Legal Assistant
Analyse UAE trademark cases and share guidance that helps protect the Starbucks brand across the region.
Section A: The Brief
Careers can start with one email, here's yours.
Welcome to the Legal Assistant experience!
I’m Alan from Astranda, and I’ll be your mentor for this experience. You’re stepping into the role of Legal Assistant for Starbucks. Your goal is to analyse recent UAE trademark cases and translate its legal insights into clear, practical guidance that helps protect the Starbucks brand across the region.
Remember to aim high, stay on track, and present your ideas professionally. We can’t wait to see what you bring to the table.
If you have any questions or want feedback, I’m just an email away at alan@astranda.com.
Regards,
Alan
alan@astranda.com | Head of Partnerships
Section B: The Job
Step into the role.
Legal Assistant
Level: Beginner
Duration: ~9 Hours
Result: Performance Report
Role Description: Support the Starbucks EMEA Corporate Counsel in legal matters across the region.
Key Performance Indicators: Measured by the accuracy of your legal analysis and how you communicate legal findings in simple business-friendly language.
Key Deliverables
By the end of this experience, you will have created:
Here are some key details to key in mind as you work:
Why is this important: Starbucks relies on legal teams to protect their name and make sure everything they do follows the law
Tech stack: Google Docs/Sheets/Slides (or Canva), ChatGPT
Common challenges to avoid: Using complicated legal terms — write as if you’re explaining the law to a friend who doesn’t study it
Expert tip: Good legal advice helps people understand what to do next, not just what the law says
Section C: The Workflow
Phase 1: Legal Research
Step 1.1 - UAE Trademark Law
Research Report
All great employees (including Legal Assistants) begin by understanding their company’s story. This includes the history, culture, values, and products that define them. Your teammate shared this link to the website and a video of Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol talking about the company to help you learn what makes Starbucks unique. (LINK)
Source: Starbucks
Legal Assistants must also understand the laws that are most important to their clients. A colleague has shared a short video to introduce you to Trademark Law in the UAE. It explains how names, logos, and designs are protected so that others can’t copy them. Watch the video to get a quick understanding of how this works for businesses in the UAE.
Source: Abu Dhabi SME Hub
Before diving into any cases, take some time to understand how the UAE protects trademarks. This matters a lot for companies like Starbucks, since their name and logo are some of the most well-known around the world.
Search online for a simple overview of the UAE Trademark Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021). Focus on:
What a trademark is
How companies register their trademarks
What counts as infringement
Why protection is important for global brands like Starbucks
Legal Assistants use trusted websites like LexisNexis and UAE government pages to find accurate legal and business information. To help you with your work, a member of the team sent a link to the full UAE Trademark Law (Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2021) on the Government of UAE website (LINK).
Source: UAE Government
Make sure you also understand Starbucks’ current trademark status. Look into how the company protects its name, logo, and designs. This is important because trademarks are what stop others from copying or misusing a company’s image, which helps keep the brand’s reputation and trust strong.
Source: Starbucks
Write a short summary in your own words explaining how UAE law helps companies protect their brand and what happens when someone uses a brand without permission. Legal assistants need to know how brand laws work so they can help protect a company’s identity and make sure all documents use the right logos and designs legally.
Step 1.2 - Trademark Cases
Trademark Cases in the UAE
Now that you know the basics of UAE trademark law, it’s important to stay up to date on real cases. Reading recent cases helps you see how the law is applied in real life and makes your understanding much stronger. This is a central part of your role as a Legal Assistant.
Research and read cases related to UAE trademark law you can find online. Take notes on:
Who the two sides were
What the legal issue was (for example, trademark confusion or copying)
What the court decided
Why this case matters for companies like Starbucks
Your colleague recently found an interesting trademark case online and shared it with you, the Abu Dhabi Court of Cassation Case No. 74/2025. You can use this example for the following steps if you find it helpful. It was an important case showing how serious the UAE is about protecting ideas, logos, and brand names. It also helps explain how UAE courts handle trademark issues, especially when big international brands are involved. You can read a short summary of the case here and watch the video below. (LINK)
Source: Emirates News
After researching, write a short paragraph in your own words about what happened in the case or cases your reviewed and what the final decision means for brand protection in the UAE. This skill is important for a legal assistant because it helps you learn to explain important legal ideas in a simple way. It also shows you understand how court decisions can affect real companies and their brands.
Phase 2: Communication
Step 2.1 - Legal Memo
Internal Legal Memo
You’ve studied the law and understood what the court decided and now you’ll apply it to the company itself.
Your team have asked you to draft an internal legal memo. Your goal is to help other members of the Starbucks' legal team understand what a case you researched mean for its brand, stores, and marketing in the UAE.
In your memo, include:
A quick reminder of what the case was about
Why the decision is important for Starbucks (for example, preventing copycat cafés or misuse of the logo)
Three practical steps Starbucks can take to stay protected, such as:
Monitoring new business registrations or similar brand names
Training partners and franchisees to report potential infringements
Remember to keep it short, clear, and realistic. The best legal memos help people take action, not just read information.
Source: Monash University
Deliverable Due
Step 2.2 - Legal Guide
Guide
You’ve written a memo for the legal team and now you need to explain the same ideas to non-lawyers in departments like Marketing, Operations, or Partnerships. This step is about turning legal insights into business actions.
Create a one-page Brand Protection Insight Sheet that summarises what your memo said, but in friendly, easy-to-read language. Your sheet should include:
A short headline that captures the message (example: “How Starbucks Protects Its Brand in the UAE”)
Three “What the Law Says” points — short facts about the case or UAE trademark rules
Three “What Starbucks Should Do” points — practical actions every partner or team can follow
One closing sentence that connects it back to Starbucks’ values (for example: “Protecting our name protects the trust in every cup.”)
You can use simple icons, short phrases, and a clean layout. Think of this like something that could be shared in an internal newsletter or printed for a team meeting.
To get an understanding of the language, design and structure of existing Starbucks' guides, here is the Dress Code Guide. (LINK)
Source: Starbucks
Video
As part of your role as a Legal Assistant, you are often asked to present information to other team members. We have an upcoming training session and the team need a short (under 30 seconds) educational video to introduce trademark law in a way that’s simple, clear, and relevant to Starbucks employees. The goal is to help staff understand why trademarks matter and how they protect the Starbucks brand.
Create a video to support the training session. It could include the following parts:
Hook (first 5 seconds)
Grab attention with a relatable question or scene.
Example: “What if anyone could use the Starbucks logo on their coffee cup?”
Main Idea (10–15 seconds)
Explain in simple terms what trademark law does.
Example: “Trademark law protects our name, logo, and designs — so customers know they’re getting real Starbucks quality.”
Takeaway (last 5–10 seconds)
Reinforce why it matters to employees.
Example: “Every time we protect our brand, we protect your work and our customers’ trust.”
Deliverable Due
Step 2.3 - Legal Update Email
You’ve done the research, written your memo, and created a simple insight sheet and video. Now, it’s time to communicate your work to the senior leadership team.
You need to send an internal update to your management team who oversees Starbucks’ legal team in EMEA. These are very busy team members, so your message should be short, clear, and focused.
In your email:
Start with one sentence summarising the court cases (what it was and why it matters).
Add two short takeaways — key legal points or insights you discovered.
End with one suggested next step Starbucks could take (for example, updating internal trademark guidelines or planning a partner training session).
Use a professional but friendly tone, the kind of message that makes someone want to read it quickly and act on it. A member of your team has shared the video below to give you the unspoken rules for writing professional emails that can improve how competent you appear in the eyes of colleagues.
Source: Georgetown University
Deliverable Due
Congratulations on completing the Starbucks Legal Assistant Experience.
You’ve delivered a professional package that covers research, cases, and communication. Specifically, you produced:
A concise UAE trademark law overview and case summary (such as Abu Dhabi Case 74–2025)
An Internal Legal Memo with practical actions for Starbucks UAE
A one-page Brand Protection Insight Sheet and video for non-lawyers to use day-to-day
A short, sharp Legal Update Email to leadership
This is exactly the kind of work real in-house teams expect from a junior legal assistant: accurate, practical, and easy for the business to act on. Keep these pieces in your portfolio and iterate after feedback to make them even stronger.
Once you submit the work and receive feedback, you can add it to your CV or LinkedIn under Projects as “Astranda × Starbucks Legal Assistant”.
Quick reminder, please follow the Submission Guidelines below to finalize your completion.
This is a meaningful step toward a career in law. We’re proud of your progress, and you should feel confident knowing you have what it takes to keep moving forward. Keep stacking achievements and experiences that set you apart.
Regards,
Alan
alan@astranda.com | Head of Partnerships
How to Submit
Submit your work, get feedback, certificates and more.
Submission Guidelines
How to Submit Your Work (via Google Drive link)
Put everything in one folder
Name it:
Astranda_[ExperienceName]_[YourFullName]_[School]Include your docs, slides, videos, images, and any source files.
Upload to Google Drive
Open Drive → New → Folder (use the name above) → upload your files.
If your work is in Google Docs/Slides/Sheets, make sure each file has a clear title.
Set sharing permissions
Right-click the folder → Share → General access: Anyone with the link → Viewer.
Important: Do not require sign-in and do not give edit access.
Double-check by opening the link in an incognito window—if you can view it without logging in, you’re good.
Copy your sharable link
Right-click the folder → Copy link.
Email your submission
Subject:
Submission: [ExperienceName] – [Your Full Name] – [School]Body: Paste the link and write a professional email including these details - Name: [Your Full Name], School: [Full School Name], Experience: [ExperienceName], Drive Link: [paste your view-only folder link]
Final checks before sending
The link opens without “Request access.”
All files load and play (videos, slides, etc.).
File names are clear and professional.
No personal data you don’t want shared.
Receive feedback
We will examine all your submitted materials
We will reply with your Performance Report and Certificate of Completion via email within 7 days
We will also share your next experience to continue your progress towards your dream career
If you want to try a different career path, please email alan@astranda.com.
Tips
Large videos? Upload to the same folder (don’t attach to the email).
Multiple versions? Keep only the final in the root folder; move drafts into a “Drafts” subfolder.
Keep a backup copy for your records.
