US-based law firms Paul Hastings and Greenberg Traurig have expanded their partnerships in the Middle East.
Both firms are expected to significantly bolster the teams in which their new partners practice—energy and infrastructure and capital markets—in due course.
Paul Hastings has hired energy and infrastructure partner Ibaad Hakim from White & Case.
Based in Paul Hastings’ new Abu Dhabi office—the firm’s regional hub for clients across the UAE, Europe, and Asia—Hakim will work closely with office co-heads Dinmukhamed ‘Din’ Eshanov and George Kazakov, as well as Paris-based partner Xavier Petet, who all joined the firm in April, strengthening its international energy and infrastructure team and complementing its existing US practice. All four partners have joined from White & Case.
Hakim focuses on major oil and gas, infrastructure and power projects, many of which are project financed. His practice covers the entire lifecycle of a construction and engineering project—from procurement strategy and contract drafting to dispute resolution.
“Ibaad brings strong experience advising on some of the region’s most significant infrastructure and energy mandates,” said Rob Freedman, co-chair of Paul Hastings’ energy and infrastructure practice. “His addition will continue to elevate our ability to advise clients on complex, cross-border matters and bolsters our commitment to delivering premier legal services in the UAE and beyond.”
“George and I have worked closely with Ibaad for several years, and his experience dovetails perfectly with the existing capabilities of our new team at Paul Hastings. Ibaad’s arrival continues the momentum of the Abu Dhabi-based practice and broader UAE strategy, and we are delighted to have him on board as we continue to build a world-class international energy and infrastructure group,” added Eshanov.
Paul Hastings is expected to expand its energy and infrastructure practice even further, according to a source with knowledge of the firm.
“In addition to the group that just joined, we understand that Paul Hastings expects even further expansion of its energy and infrastructure team imminently, including several more partners and 10-15 attorneys across multiple geographies,” the source said.
Greenberg Traurig, meanwhile, has appointed capital markets specialist Alex Roussos as a partner, based across the firm’s UAE and Saudi Arabia offices.
He joins from Dentons, where he served as managing partner and co-head of the Middle East banking and finance practice in Dubai. He previously worked at Norton Rose Fulbright and Clifford Chance.
His move will be complemented with the addition of three further prominent capital markets lawyers expected to join Greenberg Traurig in the coming weeks, the firm said.
Roussos brings more than 20 years of experience advising on debt, regulatory capital, hybrid, and equity-linked capital markets transactions for governments, financial institutions, and large corporate entities across the Middle East and internationally.
Greenberg Traurig’s Middle East regional chair and Saudi Arabia managing partner, Khalid A. Al-Thebity, said: “Alex is a leading practitioner in the field of banking, finance, and capital markets with more than 20 years’ experience. He has acted on some of the most high-profile deals across the Gulf Cooperation Council, and we are extremely pleased to welcome him on board.”
“Capital markets remains a core industry group for us in the region and Alex aligns perfectly with our commitment to hiring individuals who are strongly recognised for their reputation in their respective markets and strategic client base,” Al-Thebity added.
“Alex has a phenomenal reputation, and we are confident that by collaborating with the leading teams on the ground, we will continue to provide an even more succinct offering to our clients in the region and internationally,” said co-managing partners of Greenberg Traurig’s UAE office, Steven Bainbridge and Sarah Mahood, in a joint statement.
Greenberg Traurig launched in the Middle East in 2023 with offices in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Since then, the firm has been growing steadily in the region, planting roots in the key industries and business sectors most active in the Middle East.
