Herbert Smith Freehills today announces the appointment of Sarosh Mewawalla as a partner in the firm’s Dubai office, covering the Middle East region. Sarosh joins after almost 30 years at Linklaters, where he was head of the energy, infrastructure and project finance Practice for the Middle East for 12 years.
Sarosh has been in the Middle East for over a decade and is one of the best-known names in the project finance sector in the Middle East. He advises on large and strategic projects, with a particular focus on power, petrochemicals, and infrastructure.
Sarosh’s appointment follows a refresh of Herbert Smith Freehills’ strategy in the Middle East which will see focused investment in the firm’s energy and infrastructure offering. This includes a commitment to enhance the firm’s Project Finance capability to complement the firm’s thriving Projects practice in the region, where further additions to the team are also anticipated. This will ensure Herbert Smith Freehills continues to meet evolving client needs as the Middle East region focuses increasingly on domestic investment, diversification to a tourism-oriented economy and the shift to renewable energy. Sarosh’s strong energy focus and expertise will also complement the firm’s wider energy and infrastructure practice and global Project Finance offering.
He was also the UAE National Managing Partner for 6 years and led the opening of Linklaters’ office in Abu Dhabi and was instrumental in cementing the firm’s association with its Saudi law ally in Riyadh. Prior to moving to Dubai, Sarosh established Linklaters’ office in Milan, Italy.
He brings extensive experience of deals in the Middle East, with a focus on Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council. During his time in the region, he has advised on transactions with a value of over US$100 billion, including large scale power and water projects, private and public sector petrochemicals projects and public-private partnerships in social and heavy infrastructure.
Sarosh will join with effect from July 2021.
Commenting on the appointment, Stuart Paterson, Herbert Smith Freehills’ managing partner in the Middle East, says: “I am delighted to welcome one of the Middle East’s most respected lawyers to our Project Finance Practice. The geopolitical importance of the region cannot be overstated and together with its shifting focus on renewable energy, infrastructure development regeneration, it is an exciting time for clients. By bringing an individual with deep knowledge of the region into our team we are determined to continue to provide our clients with the service, expertise and advice that they need to ensure the region continues to develop. We will continue to grow in the Middle East and capitalise on the strong pipeline of investment and large-scale projects planned in the region. ”
Martin Kavanagh, co-head of Herbert Smith Freehills’ Middle East Group, said: “Sarosh is a leading name both in the region and in the global project finance market. He is a fantastic addition to the team. His track record of delivery on some of the region’s biggest infrastructure projects in recent years adds to our expertise and will serve to bolster our client offering in such a critical region.”
Herbert Smith Freehills’ Dubai office serves as the hub of the firm’s Middle East operations, providing corporate, finance, projects and real estate advice to clients, and helping resolve disputes in all of these sectors.
Advising on Middle East transactions for almost 45 years, the firm’s multidisciplinary team acts for international and regional clients conducting business throughout the Middle East and North Africa with legal experts working on notable deals in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan and India.
Source: www.herbertsmithfreehills.com
