Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom has officially launched its first Middle East office in Abu Dhabi with Freshfields’ former regional managing partner at the helm. Skadden has also relocated a partner and counsel from the London office, and hired another lawyer from Freshfields, the firm confirmed to Law Middle East.
The new office is located in the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the financial centre in the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Media reports circulating in early October revealed the New York firm was set to open in Abu Dhabi, with Freshfields’ former regional managing partner, Michael Hilton, at the helm. Skadden did not respond to requests for comment at the time.
Law Middle East understands the firm officially launched its Abu Dhabi operations after receiving its ADGM licence.
“We’re thrilled to launch Skadden’s office in Abu Dhabi, affirming our commitment to clients worldwide and underscoring the momentum behind the firm’s strategic growth,” said the firm’s executive partner Jeremy London in a statement. “Skadden’s presence in ADGM is a natural outgrowth of our already robust practice in the region and will enhance our ability to provide seamless, integrated service to local and international clients in connection with their most sophisticated legal needs.”
Skadden confirmed the Abu Dhabi office and Middle East practice will be led by Hilton, who has more than 20 years of experience handling cross-border private and public mergers & acquisitions (M&A) and joint ventures, with an emphasis on financial sponsor work.
His practice has focused on the Middle East for over a decade, advising clients across a number of industries including private equity, infrastructure, energy & natural resources, financial services, telecoms and technology. He has represented key government-owned institutions and corporates, such as ADNOC, ENOC, DP World, Saudi Telecom Company and OSN, as well as prominent sovereign wealth funds and financial institutions.
“Michael is a highly regarded corporate lawyer with deep ties throughout the Middle East and beyond, making him an ideal fit to lead our efforts to expand our practice in the region,” added London. “It is clear that Michael shares our values and our dedication to providing exceptional service to clients in the markets that are important to them.”
“Skadden’s global platform is second to none,” said Hilton. “The firm offers the highest quality legal services, and establishing a local presence in Abu Dhabi will enable it to deepen and expand its existing client relationships in the Middle East. I am delighted to join Skadden, to work alongside my new colleagues and for the opportunity to lead the firm’s Abu Dhabi office and Middle East practice.”
Lorenzo Corte, a global head of Skadden’s transactions practices, said: “We have a long and successful track record of working with corporations, financial institutions, sovereign wealth funds and other governmental entities in the region on many of their most high-stakes, high-profile matters. Michael’s extensive experience and network across the Middle East will be key to growing those relationships.”
Skadden has more than 20 offices and 1,700 lawyers globally. In the Middle East the firm advises regional and international corporations, financial sponsors and other investors across M&A, financing, litigation and arbitration matters, and white collar defense & investigations.
Skadden has relocated M&A partner Andrea Spadacini from London to Abu Dhabi, alongside counsel Bora Rawcliffe, who specialises in white collar defense & investigations.
The firm has also hired M&A specialist Cheree King as counsel from Freshfields in Abu Dhabi, where she was most recently a senior associate. King served at the Magic Circle firm for over seven years, recently spending time on secondment to its New York office. She was also seconded to Mubadala Capital’s private equity legal team.
Skadden has plans to further build out the Abu Dhabi office, according to people familiar with the matter. The firm plans to relocate a junior dispute resolution partner from the London office in due course and hire a number of mainly corporate associates, they said.
Arvind Ramamurthy, chief market development officer at ADGM, said: “We are pleased to welcome Skadden to ADGM’s growing ecosystem of global leaders in finance and law. With Skadden’s strong global platform, we are confident that the firm’s presence will further enhance the legal and advisory resources available to local and international clients within ADGM’s ecosystem. Their decision to establish an office here speaks to the strength of Abu Dhabi as a regional hub for international businesses and reinforces ADGM’s role in connecting companies to strategic growth opportunities across the Middle East and beyond.”
