This week’s Movers & Shakers (Oct 6, 2022)
Morgan Lewis continues to expand its global tax practice with Todd Smith
With a unique skill set ranging from serving in-house internationally and at a Big Four accounting firm to private practice in Big Law and in the US government, Todd Smith joins Morgan Lewis as a tax partner. Smith, who was most recently with the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, will be based in the firm’s London office and will focus on US and international tax matters for sovereign and other institutional investors and multinational businesses. As lead tax counsel with the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Smith managed legal, tax, and commercial aspects of a variety of international investments in sectors such as private equity, infrastructure, and real estate for the fund’s investments in the Americas. Prior, he advised on mergers and acquisitions tax issues within a global accounting firm and was a tax associate at two top 100 law firms named by The American Lawyer. Smith also has served as a law clerk to the US Senate Committee on Finance.
“As we seek to enhance our global tax capabilities, Todd brings experience with highly technical, cross-border transactions and complex tax planning that takes many years of practice to develop,” said firm chair Jami McKeon. “His presence in London provides our clients with on-the-ground US tax advice, while his insight into sovereign and similarly situated investors will serve these clients’ related tax needs.”
“Todd is already well known to many of our team, and he will be a great cultural fit within our global platform,” said Bart Bassett, who leads Morgan Lewis’s global tax practice. “Working closely with our international tax team throughout Europe, the Middle East, the United States, and Asia, Todd will be integral to the rapidly evolving and intricate global tax landscape where our clients seek cross-border counsel in real time.”
DLA Piper expands its MENA capabilities with new IP partner appointment
DLA Piper has appointed Saba Al Sultani as a partner in its intellectual property and technology group, based in Dubai.
Saba joins DLA Piper from Cedar White Bradley (CWB), where she was a partner and head of trademarks since 2018, having previously worked at Clyde & Co in Dubai for over seven years. Her appointment further strengthens the firm’s international IP ranks, adding to its growing footprint in the MENA region.
Having been in the region for over 11 years, Saba joins with extensive experience advising on both contentious and non-contentious IP matters across the entire region. Specialising in all aspects of trademark, design, copyright and domain name matters, Saba has acted for some of the world’s biggest and best-known brands, including on major global and multi-jurisdictional disputes.
Paul Allen, global co-chair of intellectual property and technology, commented, “We’re excited to welcome Saba into our truly international IP team. The experience she brings to the table advising on complex and multi-jurisdictional IP matters and disputes, from filing to enforcement, alongside the esteem in which she’s held for her work across the Middle East will prove invaluable. Saba’s appointment puts the firm in a fantastic position to grow the high-quality, and sought-after global IP advice we offer to this strategic market.”
Saba Al Sultani, joining partner, added, “I am absolutely delighted to have joined DLA Piper’s award-winning global IPT team and to be working with such a fantastic group of colleagues. I am very excited that my joining means the firm will now have a full-service IP offering across the MENA region, which further sets us apart from our competitors. I strongly believe that the firm’s unrivalled reputation coupled with my extensive regional experience in acting for both global and regional clients (including many of the biggest and most well-known brands in the world) means that ours will be the leading practice in the region”.
Linklaters strengthens energy & infrastructure offering in the Middle East with hire of David Miles
Linklaters announced that David Miles will be joining as a partner in the firm’s Energy & Infrastructure practice, based in Dubai. Miles has over 20 years of experience in structuring, advising on, and executing complex, high value financings in the energy and infrastructure sectors. He has worked on transactions in Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, but has a had particular focus on the Middle East for over a decade.
Miles joins Linklaters from Covington & Burling where he was a partner in the project development and finance group in London. Prior to this he was a partner at A&O, where he worked for over 16 years, in the UAE, London, Hong Kong SAR, Tokyo and New York.
Linklaters’ global head of energy & infrastructure Daniel Tyrer, commented, “David is an excellent addition to our market leading Energy and Infrastructure team in the Middle East. We have seen a significant increase in complex energy & infrastructure work in the MENA region and David’s very widely respected expertise and experience will help us to further strengthen our offering to provide best in class service to our clients as we continue to expand our coverage across the region”
Linklaters’ UAE managing partner Scott Campbell, added, “We are delighted to welcome David to our Dubai office. With the rise of transformative economic and social reforms in the Middle East, David’s extensive experience and knowledge of the market will help us to enhance our energy & infrastructure capability in the region and support our clients in taking advantage of the opportunities in this emerging market.”
