his practice on corporate and commercial law. He advises private and institutional clients on a variety of commercial transactions and arrangements, including corporate structuring, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and venture capital transactions. Having worked in both local and international law firms over the course of several years in the United Arab Emirates, Mark has the technical ability and practical understanding of the legal landscape in the UAE to provide efficient, effective legal advice. He is admitted to practice in England & Wales.
Mark utilizes his common law background to counsel clients with respect to the legislative framework and structuring options offered by the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC). He has represented many institutional and sovereign investment clients with respect to structuring of their international transactional platforms through the ADGM. Mark also advises on the legislative and regulatory considerations and alternatives applicable when operating in the UAE marketplace, including the corporate formation process both in the UAE and its Free Zones.
Throughout his career in the UAE, Mark has developed working relationships with many UAE regulatory agencies, including the ADGM Registration Authority and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority as well as the Dubai Financial Services Authority and Emirates Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA). He regularly assists clients in navigating the regulatory regimes applicable to private equity transactions, fund placement and establishment, and investment management activities in the UAE.
Before joining Morgan Lewis, Mark was a partner at another global law firm.
Ranked, Corporate/Commercial & Commercial Contracts, United Arab Emirates, Chambers Global (2023)
Next Generation Partner, Commercial, Corporate and M&A, United Arab Emirates, The Legal 500 EMEA (2020, 2023, 2024)
Recommended, Employment, United Arab Emirates, The Legal 500 EMEA (2023)