International HNW Family Law Round Table 2026, attended by professional lawyer Dr. Hassan Elhais. The exclusive summit was organized in Singapore by Drew & Napier, led by Shu Mei Hoon. The summit brought together the leading family law practitioners from around the world to discuss the challenging cross-border issues facing the high net worth families.
Dr. Elhais has over 21 years of extensive legal experience and has successfully handled over 8,000 cases, making him a leading family lawyer Dubai trusts with complex international disputes. The round table discussions allowed the lawyers in Dubai and the UAE to share insights on jurisdictional issues, asset protection, and child relocation. This collaborative effort enhances the global legal community’s capacity to assist the clients with multi-jurisdictional family law matters.
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Dr. Hassan Elhais Joins Elite Family Law Practitioners in Singapore
Background of Dr. Elhais as Leading Family Lawyer Dubai
Dr. Hassan Elhais moved to Dubai in 2006 and has been working as a Legal Consultant at Amal Alrashedi Lawyers & Legal Consultants. His practice is mainly in the area of family law affecting expatriates in the region, including divorce, child custody and financial support matters. Thanks to his specialist expertise, professional lawyer Dr. Hassan Elhais has become highly sought after by high-net-worth individuals faced with complex cross-border family disputes.
He is a member of several prestigious international legal organizations. He is an associate member of the American Bar Association and a full member of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, the International Bar Association and the International Society of Family Law. Dr. Elhais is the first expatriate member within the UAE jurisdiction of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, a mark of distinction from international peers who consider him a leading specialist in his area.
More than his memberships, Dr. Elhais is the elected co-chair of the Relocation of Children Committee at IAFL, engaging in international discussions on child relocation cases relevant to the Singapore summit agenda. His work involves collaborating with top lawyers in Dubai and other jurisdictions to develop best practices for multi-jurisdictional child custody issues.
Dr. Elhais has been consistently ranked by Chambers & Partners in Band 1, Family/Matrimonial (High Net Worth) in 2022-2025. He has been awarded over 30 awards in his career including the Corporate LiveWire and ACQ5 Global Awards for Civil Law and other international organizations. He has proven his thought leadership through over 300 local and international publications addressing the complex legal issues faced by practitioners and their clients in the UAE.
Invitation to the Exclusive Round Table Event
Given his eminence in international family law associations and his proficiency in cross-border HNW matters, Drew & Napier has extended an invitation to Dr. Elhais to join their International HNW Family Law Round Table 2026. Shu Mei Hoon, who leads the Singapore firm, brought together a few family law specialists from Dubai and international practitioners to address the jurisdictional challenges of wealthy families overseas. His co-chair role in the IAFL’s Relocation Committee added value to discussions on child relocation cases and asset protection strategies for lawyers in Dubai working with international clients.
Drew & Napier Hosts International HNW Family Law Round Table 2026
About Drew & Napier’s Role in Global Family Law
Drew & Napier LLC has a leading private client dispute team covering private wealth and family matters, international cross-border multi-jurisdictional disputes and traditional family litigation. The firm helps clients develop strategies to de-conflict disputes and also deals with unresolved litigation, mediation, adjudication or arbitration. Their practice is focused on establishing the proper jurisdictional and legal grounds for divorce, separation or annulment proceedings.
The firm deals with the complex cross-border matters relating to child relocation disputes and child abduction, working with foreign counsel when necessary to protect client interests in different jurisdictions. Their lawyers are experienced in the full range of international jurisdictional and conflict of laws disputes and remedies. International marriages raise issues of locating, valuing and enforcing against assets around the world, as about 40% of marriages in Singapore involve an international person.
Shu Mei Hoon Leads the Singapore Summit
Shu Mei Hoon is the organizer of the International HNW Family Law Round Table 2026 in Singapore. She became a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers in 2021. In 2023 she was appointed to the board of governors of IAFL. In 2024 she was inducted into the Private Client Global Elite directory for her expertise in international private client and family disputes.
She delivers legal expert opinions to courts in various jurisdictions, including England and Wales, India, Australia, Hong Kong, and New Zealand. She is a Certified Digital Assets Advisor and resolves complex family disputes involving cryptocurrency and other digital assets. Her formative experience is in commercial litigation and international arbitration, having acted for corporates under SIAC, ICC, CIETAC, UNCITRAL and DIAC rules.
Format and Structure of the Round Table Discussion
Round table meetings enable both parties and their solicitors to negotiate toward amicable settlements through direct discussion. The format provides time for all participants to focus on bringing matters to conclusion, with lawyers present to advise and support throughout the process.
Key Topics Discussed at the Family Law Summit
Cross-Border HNW Family Disputes
The summit focused on the multi-jurisdictional family proceedings, which require coordination between different legal systems and the enforcement mechanisms. The cross-border disputes involve analyzing forum shopping, jurisdictional challenges and the strategic coordination to ensure the best venue is chosen. For professional lawyer Dr. Hassan Elhais and other attendees, these matters demand a sophisticated representation across the international divorce proceedings and the complex enforcement actions while maintaining a consistent strategy across all jurisdictions.
Child Relocation Cases in International Context
The relocation of children internationally was a key point of discussion, particularly as Dr. Elhais is co-chair of IAFL’s Relocation of Children Committee. Courts consider relocation proposals based on evidence and the lived experience of children in each scenario. The welfare of the child is the guiding principle, not the preference of parents. Recent cases suggest that relocation applications should be assessed holistically, examining all realistic possibilities and how the child’s daily life would look either staying or relocating.
Asset Protection Strategies for High Net Worth Families
Legal practitioners explored the innovative approaches to tackle the jurisdictional challenges and international enforcement mechanisms across the different legal systems. Asset protection requires working with the forensic investigators and recovery specialists to locate the hidden assets and contest fraudulent transfers. Dubai based family lawyers and their international counterparts, debated the trust structures, offshore arrangements and business valuations demanding advanced legal expertise.
Jurisdictional Challenges for Lawyers in UAE and Beyond
In Dubai, lawyers experience specific difficulties when foreign nationals are seeking to apply the laws of their own countries on personal status issues. The requirement to submit full texts of foreign laws in Arabic translation and with certification makes the process almost impossible to implement and many courts choose to apply domestic law. These procedural difficulties impact the UAE practicing lawyer, dealing with cross border issues where different legal systems intersect.
What UAE Clients Can Learn from International Family Law Practices
Global Best Practices Applicable to Dubai
International platforms like the Drew & Napier round table facilitate knowledge sharing that benefits the UAE practitioners and their clients immediately. The Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2024 modified the divorce, custody and maintenance systems to align with the global best practices. The new legislation raises the age of child custody to 18 years and standardizes the enforcement of spousal support for the expatriates and Emiratis. Similarly, the expatriate couples can elect foreign personal status regimes under the civil laws for enhanced legal certainty.
Abu Dhabi has adopted a no-fault divorce system for non-Muslims, adopting the international models discussed at such gatherings. The jurisdiction permits divorces within a short span of 14 days with effective court management. The mediation practices have improved with a better understanding of domestic abuse, including economic abuse, reflecting the changes in England and Wales and the UAE.
Strengthening UAE-Singapore Legal Cooperation
Lawyers in Dubai who work across jurisdictions with international practitioners are useful to clients dealing with family matters that cross multiple jurisdictions. Dr. Hassan Elhais is a professional lawyer who along with the other attendees of the Singapore summit helps to build these required connections.
This means that UAE family law practitioners are exposed to international dispute resolution approaches and can share regional expertise with global colleagues at events organized by firms such as Drew & Napier under the leadership of Shu Mei Hoon.
Conclusion
Drew & Napier’s hosting of the International HNW Family Law Round Table 2026 under Shu Mei Hoon’s leadership is a landmark event for the family law experts globally. Importantly, the exclusive conference created an essential platform for the top-tier lawyers to tackle the complex international matters. The interactive setup encouraged the substantive exchanges on the jurisdictional challenges and advanced legal tactics. Similarly, these global conferences develop the networks of professionals that benefit wealthy families facing the cross-border litigation.
FAQs
Q1. What is Dr. Hassan Elhais’s background and experience in family law?
Dr. Hassan Elhais is a highly experienced lawyer, with over 21 years of legal experience and has successfully handled more than 8000 cases. He moved to Dubai in 2006 and specializes in family law matters affecting the expatriates including divorce, child custody and financial support cases. He has been ranked Band 1 by Chambers & Partners in Family/Matrimonial (High Net Worth) and has received more than 30 awards during his career.
Q2. What international legal organizations is Dr. Elhais affiliated with?
Dr. Elhais is a member of several leading international legal organizations including the American Bar Association (associate member), the International Academy of Family Lawyers, the International Bar Association, and the International Society of Family Law. He is the first expatriate member of the International Academy of Family Lawyers in the UAE jurisdiction and is the elected co-chair of the Relocation of Children Committee at IAFL.
Q3. What was the purpose of the International HNW Family Law Round Table 2026 in Singapore?
The summit attracted elite family law practitioners from around the world to discuss the complex cross-border issues facing the high-net-worth families. Topics included multi-jurisdictional family disputes, children’s relocation, asset protection strategies and the jurisdictional issues. The round table format allowed for direct discussion and knowledge sharing amongst the international practitioners.
Q4. How has UAE family law evolved to align with international best practices?
Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2024, amended the laws of divorce, custody and maintenance in the UAE. The new law increases the age of children for custody to 18 years and makes enforcement of spousal support uniform. It also allows expatriate couples to adopt foreign personal status systems. Abu Dhabi has also introduced a no-fault divorce system for non-Muslims, allowing divorces to be completed in as little as 14 days.
Q5. What makes cross-border family law cases particularly complex?
In cross-border family law cases, a number of legal systems are involved, requiring cooperation among different jurisdictions and enforcement procedures including the forum shopping analysis, jurisdictional conflicts, cross-border identification of assets, international enforcement of court orders, etc. These problems need high-level representation and coordinated strategies to get the best results for the clients with global connections.
Q6. Does Dr. Hassan Elhais specialize in any other areas of law besides family law?
Yes. Dr. Hassan Elhais is an internationally-known authority in the field of International Family Law, but his academic qualifications, including a Master’s Degree and PhD in Civil Law, combined with more than 20 years of experience, enable him to manage a wide range of legal cases. He is a specialist in Criminal Defense and Commercial Litigation having achieved great success for his clients in complex white-collar crime cases, financial fraud, and high-profile corporate disputes. He also offers expert advice in the fields of Arbitration, Banking and Financial Law, Corporate Governance, and cross-border Estate Planning in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and throughout the UAE.
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