Global law firm Greenberg Traurig further expands its regional Corporate Practice with the addition of Pawel J. Szaja to the firm’s UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and London locations. Szaja has a strong background practicing in elite global law firms, including his work at Davis Polk in New York and London, and his more recent role as a partner at Shearman & Sterling LLP (A&O Shearman following the merger with Allen & Overy LLP in May 2024).
Based in Dubai, Szaja focuses his practice on capital markets and mergers and acquisitions, utilizing experience gained from working in New York, Frankfurt, and London. He is qualified to practice law in New York, England and Wales, and Ireland (on the roll).
“It is a pleasure to welcome Pawel, who adds even greater depth and breadth to our Middle East corporate team of highly skilled lawyers. His broad practice, which encompasses leading significant transactions in the region and throughout Europe, is perfectly positioned to provide extraordinary service to Greenberg Traurig clients, many of whom are growing globally at an impressive rate,” said Richard A. Rosenbaum, Executive Chairman of Greenberg Traurig.
Szaja advises major issuers, funds, and underwriters on equity and debt capital markets transactions, liability management, and corporate governance matters, as well as mergers and acquisitions across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa regions. His work encompasses SEC-registered and Rule 144A/Regulation S equity offerings, including initial public offerings, privatizations, rights issues, follow-on offerings, and block trades; debt offerings, including medium term notes programs, stand-alone offerings, project bonds, and convertible/exchangeable offerings; and SPAC/de-SPAC transactions.
“Pawel has extensive experience serving clients in a wide range of industries important to the growth of the Middle East, including energy, real estate funds, and financial institutions. Providing this level of legal expertise consistently across our platform of lawyers is an important part of fulfilling our strong commitment to exceptional client service in the region and beyond,” said Khalid A. Al-Thebity, Greenberg Traurig’s Middle East Regional Chair and Managing Shareholder of the KSA location.
Al-Thebity notes that Greenberg Traurig is focused on the industries and business sectors most active in the Middle East, including real estate, infrastructure & transportation, energy & natural resources, hospitality, finance & restructuring, M&A, private equity, private credit, tax, sports & entertainment — including venue, talent, entertainment, licensing, and other needs— capital markets, arbitrations & disputes, health care and life sciences.
“Greenberg Traurig offers a tremendous opportunity for me to provide my clients with an extensive local and global platform of top tier legal counsel that supports virtually all aspects of their growth,” Szaja said. “The firm’s culture of entrepreneurship and collaboration, combined with the freedom to further build my international practice, is unique in its focus and precisely the approach needed to succeed in the worldwide legal marketplace.”
Szaja’s joining the firm comes as Greenberg Traurig also expands its UAE and KSA White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice. Benjamin D. Jones joined as a local partner in the practice in July, and Florence Jerome-Ball joined the practice in August as a senior associate.
Both lawyers were previously with Al Tamimi & Company in Dubai. Jones is a UK-qualified white collar crime lawyer and legal consultant in the UAE with 12 years of experience acting for clients on a broad spectrum of white collar crime matters, both internationally and regionally within the Gulf Cooperation Council. Jerome-Ball has wide-ranging experience assisting regional and international clients with a diverse array of cross-border financial crime and special projects cases across the region. Her cases involve root issues around fraud, bribery and corruption, anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, sanctions, mutual legal assistance, and extradition matters.
“Greenberg Traurig continues to strategically expand, adding highly skilled and experienced legal talent across practice areas that mirror client growth in the UAE, KSA, and globally,” said Steven Bainbridge and Sarah Mahood, Co-managing Shareholders of Greenberg Traurig’s UAE location, in a joint statement. “Our commitment to providing local counsel with an international reach sets us apart in the region, whose rapid growth is a significant factor in the global economy.”
