Our people — the Neo Legal UAE boutique law firm team.

Harly is the Founder and Managing Partner of Neo Legal, leading the firm's family office, ultra-high-net-worth, corporate and M&A practices. He advises principals, families and institutional clients on UAE establishment, multi-jurisdiction wealth structuring, and complex cross-border transactions exceeding USD 1.4 billion in aggregate value across the UAE, China, Australia and common-law markets. Harly brings substantive virtual asset and financial services regulatory expertise — having personally advised over 1,000 clients across the digital asset, VARA, DFSA, FSRA and broader financial services space since 2015 — and applies this within Neo Legal's wider corporate, structuring and private-wealth practice.

Levent brings extensive Australian and international legal and business experience representing public and private clients in corporate and commercial matters. He specialises in mergers and acquisitions, financial services law, and capital raisings, with more than 17 years of experience. He has led M&A transactions and fundraisings from A$20M to over A$150M. Levent is also Founder and Board Director of Twenty3 Sport and Entertainment, and oversees a portfolio of over 10 companies across technology, funds management, energy, and property.

Shihab Al Hashimi is a Founder of Neo Legal. As a UAE national with deep roots across Emirati business, government and family-office networks, he provides the firm's clients with regional access, cultural fluency and the senior commercial judgement that distinguishes successful UAE strategies from those that stall. His value is measured in access and judgement — who to speak to, when to escalate, and how to position a foreign principal with credibility in the Emirates from day one.

Khalil Abdulla is a Founder of Neo Legal. He brings UAE commercial perspective and an established regional network — the kind of relationships and Emirati business judgement that take a decade to build and cannot be substituted by external advisors. He works alongside the firm's legal team on UAE establishment, regulator engagement, joint-venture positioning and senior introductions across the Emirates, with particular focus on knowing how to time a market entry and how to navigate the relationships that quietly determine whether a transaction moves forward or stalls.

Feras Al Sadek is a Founder of Neo Legal. He brings the senior regional perspective that comes from sustained UAE business engagement — an understanding of how the Emirati commercial environment actually operates, where the relationships sit, and how to navigate the introductions and counter-party assessments that quietly drive transactions forward. He works alongside the firm's legal team on UAE market entry, joint-venture positioning, and the cultural fluency that distinguishes a credible regional strategy from a generic one.

May Wong is Special Counsel at Neo Legal and leads the firm's China Desk and Creator & Influencer practices. A native Mandarin speaker, May provides fully bilingual EN/中文 counsel to Chinese capital, corporates and family groups entering the UAE — covering market entry, joint ventures, family office establishment in DIFC and ADGM, and the full bilingual contract lifecycle. Her Creator & Influencer practice advises 8-figure-following content creators, athletes and digital-economy founders on NMC/MRO licensing, brand-deal negotiation, content protection and tax residency. May also brings substantive virtual asset and Web3 experience — having founded and operated her own Web3 venture as principal since 2021, and advising blockchain founders, exchanges and tokenisation projects on corporate structuring, VARA licensing pathways and bilingual deal execution.

Manpreet brings extensive regulatory insight across virtual asset compliance, licensing, and corporate structuring. She previously served as Managing Director of Licensing and Compliance at Cander Consulting, and before that held a pivotal role at VARA itself — directly involved in developing the UAE regulatory framework for virtual assets. She has also worked at KPMG UK and PwC Middle East. Manpreet has guided clients through VARA, ADGM, and DIFC licensing. Fluent in English, Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu.

David is a highly experienced banking and finance lawyer serving as a specialist consultant to Neo Legal. He brings deep expertise in financial services regulation, banking law, structured finance, and capital markets transactions across Australian and international jurisdictions. His advisory contribution spans financial institution licensing, financial services agreements, and complex cross-border finance matters requiring specialist banking law input.

Michael serves as Neo Legal's specialist tax consultant, bringing extensive expertise in international tax structuring, cross-border tax planning, and tax-efficient business architecture. He advises on the tax implications of UAE establishment for international clients, home country tax residency matters, and structuring of complex wealth and business arrangements to minimise global tax exposure in a compliant manner. His input is integral to Neo Legal's wealth structuring and creator economy advisory.

Ying is completing a double degree in Law and Information Technology at Monash University. She joined Neo Legal in June 2023 and brings bilingual capability — facilitating direct communication with Chinese-speaking clients — alongside a focus on corporate structuring and litigation support. Her dual degree positions her uniquely on matters involving technology, digital assets, and the legal frameworks governing them. Outside the firm, Ying teaches dance across Melbourne.

Nykhi leads Neo Legal's social media presence and digital communications strategy across Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and other platforms. She develops content that translates complex legal topics into accessible, engaging formats for Neo Legal's diverse international audience — spanning creators, athletes, investors, and entrepreneurs across the UAE and globally. Her creative approach and understanding of the digital landscape are essential to how Neo Legal presents its expertise to the world.

Nadine supports Neo Legal's partners and counsel across financial services licensing applications, corporate matters, KYC/AML onboarding and due diligence. She is the team's resource on file integrity, regulator application packs, source-of-funds documentation and the disciplined process work that keeps senior-led engagements moving on tight regulator timelines.

Ahmed leads Neo Legal's financial operations — client trust accounting, billing and credit control, audit coordination and regulatory financial reporting for the UAE practice. He brings a corporate-finance background combined with deep familiarity of UAE Corporate Tax, FTA and Free Zone reporting obligations.