A&O Shearman corporate partner Benjamin Crawford has relocated to Abu Dhabi from Beijing, as part of the firm’s ongoing investment into the UAE and wider Middle East.
Crawford trained at legacy firm Allen & Overy in London and has worked in the firm’s Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing offices. He has been based in Greater China for the past 15 years, and is fluent in Mandarin.
His practice focuses on cross-border M&A transactions, joint ventures, and complex shareholder and commercial arrangements with experience advising on transactions involving the financial services, technology, and energy & natural resources sectors.
His arrival will both strengthen the firm’s ability to support Middle East outbound activity in Asia and assist Asian clients with their investments into the Middle East, A&O Shearman said in a statement.
Commenting on the move, Ben Ward, META (Middle East, Turkey, and Africa) head of M&A/corporate, said:
“Asia-Middle East investment flows have increased rapidly in both directions in recent years, underpinned by supply chain diversification, energy transitions, digitalisation and emerging technologies. The GCC’s growing relationship with Asia is evidenced by many of the Gulf sovereign wealth funds increasing their investments in Asia’s markets and also opening offices in key hubs, so it’s clear that Ben’s move will enable us to further capitalise on these strategic opportunities.”
Ibrahim Mubaydeen, managing partner of A&O Shearman’s Abu Dhabi office, added: “Ben’s legal expertise, coupled with his fluency in Mandarin, brings a unique and valuable perspective to our team. His arrival further strengthens our capabilities and will undoubtedly create new synergies and opportunities for our clients both in the Middle East and Asia.”
Allen & Overy merged with Shearman & Sterling on May 1, creating the third largest integrated law firm in the world. At the time, market commentators told Law Middle East the merged firm would need to consider “rightsizing” its offices in the Middle East, which are located in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Riyadh after it received a licence to operate in the Kingdom earlier this year.
Other prominent lawyers to relocate to the UAE capital this year include Baker McKenzie funds partner James Burdett, who relocated from London to Abu Dhabi in a move the firm said will strengthen its transactional practice in the Middle East and North Africa. Elsewhere, CMS corporate and private equity partner Graham Conlon relocated to Abu Dhabi to support local and international clients on inbound and outbound investment opportunities. Previously, he shared his time between Dubai and Central/Eastern Europe, advising on private equity, joint venture, and M&A transactions throughout the Middle East, Europe, and beyond.
