Here is a round-up of the top legal moves in law firms and in-house across the Middle East in the second quarter (April-June) of 2024, broken down by cities and practice areas, and listed chronologically with the most recent first.
Unsurprisingly, the bulk of activity has been in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh, with Dubai experiencing significantly more lawyer moves than other cities. There were 15 notable lawyer moves in Dubai, compared to four in Riyadh, and three in Abu Dhabi.
The lawyers specialise in a range of practice areas, with corporate coming out on top with the most new hires, particularly in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh where transactional activity remains strong, driven by sovereign wealth fund investments and cross-border deals.
Trowers & Hamlins made the most new hires, bringing on three new lawyers across practice areas in Dubai.
Meanwhile, Clyde & Co experienced the most departures, with four lawyers moving from the firm in Dubai and Riyadh.
Commenting on the moves, Scott Cairns, managing director of Creation Business Consultants, said: “In the current market landscape, M&A activity remains robust, though it has slowed compared to previous levels, resulting in sustained recruitment levels of legal professionals. Investment funds are thriving, bolstered by strong global investment in the region, maintaining a high demand for investment lawyers.”
“Litigation and dispute resolution remain relatively quiet and steady, while the previously hectic real estate market has now stabilised, resulting in less movement of legal practitioners in these sectors,” he said, adding: “These trends reflect a dynamic and evolving market environment, showcasing resilience and potential opportunities for lawyers across various sectors.”
DUBAI
Trowers & Hamlins: projects, private wealth, dispute resolution
Brad Sandford joined as a partner in the firm’s projects, energy & infrastructure team from Ashurst, where he was a senior associate.
Rebecca Goldring re-joined the firm from Penningtons Manches Cooper, having previously worked at Trowers & Hamlins. She joined the private wealth practice as a senior associate.
Nikita Patel joined as a partner in the firm’s international dispute resolution and litigation team from Clyde & Co, where she was a legal director.
Ogier: investment funds
Ogier strengthened its Cayman Islands investment funds practice with the relocation of Dominic Athwal from London to Dubai. In addition to his relocation, Athwal was promoted from senior associate to counsel.
Al Tamimi & Company: dispute resolution
Paul Taylor joined the firm as a partner and regional head of arbitration. He was previously at Eversheds Sutherland, leading the international law firm’s Dubai office as managing partner.
Hadef & Partners: corporate
Hadef & Partners hired seasoned corporate law specialist David Baylis as a senior counsel, based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. He was previously a senior legal advisor at the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority.
Addleshaw Goddard: employment, fintech
Addleshaw Goddard added employment partner Rachel Hill from Hadef & Partners, where she was a partner and head of the firm’s employment practice.
Anna Zeitlin joined the firm as a partner from PwC Legal Middle East, where she was a director and head of the fintech and financial services practice. She joined the firm’s financial services practice.
Eversheds Sutherland: capital markets
Eversheds Sutherland enhanced its capital markets team with the addition of Mohsin Abbasi as a partner in the firm’s banking and finance team. He was a senior associate at Clifford Chance.
Taylor Wessing: dispute resolution
Taylor Wessing appointed Natasha Zahid as a partner to head its disputes and investigations practice in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). She joined from Clyde & Co, where she was a legal director.
Charles Russell Speechlys: restructuring
Charles Russell Speechlys strengthened its corporate restructuring and insolvency practice with the appointment of Nicola Jackson as a partner. She joined from Clyde & Co, where she co-led the insolvency & restructuring disputes and contentious advisory practice in the Middle East.
CMS: energy & infrastructure
CMS strengthened its energy & infrastructure practice in the Middle East with the hire of Keith Bullen as a partner, based in Dubai and Riyadh. He joined from EY Law MENA, where he led the energy & infrastructure legal team.
DLA Piper: financial regulation
DLA Piper hired Adrianus Schoorl as a legal director, marking a return for the former Wizz Financial general counsel to the firm and to private practice.
Clyde & Co: employment
Partner Ben Brown joined the firm’s global employment group from Addleshaw Goddard, together with senior associate David True.
Norton Rose Fulbright: energy
Norton Rose Fulbright added Prakruthi Gowda as a partner in the projects team from Clifford Chance, where she was a senior associate. She works on energy and infrastructure projects.
ABU DHABI
Clifford Chance: corporate
Clifford Chance hired corporate partner Lynn Ammar from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. She joins the firm in September, operating from the Abu Dhabi and Dubai offices.
Al Tamimi & Company: corporate
Henry Storrar joined the firm as a corporate partner. He has been in the region for over five years most recently as senior legal counsel at investment company Waha Capital.
CMS: corporate/private equity
CMS corporate partner and international private equity head Graham Conlon relocated to Abu Dhabi. Previously, he was sharing his time between Dubai and Central/Eastern Europe.
RIYADH
K&A: corporate
Christian Both, a corporate partner, joined Saudi firm K&A from Addleshaw Goddard, where he worked for under a year, having joined the firm in August 2023.
Omar Iqbal also joined K&A in Riyadh as a corporate partner from Baker Botts.
CMS: corporate
CMS appointed Rizwan Osman as partner and head of corporate in Saudi Arabia, a new position at the firm. He joined the firm from Clyde & Co, where he spent over 17 years.
Kirkland & Ellis: restructuring
Husni Almousli moved from the firm’s London office to lead the capital solutions and financial restructuring practice in Riyadh.
White & Case: M&A
M&A specialist Abdallah Maher joined the firm as a partner. He previously spent eight years at Freshfields, where he was a counsel.
