Malak Abbas

Associate

Languages spoken
English | Arabic

About Malak

Malak Abbas is an associate in the Government Investigations & White Collar Practice Group. She is a native Arabic and English speaker and has been based in the UAE for 16 years.

Malak has extensive experience assisting on large compliance, due diligence, investigative and enforcement defence matters involving economic sanctions and export controls; money laundering and terror financing; bribery and corruption; fraud; modern slavery; and other forms of misconduct.

She has spent significant time physically present on client sites, predominantly for commercial banks and other financial institutions, across the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Western and Southern Asia, in the following roles:

  • Performing gap analyses and risk assessments, based on industry standards and international best practices, to identify deficiencies or conduct issues that could give rise to enforcement liability, assisting with the deployment of remedial measures, including by delivering internal trainings to help operationalise compliance, and, if necessary, preparing voluntary self-disclosures or other submissions to local or international regulators/enforcement agencies
  • Managing internal investigative processes, including analysing conduct and transactional evidence in both Arabic and English, conducting witness interviews, supervising forensic consultants and other service providers, and preparing related reports and advice to senior management
  • Undertaking due diligence, and, if necessary, enhanced due diligence on existing or prospective business partners or other third parties, including acquisition or investment targets, agents, customers, distributors, joint venture partners and suppliers, to help uncover latent issues and mitigate exposure to government investigations, prosecutions and penalties, derivative litigation, and reputational loss and brand devaluation

Malak is recognised by The Legal 500 as a “key lawyer” for UAE Compliance and Investigations.

Credentials

Education
  • BPP University, L.P.C., 2017
  • BBP University, G.D.L., 2016
  • University of Edinburgh, LL.B. (Hons.), 2015
Admissions
  • England and Wales, 2021

Expertise

Services
Government Investigations & White Collar

Related insights

Publication

UK Government Publishes “Failure to Prevent Fraud” Guidance

January 2025 | Europe

Global Investigations & Compliance Review

Time is of the Essence to Implement New ADGM Whistleblower Protection Regulations

In 2024, the Abu Dhabi Global Market (“ADGM”) further enhanced transparency, accountability, and market integrity within the financial freezone by introducing the Whistleblower Protection Regulations 2024 (the “Regulations”).  In brief, those Regulations require certain entities registered or licensed to operate or conduct any activity within the ADGM to implement arrangements for handling whistleblowing, including having...… Continue Reading The post Time is of the Essence to Implement New ADGM Whistleblower Protection Regulations appeared first on Global Investigations & Compliance Review.

January 2025 | Blog

Global Investigations & Compliance Review

Fast-Growing UK Challenger Bank Fined £29m for Insufficient Sanctions and Financial Crime Controls

On September 27, 2024, the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), which is a financial regulatory body in the UK that regulates firms providing financial services to consumers, fined a UK Challenger Bank (the “Bank”) £29 million due to significant failings in its financial sanctions compliance and anti-money laundering systems and controls. The FCA’s Summary of Reasons...… Continue Reading The post Fast-Growing UK Challenger Bank Fined £29m for Insufficient Sanctions and Financial Crime Controls appeared first on Global Investigations & Compliance Review.

November 2024 | Blog

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Firm Wins Regulatory and Investigations Team of the Year for Second Year at Middle East Legal Awards

7 May 2025 | Middle East
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