Law firm highlights – Feb 2023

• Norton Rose Fulbright has reappointment of Peter Scott as managing partner for Europe, Middle East and Asia (EMEA) for a second three-year term, effective April 1, 2023. Having trained with Norton Rose Fulbright and spending the first six years of his career as a commercial litigator, he joined the antitrust and competition team in 2005 and was made a partner in the team two years later. Prior to taking on the role of managing partner, he led the firm’s EMEA litigation and disputes team as well as its global antitrust and competition team. Scott commented, “I’m excited to continue as managing partner for a second three-year term and thank my colleagues for their support. We have made great progress over the last three years, notwithstanding wider challenges, and have a well-diversified international business with huge potential. I look forward to working with our leadership team to continue to build the firm for the future.”

• Clifford Chance has announced that it has relocated its Dubai office to ICD Brookfield Place, a 1.1 million-square-foot office and retail complex in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The world-class 53-story property is the largest and tallest LEED Platinum certified office tower in the Europe & Middle East region and possesses all the key elements of Brookfield Properties’ successful placemaking ethos focusing on culture, wellness, sustainability, and experience. Designed in line with the firm’s Responsible Business commitments and Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) standards, the new Clifford Chance Dubai office will be LEED Gold accredited. It is spread across 19,718 square feet, occupying level 32 of the building and offering unrivalled panoramic views of the DIFC and Downtown Dubai as well as improved access to daylight for lawyers and staff. Among the environmental features of the new office are smart building sensors to monitor air quality, water usage monitoring, more recycling points and sustainably sourced fit-out materials. Teams will use an online booking system to make desk usage more efficient and reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. Mohammed Al-Shukairy, regional managing partner of Clifford Chance in the Middle East commented, “We are delighted to move into a state-of-the-art building which is also in closer proximity to our clients. We have redesigned our office layout to foster an innovative, flexible and sustainable work environment for our market-leading teams which reflects our commitment to continuously improving the service we deliver to our clients.”

• Al Tamimi & Company has relocated to new premises in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as part of their KSA growth plans. The move will see the firm’s team in Al Khobar shift to a bigger office space in order to accommodate their growing team. The office in Abdulhadi Al Hugayet Tower is located in the busy commercial centre in the city of Al Khobar. The growth of the firm’s team in Al Khobar shows its continued commitment to The Kingdom and is testament to a buoyant KSA market. Commenting on the move, Samer Qudah, managing partner, Al Tamimi & Company said, “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is vital to our growth plans. This move not only reinforces our ambition to be a regional leader, but it reaffirms our commitment to investing in the Kingdom and playing our role in supporting the Saudi Vision 2030. We want to ensure a first-class experience for our clients and colleagues across all the jurisdictions where we have offices, and this includes securing office space in the best office buildings. Along with this is the ESG standards we set for the firm, and this move will allow the firm to improve its environmental footprint and achieve its sustainability objectives in Al Khobar as well attract a more diverse workforce.”