Eversheds Sutherland bolsters its Energy and Infrastructure practice

Eversheds Sutherland has announced the relocation of two senior partners to expand the Energy and Infrastructure practice in the region.

Iwan Walters and Karim Mahmud joined the Dubai office in April and July respectively. Both Iwan and Karim have significant global experience advising on energy and infrastructure projects across the MENA region. As Dubai develops as a capital hub for investments in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and other regions around the world, the global practice is keen to mobilise service expertise to advise its clients.

With a growing trend to develop renewable energy schemes in the Middle East and Africa, Iwan has been appointed head of clean energy and sustainability MENA.  As one of Eversheds Sutherland’s leading clean energy and sustainability lawyers, he has advised on the development of renewables work in the MENA region, including Egypt, Oman, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

With over 25 years of experience, Karim has been appointed head of conventional energy and infrastructure MENA. He will focus on the development of major energy and infrastructure projects in the oil and gas, conventional power, transport and social infrastructure sectors. Karim has advised project sponsors, governments (including national energy companies) and major engineering companies on multi-$bn projects in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe.

Tawfiq Tabbaa, regional managing partner, commented, “I am delighted that Iwan and Karim have relocated to Dubai. We have one of the largest teams in the Middle East and continue to invest. Our priority is to provide our clients with a global perspective coupled with local knowledge and expertise. With Iwan and Karim on board we are well-placed to deliver this.”

Rob Pitcher, co-head global energy and infrastructure, said, “Iwan and Karim have been working for clients based in the MENA region for many years. It is important for our clients that they are based in Dubai. Infrastructure and clean energy projects require global consistency and our clients and their investors expect us, in all our work, to incorporate best approaches and lessons learnt from  other markets, as well as understanding the dynamics of local markets. Iwan and Karim bring these attributes to the work we are doing for our very important clients in these sectors.”

Iwan and Karim have joined a strong existing team across eight offices in six countries in the MENA region – Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Riyadh, Amman, Doha, Baghdad, Erbil and Tunis. Team partners include Clint Dempsey, Paul Taylor, Shalagh Massingham, Iyad Zawaideh, Muhammad Arif Saeed, Dani Kabbani, Richard Ward, Tawfiq Tabbaa and Farès Koussay El Heni. Iwan and Karim’s relocation follows the appointment of partner Paul Taylor to the Dubai team in the Middle East.