Morgan Lewis bolsters UAE practice with partner duo in investment management
Morgan Lewis continues its strategic expansion in the Middle East with the addition of investment management partners Victoria Ferres and Sami Ben Dechiche, who join the firm’s Dubai office from A&O Shearman and Simmons & Simmons, respectively. Their arrival further strengthens Morgan Lewis’s regional footprint across three offices—Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh—and deepens its full-service capabilities for clients investing in the Middle East.
Ferres advises on financial services regulation, fintech, and compliance, including retail and consumer protection, while Dechiche counsels on fund formation, manager licensing, and cross-border fund investments. Together, they bolster the firm’s regional offering at a time of growing opportunity across the financial and investment sectors.
“The Middle East is a key driver of global capital and innovation,” said firm chair Jami McKeon. “With Victoria and Sami joining our 170-strong global investment management team, Morgan Lewis is even better positioned to guide clients through the region’s evolving regulatory landscape and expanding investment opportunities.”
“Global asset managers are looking to the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as increasingly critical markets, while regional sovereign wealth funds continue to expand their direct participation in GP structures and seed the next generation of local managers. Victoria and Sami’s arrival represents an important next step in the continued expansion of our tier-one investment management practice into Saudi Arabia,” said Timothy Levin, leader of the firm’s investment management practice.
Dubai office managing partner Alishia Sullivan noted, “Their addition further strengthens our already renowned funds practice in the region and reflects our commitment to deepening our capabilities where clients need us most. By integrating Victoria and Sami’s complementary strengths, we are enhancing a market-leading platform that delivers coordinated, commercially driven advice across fintech, funds, corporate, tax, and the broader investment landscape.”
Victoria Ferres advises financial institutions, nonfinancial institutions, and government-related authorities on a broad range of financial regulatory, fintech, compliance, and financial crime-related matters. Victoria also regularly helps clients design and implement internal policies, procedures, and systems and controls in line with international compliance standards and best practices. Ferres shared, “Clients in the Middle East are looking for advisers who can deliver both technical and commercial capability across jurisdictions as the region continues to enhance its financial ecosystems. Morgan Lewis’s global reach and deep bench provide the sophistication clients expect as the region’s regulatory and commercial frameworks continue to rapidly expand and develop in line with international standards and best practices.”
Sami Ben Dechiche focuses on fund structuring, formation, and investment matters, advising fund managers and institutional investors on regulated investment platforms. Sami is fluent in English and French and conversant in Arabic (Tunisian dialect). He said, “The Gulf is attracting unprecedented global capital flows, and clients increasingly require holistic, cross-border counsel from advisors who understand the region’s regulatory and commercial dynamics. Morgan Lewis’s global investment management platform and expanding regional presence create the perfect foundation to support clients as they deploy capital and build structures across the UAE, KSA, and beyond.”
