Global law firm Clyde & Co has grown its MENA partnership with the addition of a new corporate partner joining the firm’s Dubai office. More >>

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) has expanded its finance group with leading banking and finance partner hire Neale Downes in the Dubai office. Neale’s experience includes corporate lending, structured finance, acquisition finance, trade finance, project, construction and development finance and in particular, Islamic Finance. More >>

Hogan Lovells is expanding its Dubai office with the addition of partners Charles Fuller, Andrew Tarbuck and Anthony Pallett. They are joining from Latham & Watkins in Dubai. Charles and Andrew join the Corporate practice while Anthony joins the firm’s Finance practice. More >>

International law firm Simmons & Simmons has hired James Coleman as corporate partner* in the Dubai office. More >>

A cross border team from global legal practice Norton Rose Fulbright has advised Emirates on a US$913 million Sukuk, marking a world first for utilising a UK Export Finance (UKEF) backed Sukuk for an aircraft financing, the first time that a Sukuk has been used to pre-fund the acquisition of aircraft and the first ever Sukuk financing for A380 aircraft. The proceeds from the issuance of the Certificates will be used to fund the acquisition of four Airbus A380-800 aircraft, which are expected to be delivered in April, May, June and July 2015. The aircraft will be leased to and operated by Emirates More >>

Baker Botts LLP, a leading international law firm, announced today that Abdullah Mutawi has joined the firm as a partner in the Corporate Group, and Lucas Pitts has joined the firm as a partner in the firm’s International Dispute Resolution Group. Both will be based in the firm’s Dubai office. More >>

Dentons advised Sumitomo Chemical on its participation in the expansion of the refining and petrochemical complex owned and operated by Rabigh Refining & Petrochemical Company (Petro Rabigh). Sumitomo Chemical is a founding shareholder of, Petro Rabigh together with Saudi Aramco. The expansion project reached financial close on 16 March 2015 and the total project cost is estimated at US$8 billion. Sumitomo Chemical’s participation will initially take the form of a US$1 billion equity bridge loan guaranteed by Sumitomo Chemical, alongside a similar loan guaranteed by Saudi Aramco. More >>

Following on from the addition of new partners in its Athens, London and New York offices in 2015, Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) is pleased to welcome experienced corporate lawyer Suhail Mirza as a partner in its Dubai office. Suhail’s diverse practice covers the full spectrum of corporate and commercial work, including cross-border M&A, strategic joint ventures and corporate restructuring. He joins the firm from K&L Gates More >>