Akin strengthens investment management practice with Middle East partner hires
Akin announced that Andrea Dougall and Marie-Sophie Bandeira Vieira have joined the firm as partners in its investment management practice in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, respectively. Having worked together previously, they reunite to expand Akin’s full-service alternative investments offering in the region, bringing a depth of shared experience and market knowledge, and further strengthening the firm’s globally integrated and market-leading investment management practice.
“The addition of Andrea and Marie underscores our long-term commitment to growth in the Middle East,” said Akin co-chair Abid Qureshi. “Their arrival marks an important step in the continued expansion of our investment management platform, enhancing our ability to deliver a full-service alternative investments offering in the region that mirrors the strength and sophistication of our platforms in the US and London.”
Andrea Dougall (Abu Dhabi) has been based in the region for more than 12 years and represents sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and other leading institutional investors on global fund investments. She advises on investments in open and closed-ended funds, separately managed accounts, co-investments, joint ventures and other bespoke investment structures and platforms across the alternative investment landscape. She has advised many of the region’s most prominent investors, growing her practice alongside them, and combines an in-depth knowledge of the regional landscape with long-standing client relationships across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Marie-Sophie Bandeira Vieira (Dubai) advises sponsors on the structuring, formation and operation of private investment funds across asset classes, guiding them through the full fund life cycle, from regulatory licensing and authorisation through to fund launch and ongoing compliance. She also advises some of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and other leading institutional investors on private fund investments, co-investments, separately managed accounts and other bespoke investment platforms.
“Andrea and Marie have worked together for a number of years and bring complementary strengths and deep relationships across the Middle East investment management market,” said Daniel Quinn, co-leader of the firm’s investment management practice. “Marie’s sponsor-side work and Andrea’s long-standing relationships with leading institutional investors create a combination few firms can rival. Together with the recent relocation of London partner Tim Pearce to Abu Dhabi, their arrival reinforces Akin’s position as a premier funds adviser in the Middle East.”
Barbara Niederkofler, Akin co-leader of investment management, continued, “As capital continues to move across global markets and asset classes, clients increasingly seek advisers who understand how they operate and can provide seamless support across the full breadth of alternative investments. Andrea and Marie reinforce Akin’s position as a premier destination for private funds and deepen our capabilities for both GP and LP clients, where each is highly regarded in the region.”
“The Middle East has become one of the most strategically important markets in the global alternative investment landscape, and Akin, with a presence in the region spanning more than two decades, has the platform, depth and commitment to capture that opportunity for clients,” said Andrea. “I’m delighted to be joining the team. Delivering here starts with a true understanding of the market: how clients operate, what they are working to achieve, and where we can add the most value. Having practiced here for more than 12 years, I’ve seen that this insight can only be built on the ground. I look forward to working with Marie, Tim and the wider team to expand the firm’s offering and support clients across the full spectrum of alternative investment opportunities.”
“Reuniting with Andrea at Akin presents a significant opportunity. The Gulf is no longer only a source of capital. It is increasingly where funds are established, regulated and marketed, and sponsors need international structuring standards and regional fluency in one place. Andrea and I draw on a shared perspective, and between us we have a depth of knowledge of this market that sets the offering apart,” said Dougall. “With the firm’s globally integrated investment management platform behind us, this is what we look forward to offering clients in the UAE and beyond.”
Dougall joins the firm from Morgan Lewis where she was partner in the investment management practice. Vieira joins the firm from White & Case where she was a partner in the global investment funds group.
Dougall and Vieira will be hosting a roundtable discussion at the Dubai Private Capital Summit on September 15, 2026. In addition, they will be speaking at Akin’s 2026 Funds Conference taking place in New York on September 24, 2026.
