A&O Shearman’s partner promotions
A&O Shearman announced that 33 lawyers have been promoted to its partnership, effective May 1, 2025. The promotions have been made across 11 of the firm’s practice areas in 16 different offices throughout 11 countries.
Regionally, there were 14 promotions across Continental Europe, nine in the United Kingdom, four in the United States, four in Asia Pacific and two in the Middle East. Across the firm’s practices globally, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) saw the largest intake of new partners with ten promotions, followed by Energy, Natural Resources and Infrastructure (ENRI) with five. Debt Finance, Litigation and Investigations, and Real Estate had three promotions each. Funds and Asset Management, Global Financial Markets, and Tax had two promotions each, while there was one each in the Markets Innovation Group, Restructuring and Asset Finance.
Khalid Garousha, senior partner at A&O Shearman, said, “It is immensely gratifying to promote from within and recognise the hard work and dedication of our new partners. Their talent will be instrumental in helping us deliver innovative and high-quality solutions to the complex challenges our clients face. I look forward to seeing the impact they will make as we continue to strengthen our capabilities and shape the future of our firm.”
The two partners in the Middle East are: Mike Campbell and Richard Chamberlain in Dubai.
David Foster, managing partner of META, said, “It’s an exciting time to welcome this talented group of lawyers to our partnership as we celebrate our continued growth in the META region and one year since our merger to become A&O Shearman. Mike Campbell and Richard Chamberlain, both from our ENRI sector in Dubai, exemplify the quality and depth of our firm in this dynamic region. Their expertise will be instrumental as we expand our market presence. We are confident that they will continue to achieve great things and be exceptional partners.”
Richard Chamberlain is a seasoned project development and construction lawyer with over a decade of on-the-ground experience in the Middle East. He is a trusted advisor to governments, developers, lenders, and contractors on their large-scale project development, with a particular focus on energy (comprising traditional oil & gas, energy transition, and petrochemicals), digital infrastructure, and traditional infrastructure. Richard has extensive expertise advising on public-private partnerships (PPPs) and project financings across a diverse array of sectors, including power, utilities, social infrastructure, data centres, transport, oil and gas, and petrochemicals. His highly commercial and pragmatic approach to his work has earned him a reputation for providing solution-oriented advice and successfully navigating complex deals. Clients consistently praise Richard for his deep knowledge of the Middle East market and his ability to get deals done quickly and effectively.
Mike Campbell is a distinguished senior projects, energy, and infrastructure lawyer based in Dubai, who relocated from the firm’s London office in 2017. With extensive experience in project and infrastructure financings and refinancings across EMEA, Mike has advised sponsors, lenders, and procurers on a diverse array of assets within the energy, infrastructure, and industrial sectors with a particular focus on large and complex projects across the GCC. His experience extends across the oil and gas, petrochemicals, energy transition (including carbon capture, storage, and hydrogen), power and renewables and to social, transport and digital infrastructure, natural resources, and industrial projects. In addition to providing day to day client advice, Mike has made significant strides in legaltech, including leading a team that developed an AI-assisted Covid-19 contract review platform, which received high commendation in the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Report. Whether advising on transactions or supporting clients with their wider commercial objectives, his innovative approach and commitment to solving client problems sets him apart in the industry
