Senior hire in Dubai bolsters Herbert Smith Freehills project finance practice

Herbert Smith Freehills has appointed of Sarosh Mewawalla as a partner in the firm’s Dubai office, covering the Middle East region.

Mewawalla 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. His strong energy focus and expertise will also complement the firm’s wider energy and infrastructure practice and global Project Finance offering.

Mewawalla 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. He was also the UAE national managing partner for six 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, he 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 USD100 billion, including large scale power and water projects, private and public sector petrochemicals projects and public-private partnerships in social and heavy infrastructure. He joined the firm in July 2021.