A recognized leader in project and Islamic finance, Christopher Aylward, joined Baker Botts L.L.P. today as a partner in the firm’s Middle East practice. He will be based in Dubai.

Aylward’s practice focuses on project finance, syndicated facilities and trade finance. He has been involved in the development of a number of innovative transactions. He recently advised a Bahraini Islamic investment bank on the structuring, negotiation and documentation of an Islamically compliant real estate development financing in Makkah that involves two offshore funds as investors.

“Chris’s experience in project finance, particularly with respect to Islamic financing, and his knowledge of the region across many business sectors will enhance our project finance practice in the Middle East,” said Baker Botts Managing Partner Walt Smith.

Aylward’s joining Baker Botts continues the firm’s growth in the Middle East; the firm now has 27 lawyers in three offices in the region (Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Riyadh). Eight lawyers, including Aylward, have joined the firm during the past year. These lawyers have a wealth of experience in counseling on conventional lending and project finance, construction and nuclear energy issues as well as Islamic financing.

“Our clients based in the region, or doing business here, expect Baker Botts to provide legal counsel at the highest level in order to address the complex issues they confront on a daily basis,” said Robert W. Jordan, Partner in Charge of the firm’s Middle East Practice. “The addition of Chris to our team demonstrates our commitment to identifying and hiring the best legal talent in a given practice area.”

Aylward has extensive experience in transactions involving the telecommunications, power, petrochemicals and industrial sectors. In addition to his work with the investment bank, Aylward is currently advising a Saudi-based Islamic multilateral financial institution on the restructuring of an Islamically compliant project financing of a steel mill in Pakistan.

Prior to joining Baker Botts, he was a partner with SNR Denton, managing its Bahrain office. He earned a post-graduate diploma in legal practice from the College of Law in Sydney, Australia. He is admitted to practice as a solicitor in England, Wales and New South Wales (Australia) and is a member of the Law Society of England, Wales and New South Wales. Aylward is currently ranked in Chambers Global for his Banking and Finance work in the UAE.