Law firm highlights – May 2022

• ALFA International (ALFAI) has announced that Al-Hamad Legal Group, the current member firm in Kuwait, has expanded its membership to include Egypt. Al-Hamad Legal Group has had a historic footprint in Egypt since its formation in 2003. The firm is actively engaged in transactional and litigation activities in Egypt, including international arbitration on and for Egyptian-based entities. Al-Hamad Legal Group provides a unique suite of legal and strategic services to governments, fortune 500 companies, national and international organisations and high-net-worth individuals. Clients include a leading commercial airlines operation based in Egypt and international investors investing into oil and gas, development, commercial and construction projects, including hotels, commercial malls and residential units. Additionally, the firm has advised telecom and acted on behalf of Egyptian-government-owned commercial entities doing business in the United States and the United Kingdom. Al-Hamad Legal Group has named Rana Yacoub Al-Hamad, Salim Ali, Dr. Ahmad Alshorbagy and Kareem Samy Sallam as its main ALFAI contact partners. The attorneys will be involved in the Corporate Transactions and African Regional Groups. Salim Ali, partner and head of Al-Hamad Legal Group’s International Division, said, “Our firm’s Kuwait office has enjoyed the ALFAI relationship since first submitting its application in 2016. We are also excited now to be representing ALFAI in Egypt.” ALFAI is strongly focused on increasing its footprint in Africa. Therefore, we were delighted that Al-Hamad Legal Group, our well respected ALFAI member in Kuwait, was interested in expanding its membership into Egypt,” stated Jessica Zaroski Bauer, CEO of ALFAI.

• 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.

• Simmons & Simmons has announced the appointment of its first global head of ESG, Sonali Siriwardena. Siriwardena joined Simmons in April and is based in the firm’s London office. Siriwardena joins the firm from Morgan Stanley where she has spent more than a decade, in both legal and business roles. Most recently was head of sustainability regulation and policy for Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM). In that role, she was accountable for MSIM’s Sustainable Investing Policy for its fund ranges and was responsible for the response to global ESG-related policy consultations, including the implementation of ESG regulation. Siriwardena will be working with the firm’s clients and further bringing together Simmons’ global ESG strategy across all its four key sectors. Working across all practice areas and offices, she will be responsible for the continued development of the firm’s essential ESG reflex, effectively enabling all teams to service clients on their ESG instructions as well as having the understanding to consider it in every matter that the firm advises clients on. On Siriwardena joining the firm, senior partner Julian Taylor commented, “This is the latest significant strategic move that Simmons has made in 2022. Following our announcement of the firm’s first US office, the creation of a global head of ESG role is a clear demonstration of our commitment to furnishing clients with next generation ESG advice. Sonali will be responsible for weaving together the areas of ESG expertise where Simmons has a market leading reputation and further developing our peoples’ ESG reflex.” On her new role at Simmons, Siriwardena commented, “The opportunity to spearhead the external ESG strategy for Simmons is compelling as ESG is no longer a tick box exercise and should be the cornerstone of company operations across all industries and sectors. My business and legal background has given me a clear view of how sustainability regulation and policy impact company strategy and stock valuations. I will leverage this experience to enable Simmons build on its existing ESG expertise to carve out a position at the forefront of legal advisers, delivering market leading ESG advice to clients across all matters.” Her appointment is complimented by the recent appointment of the firm’s head of purpose and impact, Sophia Adams Bhatti who will be spearheading the firm’s drive to deliver purposeful impact through its work and commitments.