Greenberg Traurig has strengthened its Middle East capabilities with the addition of two lawyers from Clyde & Co.
Nils de Wolff, an arbitration & litigation lawyer, has joined the firm alongside Krishen Patel, who specialises in corporate M&A.
They were formerly legal directors in Clyde & Co’s Dubai office, according to their respective LinkedIn profiles, and have joined Greenberg Traurig as counsel.
De Wolff will be based in the firm’s Dubai office, while Patel will split his time between Dubai and Riyadh.
“The breadth and depth of Nils’ and Krishen’s client representations throughout the UAE and KSA will undoubtedly add strength to our local and global capabilities,” said Khalid A. Al-Thebity, Greenberg Traurig’s Middle East regional chair and managing shareholder of the Saudi Arabia office. “Both have impressive track records of success for clients in such industries as government, financial services, education, real estate, and hospitality—all of which are experiencing exceptional growth in the Middle East.”
De Wolff is an arbitrator and commercial & corporate litigator who has practised in the region for more than six years. He specialises in M&A disputes, shareholder and joint venture disputes, internal investigations, civil fraud, and economic tort claims.
His joining Greenberg Traurig comes just after the firm hired international arbitration lawyer Nassif BouMalhab as a shareholder in Dubai. BouMalhab was also formerly with Clyde & Co, where he was a partner and led its Middle East arbitration group.
Patel is a transactional lawyer who focuses on joint ventures, M&A acquisitions, restructurings, private equity, and venture capital.
His hire comes after Chadi Salloum joined Greenberg Traurig from Clyde & Co as head of the firm’s UAE corporate practice. In October, the firm added corporate finance partner Pawel J. Szaja, who joined from A&O Shearman in Dubai.
“As we continue to strategically enhance our capabilities across the Middle East, our clients benefit from having access to some of the most highly qualified and experienced legal counsel practicing in the region and internationally,” said Steven Bainbridge and Sarah Mahood, co-managing shareholders of Greenberg Traurig’s UAE office, in a joint statement.
Greenberg Traurig launched in the Middle East in 2023 with offices in Dubai and Riyadh. Since then, the firm has been growing in the region, planting key roots in the industries and business sectors most active in the Middle East.
