Taylor Wessing gets Islamic finance expert

NEALE Downes has joined Taylor Wessing’s Dubai office. Downes joins Taylor Wessing from Trowers & Hamlins’ Bahrain office, where he headed up its regional banking and finance practice. His expertise includes asset-backed and asset-based financing (including securitisations), syndicated lending, project finance, acquisition finance and other leveraged and structured finance. He has a well known strength in Islamic finance work, having been involved in some of the region’s best known financing transactions.Neale acts for a wide range of international and local banks and other financial institutions. A spokesman said: “Neale has been based in the Middle East for almost ten years, so brings with him the in-depth regional knowledge that is so necessary for our local clients, as well as providing a boost to the increasingly international, institutional client base of Taylor Wessing’s wider finance practice. We are looking forward to Neale joining and bringing with him his experience, contacts and undoubtedly a leading finance practice.”