Francesca Romana Valeri – a certified Italian lawyer – blends her Italian legal expertise with international business experience in Dubai.
“My role is to be the contact point between the law firm and our clients in the Middle East, and I co-ordinate our two offices here.”
As Head of Legal for the Middle East, Francesca bridges the gap between Paoletti Law Group’s global legal services and the unique needs of their clients across the region.
From courtrooms to contracts
Francesca’s journey into law began in her native Italy, where she pursued her studies straight after finishing school.
“I started studying law without a precise idea of my future,” she reflects, “but I was always fascinated by the international environment.”
“As a student, I was more focused on exploring new experiences than planning my career path. I always knew that I wanted to do something outside the traditional legal career, though I certainly didn’t imagine it would lead me to the Emirates” she laughs.
After graduating, Francesca passed the Italian bar exam and initially began her career in litigation at a law firm in Rome.
“I realised it wasn’t for me,” she admits. “I didn’t enjoy going to court, but at the time, I thought that was the only path to becoming a lawyer. There was no one to guide me and suggest, ‘Maybe litigation just isn’t your thing,’ so I felt a bit confused.”
But it was exactly in this moment of uncertainty that a great opportunity came along. “An Italian company was looking for a young lawyer to join their international plan, so I immediately seized this chance,” Francesca recalls.
In this new role, she quickly found her niche. “I understood that the reason why I didn’t like litigation is because I was more suited to international work. I noticed that I was better at drafting contracts; I was better at communicating with the client instead of going before a judge.” Law was not the wrong choice for Francesca, litigation was.
“I realised my true calling was to represent Italy internationally, using my legal background to bridge cultures.”
Moving to Dubai
In 2017, Francesca made the life-changing move to Dubai when her company at the time set up a new office there.
“I moved to Dubai and I fell in love with the Middle East, the culture, the way of life,” she reminisces.
Francesca embraces the city’s fast-paced lifestyle and the opportunities it provides: “Life in the UAE is different from Europe, things are moving constantly. Business wise, it’s very dynamic – there are a lot of possibilities, opportunities that you have to catch, but you have to catch them immediately,” she recommends.
“Now, it is my second home,” she smiles.
Navigating corporate law in the Middle East
Initially unfamiliar with the international legal landscape, Francesca soon discovered her passion for corporate and commercial law. “Only after moving here, did I decide that I wanted to be a corporate and commercial lawyer.”
This experience began in the construction field, a largely male-dominated industry. Often being the only woman in the room, Francesca recalls “it was quite weird at first, but then I really started to love this part of the law.”
“I remember being in a big meeting with other company’s representatives from all over the world. I looked around me and, I don’t want to exaggerate, but there were 50 people, and I was the only woman.”
Despite common stereotypes, she feels fortunate not to have encountered gender discrimination in her field: “There is a particular attention here to not discriminate by gender – sometimes it is even something that facilitates my input.”
These experiences enabled Francesca to thrive within the industry. “Now, I’m always looking for clients who are in construction, because it’s something that I really like and something that I am specialised in.”
Francesca’s career in the UAE eventually led her to join Paoletti Law Group, where she now has the position of Head of Legal for Middle East, and finds herself aligned with their commitment to maintaining the highest level of professionalism.
Head of Legal in the Middle East
Francesca’s role as the Head of Legal is dynamic, demanding, and requires constant communication with clients and third parties across cultures. “My days are full of meetings, I’m always connected with people, always talking with people.”
She emphasises the opportunities and challenges that come with working in a city as diverse as Dubai. “Dubai is a melting pot of cultures. Every day, you will learn something new – you really develop the ability to understand different attitudes from nationality to nationality, and how to talk to people.”
“This gives me the possibility to learn not only professionally; the law or the matters, but also to understand different cultures.”
Corporate and commercial law are Francesca’s areas of focus, enjoying the positivity compared with other more emotionally taxing legal fields. “When you do commercial and corporate law, you are often surrounded by positive energies, because companies want to invest and acquire other companies. It doesn’t give you the weight of the emotional pressure of the client,” she explains.
Francesca appreciates the accessibility to business contacts that her location provides. “Something peculiar of the Middle East and Dubai is that you really have the possibility to meet people that otherwise you would not meet.”
“In Italy, for instance, it would be more difficult to have a meeting with the CEO of an international company, but here, it’s easy.”
Breaking language barriers
Francesca feels that her greatest challenge, especially early in her career, was mastering English as a second language.
“Honestly, my biggest achievement is to be able to work in a second language,” she says, describing the difficulty of entering international business law when her professional language skills were still developing. “I started studying during the night, because English was something I had to succeed with.”
Francesca’s dedication enables her to successfully connect with her clients who span a variety of cultures. “The fact I can enter other jurisdictions and communicate with different cultures is not something that’s easy and it’s not for all,” she explains.
Another significant achievement of Francesca’s was completing her MBA at Liverpool University.
“The MBA was very tough, but it was worth it. I’m very proud of that,” she notes. “I believe credibility is strictly connected with knowledge, and knowledge is connected with studying – competition is super high, so credibility is important.”
This accomplishment provided her with invaluable insights into managing companies, which further enhances Francesca’s ability to advise clients in the corporate sector, as well as improving operations at Paoletti Law Group.
Embrace uncertainty
Francesca’s advice for younger professionals is refreshingly honest: “Don’t feel like you need to have everything figured out right after graduation,” she says, reflecting on her own uncertainty after finishing law school. “Just embrace opportunities, even if they take you in unexpected directions.”
She encourages perseverance and emphasises the importance of using moments of confusion or crisis to build oneself up. “Never underestimate yourself, and don’t allow others to do so either.”
“Unfortunately, when you’re young, people tend to underestimate you – but it’s important to stand firm and prove your worth with commitment and consistency,” she adds.
A network with no borders
As an active member of IR Global, Francesca finds great value in the network’s ability to connect professionals across borders.
“It opens your mind. It opens you up to things that in ‘normal life’, you will not see, or you will not handle,” she explains. She believes that the network provides unique opportunities to meet high-level individuals and access new perspectives that enhance both her professional growth and her firm’s reach. “IR Global gives us the possibility to meet people that otherwise you cannot meet,” she adds.
Looking ahead
Looking to the future, Francesca has ambitious goals both professionally and personally. She envisions growing Paoletti Law Group into a globally recognised firm.
“The achievement from my side is to contribute to the Paoletti Law Group becoming a bigger structure, and to become one of the top law firms in Europe and the Middle East.”
On a personal level, Francesca aims to find the perfect balance between her professional achievements and building a family. “My main challenge I’m working on is trying to have my career and personal life on the same level; to not let one of those take a back seat.” She adds, “I want to reach a level where I can be happy with both things, and continue both of them.”
Life outside work
Outside of her demanding legal career, Francesca enjoys an array of activities that help her unwind and stay balanced. Living in Dubai offers a lifestyle that includes year-round sunshine. “In my free time, I am usually enjoying the weather. Here, it is always summer!” she smiles.
Francesca is also a travel enthusiast. “I like to travel,” she says, appreciating the flexibility that modern technology offers in allowing her to work remotely from anywhere in the world – “We have all our tools and systems so that we can work from Maldives, for example, or from Italy, or England.”
Although she is passionate about trying new activities like golf and padel, she admits, “I like to do a lot of things, but I’m struggling to find one thing and to do it with consistency in my personal life.” But whether it’s organising dinner for friends or simply relaxing outdoors, Francesca enjoys the social and cultural richness that Dubai offers.
