About us
Me Justine Basilio
Justine Basilio is a French lawyer registered with the Paris Court of Appeal, a member of the Quebec Bar and Legal Counsel registered in the United Arab Emirates. Her practice focuses on business law, international taxation, immigration and banking and finance law, with recognized expertise in transnational contexts and expatriation-related projects.
With a Master’s degree in Business Law and Taxation, specializing in banking and finance law, Justine completed her training with a Master’s degree in Management-Finance at the Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris I). She pursued part of her studies in Canada, where she worked in the tax and corporate law department of an international law firm in Montreal. There, she assisted clients with complex international tax issues, while maintaining a practice in Paris.
She also worked at HSBC’s head office, on structured finance and international project finance matters, and then at a major Parisian financial services firm, dealing with investment funds and cross-border banking issues.
In 2020, Ms. Basilio founds Expats Law Firm, an international law firm dedicated to expatriates, with an initial office in Paris, and soon afterwards in Canada. In 2021, she develops a presence in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, before opening a complementary office in Ras Al Khaimah (2025).

Me Mélissa Saidani
Master Melissa Saïdani is a qualified French lawyer, specializing in civil law And labor law, both in French law and in private international law. She exercises between France and the United Arab Emirates, where she supports an international clientele made up of individuals, expatriates, employees, employers And foreign companies established or in the process of establishing.
Holder of a Master’s in private law with a focus on social law, Ms. Saïdani intervenes on all issues related to:
- There employment relationship (employment contract, expatriation, termination, industrial tribunal disputes).
- There protection of the employee or employer in an international context (France – Emirates).
- THE legal status of expatriates, seconded employees or self-employed workers abroad.
- THE civil and commercial disputes transnational.
She also assists clients in their civil legal proceedings : leases, contracts, responsibility, recovery, and personal issues having a international dimension (domiciliation, residence, family).
With experience in Parisian firms of excellence in labor law, such as Capstan, 140 VH and Actance, Master Saïdani articulates his advice around the operational realities of the company and international business challenges. She supports clients in the establishment of detachments and of made available internationally, in consistency with their expansion strategy.
Furthermore, his experience within the human resources department of the newspaper The World, international press sector, allowed him to better understand the internal challenges in a group with multiple problems, both disciplinary, that in matters of collective relations (CSE) and implementation of the legal and regulatory framework for the issues of training.
Thanks to his practice between Paris and Dubai, Maître Saïdani offers rigorous and strategic support, adapted to the legal and human challenges of international mobility.

Me Coline Bourgeat
Master Coline Bourgeat is a qualified French lawyer, holding a Master’s degree in business law and taxation from the Jean Moulin Lyon 3 University, as well as from the Certificate of Aptitude for the Legal Profession (CAPA). It mainly intervenes in international tax law and in corporate law, with a transnational and strategic approach adapted to the issues of expatriates and international groups.
She developed a solid expertise in national and international taxation, acquired through several significant experiences:
- In law firm, where she supported business leaders and groups of companies on matters of tax structuring, of tax disputes, and of wealth management ;
- Within the group Volvo, in the regional tax team EMEA, with a specialization in Intra-community VAT and in operational taxation.
Coline also completed part of her training at United Kingdom, at the University of Strathclyde, where she was introduced to fundamentals of common law, thus strengthening its capacity to operate in mixed and international legal environments.
Installed at United Arab Emirates Since November 2024, she joined Expats Law Firm, founded by Me Justine Basilio, as Tax Consultant & Legal Counsel. She advises the firm’s clients on Dubai And Ras Al Khaimah on all of their issues in cross-border taxation, corporate law, business creation, business licenses And legal compliance in the Emirates.


Our story
The firm’s story began in 2020, when lawyer Justine Basilio decided to set up her own law firm specializing in the issues faced by her expatriate clientele, whether in immigration, business law or international taxation.
Expats Law Firm was born.
With a successful presence in France, Canada and the United Arab Emirates, the firm acts as both lawyer and legal advisor, ensuring the legal and tax compliance of all individuals and companies during their expatriation, whether in their home or host country. The firm’s expertise in business law, banking and finance also enables it to meet the needs of foreign clients wishing to set up business in France, the Emirates or Canada. Finally, thanks to her expertise, she advises foreign companies on French and Canadian law in the context of their activities.