In July, Clyde & Co expanded its Abu Dhabi energy practice with the addition of partners Josh McFadzen and Bryan Wilson from Brodies Middle East.
In this article, they discuss their recent move, why the firm provides an ideal platform for their practice, and the exciting opportunities emerging in the region’s energy sector.
What drew you to Clyde & Co and what makes it the ideal platform for your practice?
Clyde & Co is the largest international law firm in the Middle East, with offices in the region since 1989. The firm has a leading energy practice and an outstanding reputation in the sector. Clients turn to us for deep industry insight and commercially focused advice. Clyde & Co’s deep commitment to the region and to the global energy market is clear from its recent investments in lateral hires and aligns closely with our business goals.
We specialise in non-contentious oil and gas project development and delivering multidisciplinary solutions across the full energy value chain—upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors. This complements Clyde & Co’s existing strengths in corporate and disputes. Together, we are expanding our position as a leader in the market, and we are excited to contribute to the continued growth of the firm’s energy practice—both regionally and globally.
Clyde & Co’s global energy practice has seen significant hires recently in London, Paris, and Warsaw. How will your Abu Dhabi-based practice integrate with and contribute to this broader global energy team?
Clyde & Co already has leading expertise in the energy sector in the region, with prominent partners David Leckie and Leonard Soudagar. The firm’s global practice has rapidly expanded with the recent additional hires of partners Marianne Anton, Alex Blomfield, Ben James, and Sebastian Lea in London, Julie Cornely in Paris, Arkadiusz (Arek) Krasnodębski, Agnieszka Kulińska, and a team of 20 in Warsaw.
Our Abu Dhabi-based practice will add significant strength and depth to the firm’s global sector specific full-service offering across all practice areas and disciplines, both non-contentious and contentious, around the globe.
What are the most exciting opportunities you anticipate for your clients in the next year, both regionally and internationally?
According to the latest OPEC forecasts, global demand for energy from conventional hydrocarbon sources (oil and gas) is projected to continue rising in the long-term. To meet this demand, by 2050 OPEC’s share of global oil production is projected to be a staggering 52%. That means over half of the world’s oil will be produced by OPEC members, and of those members, some of the largest producing nations are the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.
We are excited about the opportunities emerging in the Middle East’s energy sector and the region’s investment in upstream and downstream oil and gas projects. For the oil industry alone, OPEC estimates $18.2 trillion of investment will be needed to meet oil demand through 2050, with over 80% allocated to upstream activities. This is consistent with what we are experiencing in the Middle East.
We see the year ahead as a very exciting time for our clients in the GCC and for us, as their legal partners. There are opportunities to bring online projects of national and international significance which will shape the future of the industry.
