Mayer Brown has strengthened its regional capital markets practice with the hire of a new partner in Dubai.
Rafe Khokhar has joined from Dechert, where he was most recently a counsel specialising in corporate and securities.
His practice focuses on capital markets transactions in the emerging markets. He advises sovereign entities, financial institutions, sovereign wealth funds, and asset managers on capital markets and Islamic finance and Sharia-compliant products, regulatory capital instruments, and liability management transactions.
He works on Regulation S and Rule 144A offerings, advising issuers and underwriters, and has worked on offerings of ESG-linked securities, as well as on novel digital capital markets transactions, including the world’s first sukuk financing using blockchain technology.
“Rafe brings with him particularly relevant capital markets experience, especially in complex transactions,” said Tom Thraya, managing partner of Mayer Brown’s Dubai office. “His hire shows our ongoing commitment to developing strategic and long-standing client relationships in the region, adding capabilities that support this.”
“Joining Mayer Brown, with its true global presence and scale in capital markets, is exciting,” added Rafe. “I’m looking forward to working with clients to address their capital markets needs.”
His arrival follows that of global energy partner Anne Wicks and the relocation of projects partner Paulo Rage from Rio de Janeiro to Dubai.
Mayer Brown now counts eight partners in its Dubai office, according to the firm’s website.
