Simmons & Simmons expands with double partner hire

Simmons & Simmons has strengthened its Middle East practice with two partner hires in its international Corporate Group. 

ARNAUD DEPIERREFEU has joined the Doha office, and brings with him a wealth of experience in the Middle East. Depierrefeu has been working in Qatar since 2009. His practice is focused on handling corporate and commercial matters, as well as projects for international companies wishing to establish themselves and to operate in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Gulf countries. Depierrefeu, who has worked with clients across the Energy & Infrastructure Sector, has worked in Paris and Shanghai, and is a French-qualified lawyer. He is also one of the few foreign lawyers to be admitted in Qatar. 

HAITHAM HAWASHIN will join the Abu Dhabi office this month. He is an Australian qualified lawyer who joins from Khalifeh & Partners in Jordan where he is a partner. His experience includes advising on private equity, corporate structuring and restructuring, acquisitions and disposals, and debt and equity capital markets transactions across Asia and the Middle East. He is fluent in both English and Arabic. Prior to moving to the Middle East five years ago, Hawashin spent ten years at Linklaters in the Singapore and Hong Kong offices and Baker & McKenzie in the Australian and Taiwan offices.