Brodies Middle East, the international arm of UK and Scottish law firm Brodies, is continuing its expansion in Abu Dhabi with the addition of two associates.
Law Middle East can reveal Gregor Hughes and Rachael Boyes have joined the firm’s office in Abu Dhabi, which opened last year in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM).
They join the firm’s oil and gas practice, which focuses on project development and transactions in the energy and infrastructure sectors, following the conclusion of client secondments at major energy companies in the Middle East.
Hughes joins after completing a secondment at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and was formerly based in the firm’s Aberdeen office in Scotland, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Boyes, meanwhile, was seconded to QatarEnergy LNG’s projects team in Doha.
“Gregor and Rachael joining the firm is in response to the strong and growing demand for sector specialist counsel from national oil companies, sovereign clients and some of the world’s super-major international oil companies,” the firm said in a statement.
Brodies opened its first office in the Middle East in May 2023 to service new and existing oil and gas clients locally.
The new office, the firm’s second internationally after its base in Brussels, is led by oil and gas partners Gregory May, Bryan Wilson, and Josh McFadzen.
In July, the firm posted a 7.5% increase in revenue to £114.3 million for the financial year to April 2024, marking 14 consecutive years of growth. It was the first time the firm posted consolidated accounts, reflecting the trading of Brodies Middle East.
