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Aishath Iffa Ashraf is a lawyer with over seven years of experience across civil, constitutional, employment and commercial litigation. She regularly appears before all court levels in the Maldives, including the Supreme Court, and advises clients on complex disputes, legislative drafting and governance reform.

Before joining S&A, Iffa served as a Senior State Attorney at the Attorney General’s Office where she represented the State in high-profile constitutional and administrative matters and contributed to the drafting of key laws, including the Civil Procedure Code and the Education Act. She also served as a Project Management Specialist with USAID Sri Lanka/Maldives, providing oversight for multi-million-dollar programs focused on justice sector reform, local governance, and civic engagement.

Iffa holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Constitutional and Business Law from Wake Forest University, USA, as a Fulbright Scholar, and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B. Hons) from the International Islamic University Malaysia, where she graduated Valedictorian.

NOTABLE MATTERS

• Advising government-owned companies and private developers on the structuring and documentation of resort strata and mixed-use developments in the Maldives, including sale and purchase agreements and regulatory compliance with the Land Act and tourism laws.
• Advising clients on corporate restructuring, share transfers, and governance frameworks under the Companies Act 7/2023.
• Acting for state-owned enterprises and private corporations in connection with major procurement and infrastructure projects, including legal review of contract awards and compliance with public procurement policies.
• Advising clients on cross-border financing, foreign currency transactions, and exchange control regulations under the Foreign Currency Act 32/2024 and related MMA regulations.
• Advising on FIDIC-based construction disputes involving large-scale public infrastructure projects.
• Preparing legal opinions on enforcement of foreign arbitral awards and emergency arbitration decisions in the Maldives.
• Representing clients in commercial and contractual disputes before Maldivian courts, including matters relating to breach of contract, shareholder disagreements, and recovery actions.
• Formerly led and contributed to legislative drafting and reform initiatives at the Attorney General’s Office, including laws on decentralization, governance, and business regulation.
• Managed USAID-funded governance and resilience portfolios, overseeing multimillion-dollar grants and cooperative agreements, and providing legal and compliance oversight in accordance with USAID regulatory frameworks.

EDUCATION

Masters of Law (LL.M.)

Wake Forest University School of Law (2022)

Bachelor of Law (LL.B.)

International Islamic University Malaysia (2017)

PRACTICE AREAS

Dispute Resolution

Employment and Industrial Relations

Regulatory and Compliance