Does proof that someone is a director settle signing authority?

Not necessarily. Assess the proposed act, constitutional and delegated powers, applicable law, and any transaction-specific requirements.

Prepare an ADGM corporate authority review pack

Executive summary

Connect the proposed signing act to the entity and documents said to authorise it. Entity identity, office held, and authority for the particular transaction are separate checks.

Identify the precise transaction and entity.

Trace delegations and limitations.

Have counsel approve the authority conclusion.

Define the proposed act

Start with the document to be signed and the entity expected to sign it. Record whether the act concerns a contract, guarantee, resolution, or another instrument.

A generic request to check company documents is too broad. The reviewer needs to know what authority must be established and for which transaction.

Collect the authority chain

List constitutional documents, current corporate information, resolutions, powers, delegations, and signing instructions. Record source dates and version status.

Keep missing documents visible. A signature block naming a director is not, by itself, a complete authority analysis.

Test a limited delegation

Suppose a delegation permits ordinary supplier contracts up to a threshold, while the proposed document includes a guarantee. Extract the scope and limitation rather than assuming the delegation covers the whole instrument.

Refer the question to counsel with the relevant passages. Do not infer authority from the signer's seniority or previous participation in negotiations.

Check the legal framework

Use the applicable ADGM rules and regulations and transaction-specific advice to assess the documents. Record the legal source and assumptions supporting the conclusion.

If another jurisdiction is involved, identify which adviser is responsible for that part of the review. Avoid one unexplained approved label across several entities.

Close the signing checklist

Record the approved signatories, capacity, instrument, and any conditions. Link the conclusion to the evidence inspected.

Recheck changes to the document or signatory before execution. Save the final authority pack with the signed transaction documents so later reviewers can reconstruct the basis for signing.

Sources and next steps

This is an editorial workflow guide for legal professionals. The suggested checks are our practical recommendations, not a statement that a regulator requires a particular software workflow.

ADGM: rules and regulations

Explore Document Review and Review Matrix, or review Judicio's regional coverage and limitations. Check the underlying source and your organisation's approved process before relying on an output.