Law firm highlights – April 2022
- HFW has elected new global group heads and formed a new Management Board as it seeks to accelerate growth across its international network. Key changes include Mert Hifzi being elected as the new head of HFW’s global aerospace group, following the previous head Giles Kavanagh’s election as the firm’s Global senior partner; Michael Sergeant being elected as the new head of construction, with the previous head Carolyn Chudleigh elected as head of corporate and commercial; and Christopher Foster being elected as the new head of insurance and reinsurance. Geneva-based Olivier Bazin has been appointed as the firm’s new head of finance. Alistair Feeney and Paul Dean were re-elected as heads of the firm’s leading commodities and shipping groups, respectively. HFW’s group and practice heads form the firm’s new Management Board, alongside managing partner Jeremy Shebson, new global senior partner Giles Kavanagh, chief operating officer Sid Welham, chief financial officer Hamedeh Ghobadian, global HR director Corrin Kaye and external board member Harry Nicholson, who previously held UK, EMEIA and global leadership roles as a partner at EY-Parthenon – EY’s strategy consulting arm. It is the first time that HFW has appointed an external Board member, and the first time that its Board has featured a representative from the firm’s HR department. HFW has also appointed three new office heads across its global network: Yaman Al Hawamdeh in Dubai, Amanda Kujda in Houston, and Jean-Marc Zampa in Paris. Jeremy Shebson, Managing Partner, HFW, “I am very pleased to welcome our newest Board members, group leads and office heads. They are joining our senior management team at a very important time for HFW, as we look to really ramp up our growth across our core sectors, services and international network. As we embark upon a period of expansion and change, we felt it would be particularly beneficial to have some external perspective on the Board, and Harry Nicholson brings significant experience, having helped build EY-Parthenon from a start-up to a global strategy consulting team of 1,800. Our new Board also for the first time includes representation from HR, reflecting our focus on our people and the critical role they play in our success as a business.” The new Board will govern and drive HFW’s business and operations, including financial performance, strategy, structure and staffing, partnership interests, and client management.
Al Tamimi & Company has announced that it will open a new office in Casablanca, Morocco on April 1, 2022. The expansion will see the law firm grow its footprint in the MENA region to 17 offices across 10 countries. Al Tamimi and Company’s move into Morocco builds on its strategic expansion plans for the African continent and follows a successful 2021 office opening in Port Said, Egypt. The new office in Casablanca is the firm’s third office in Africa (Cairo, Port Said and Casablanca) and will play an important role in realising Al Tamimi & Company’s long-term vision. Morocco was identified as a destination due to its position as a gateway for investment into Africa, and it acts as a strategic base for law firms and international businesses that are looking to operate in the region. These factors combined with a well-deveoped market, and the opportunity to support clients across a variety of African territories made Morocco an attractive location for Al Tamimi & Company to set up its new office. As of April 1, 2022, Nesrine Roudane, managing partner of Roudane & Partners Law Firm, will become a partner of Al Tamimi & Company and act as head of the Morocco office. Commenting on the opening of the Casablanca office, Samer Qudah, managing partner at Al Tamimi & Company said, “This marks an important moment for us, and we are delighted to expand the Al Tamimi & Company brand and grow our footprint in Africa. Establishing an office in Casablanca moves us a step closer to achieving our vision, which is to be the leading law firm in the Middle East and North Africa. Opening the new office at a time like this is an indicator of our ambition to continue to expand our presence, particularly in Africa, as it remains a strategically important region for our clients and the firm.” Essam Al Tamimi, chairman, Al Tamimi & Company commented, “As the firm enters its 33rd year, expanding further into Africa is a timely reminder of how far we have come. As one of Africa’s largest economies, Morocco is an exciting market for the firm and we look forward to building our practice, working with our clients, and offering them the high standard of expertise and service they would expect from Al Tamimi & Company.” Nesrine Roudane, partner and head of the Morocco office at Al Tamimi & Company said, “I am excited to become a partner of Al Tamimi & Company and to lead the team in Casablanca. I look forward to offering our clients the unrivalled capability and experience that Al Tamimi & Company will bring to the Moroccan market. We are here to ensure our clients have access to the best legal services in Morocco.”
The law firms BonelliErede and Zahaf & Partners have launched an exclusive cooperation in Libya. The expansion BonelliErede embarked on into Africa and the Middle East back in 2016 has just reached a new milestone: a cooperation with Zahaf & Partners, a leading Libyan law firm with extensive experience assisting institutions and local and foreign companies. The cooperation will enable BonelliErede to expand its presence in the area, thereby continuing on a path of strategic development that has seen it open offices in Cairo, Addis Ababa and Dubai, grow its team, and expand its network of law firms to partner with. Zahaf & Partners, based in Tripoli, is well-known in the local and international market for its assistance in all areas of law, with a particular focus on dispute resolution, litigation, arbitration and project finance. The firm – led by its founder, Dr. Saleh Mohammed Zahaf – has 10 professionals and considerable experience in various industrial sectors relevant to Libya, including oil and gas, construction, heavy industry, transport, aviation and defence, and telecommunications. Dr. Saleh Zahaf boasts over 30 years of experience and an impressive track record in supporting international investors in Libya. He has also played a key role in drafting legislative documents to attract investment to the country and assisted with the privatisation of some local banks. Stefano Simontacchi, President of BonelliErede, said, “This cooperation fits right in with the strategic path we embarked on a few years ago, as it takes us a step further in our growth in Africa and the Middle East. We are now present in 34 jurisdictions and thus offer in-depth, targeted knowledge across a very large and diversified area. Libya, despite its current political situation, is a very dynamic market full of opportunities for international investors in various fields that are facilitating the country’s reconstruction. And I believe there will be strong synergy between the BonelliErede offices in Africa and the Middle East, especially the Cairo office.” Dr. Saleh Zahaf, founding partner of Zahaf & Partners, added, “Strengthening our partnership with BonelliErede, a firm we know well and have been working with closely for some years now, is a source of great pride for us. This fruitful cooperation will enable us to expand our international reach and strengthen our positioning in Libya. With Italian and European companies showing a growing interest in the Libyan market, this cooperation will boost both our firms’ abilities to offer a broader range of services and to seize these new opportunities.”
