The UAE’s forthcoming Civil Transactions Law reform, effective 1 June...
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Vida Grace Serrano
Senior Associate
Corporate and Commercial, Employment and Real Estate
Vida works closely with regional and international clients to deliver strategic corporate and commercial advice across the energy, real estate and financial services sectors, supporting transactions, restructurings and employment matters in the UAE and beyond.
Contact
Office
Dubai
Experience
Vida advises public and private sector clients on complex cross‑border corporate and commercial transactions throughout the Middle East and beyond. Her practice spans mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate reorganisations and digitalisation projects with recent work including landmark digital payments initiatives for government regulators and multi‑jurisdictional acquisitions in the technology, energy and healthcare sectors.
She works closely with regulators, multinational enterprises, regional family offices and entrepreneurs across sectors such as real estate, oil and gas, financial services and consumer goods. Her experience encompasses structuring digital payment services, advising on franchising and distribution arrangements, preparing sale and purchase agreements and developer contracts and navigating employment and agency law issues in multiple jurisdictions.
Notable engagements include guiding public‑sector entities through digitalisation of employment and licensing platforms, leading cross‑border acquisitions and corporate reorganisations, structuring intellectual property holdings and franchising frameworks for regional brands and supporting government‑linked companies with capital raising and entity conversions.
Vida draws on training and practice in the United States, the Middle East and Asia to deliver pragmatic, internationally‑aligned solutions that meet both global best practices and local regulatory requirements. Her cross‑border perspective enables her to tailor advice for multinationals, family offices and private clients operating in the UAE or abroad.
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Read MoreBackground
Vida graduated from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School in New York where she obtained her Master of Laws degree (LLM) as a Dean’s Merit Scholar. Vida has a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from San Beda University – College of Law in Manila and was admitted to the Bar as one of the country’s Top 5% lawyers.
Vida has a BSc degree in Business Management, with Honors from De La Salle University, Manilla and attended the Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Vida is a member of the 40 Young Practitioners Group, Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC 40).
She is fluent in both English and Tagalog.
Testimonials
Christopher H.Young,Chief Financial Officer,First Pacific Company, HK. “I worked closely with Vida on a complex and difficult investment dispute.In a very short period of time she developed a creative solution that was acceptable to all parties involved. Vida’s critical analysis and insightful were key to the successful resolution of what could have been a very lengthy and costly dispute.”
Caroline Levy, Adjunct Professor of Law, Yeshiva University – Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. “Vida Grace is highly professional. At every turn, she uses her impressive research and writing skills to become a passionate advocate.”