This week’s Movers & Shakers (Sep 24, 2020)

Addleshaw Goddard confirms its ongoing investment into its international energy practice with significant lateral hire

Addleshaw Goddard has made a further lateral hire into its international Infrastructure, Projects and Energy practice (IPE) announcing the appointment of Paul Jones from Dubai’s Dragon Oil.

Jones, who is returning to London from Dubai, has extensive experience across the full energy-value chain, with a particular emphasis on advising clients on upstream oil and gas, LNG, energy transition projects to low carbon, and transactions across Africa and the Middle East.

Prior to moving to the Middle East in 2016, where he transitioned from a client secondment while at Bracewell LLP to working for Dragon Oil as general counsel, Jones worked extensively across African markets in law firms in both Ghana and Tanzania, advising clients on transactions in over twenty countries across the continent.

Jones’ hire follows on from the lateral hires of partners Suzanne Moir, from DWF and his former Bracewell LLP colleague, Martin Stewart-Smith earlier this year, and marks the tenth lateral hire into AG’s IPE team in the past eighteen months, as part of a strategic plan to grow its energy capability.

Beale & Co hires MEA chief legal officer to join construction team in Dubai

Beale & Co have recently secured the hire of highly experienced construction lawyer, Lyndon Richards, who joins the firm’s Dubai office in September 2020. Former MEA chief legal officer at AECOM, Lyndon has almost 30 years’ experience in the law, specialising in construction and insurance related matters, and has been practising in the UAE since 2014.

Richards trained with Beale & Co and was a partner with the firm until 2009. He has acted on numerous non-contentious and contentious matters for developers, contractors, sub-contractors and most types of construction professionals including engineers, architects and project managers.

Before re-joining Beale & Co in 2020, Richards most recently worked as regional in-house MENA counsel for two global multidisciplinary consultancies in the UAE – AECOM and Atkins. Richards’ in-house roles involved him being part of the Senior Leadership team, which gave him an invaluable insight into the commercial activities of consultants, which has added to his commercial acumen.

Richards has considerable experience in large, complex and high value construction matters. This includes non-contentious advice on standard and bespoke forms of contract and contentious advice on related professional indemnity claims arising from significant rail, energy, property and infrastructure projects in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and in Europe.

Mayer Brown continues restructuring expansion with hire of Barry Cosgrave

Mayer Brown further expanded its restructuring and special situation capabilities with the hire of Barry Cosgrave as a partner, who will work from the firm’s London and Dubai offices. Cosgrave joins Mayer Brown from K&L Gates, where he was a partner and the EMEA practice coordinator for the restructuring and insolvency group.
Cosgrave has a broad practice that includes distressed debt, restructuring and special situations, where he acts for private equity funds, distressed companies, investors and financial sponsors. The other significant area of his practice is debt capital markets and structured finance, including Islamic finance. He represents clients in Europe, the US, Africa, the Middle East and those in emerging markets. He also represents international banks, hedge funds, asset managers and insurance companies on banking, funds, securities and regulatory matters in the Middle East. Cosgrave will work from the firm’s London and Dubai offices.

Norton Rose Fulbright bolsters Riyadh office with new IP partner

Norton Rose Fulbright has appointed Zayd Alathari, an intellectual property lawyer with experience in the Middle East and the US, has joined its Riyadh office as a partner.

Alathari joins the Mohammed Al-Ghamdi Law Firm in association with Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP from Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), where he led the company’s IP initiatives as its senior manager & IP counsel in the Middle East and Africa.

In eight years at SABIC, Alathari led a team that supported SABIC’s Middle East and Africa manufacturing teams and the company’s global technology & innovation teams for the chemical, agri-nutrients and metal business in the US, Europe, Middle East, China and India. Alathari also helped develop and implement SABIC’s global IP strategies and policies, and he provided legal and IP advice and contract support to protect and enhance the value of the company’s technology.

Additionally, Alathari and his team drafted and negotiated a wide range of technology agreements; prepared and prosecuted patent applications; managed and maintained patent portfolios; conducted due diligence; and handled freedom to operate (FTO) opinions.

Before his in-house career in Saudi Arabia, Alathari practiced at Venable LLP in Washington, DC. As an associate and registered patent attorney, he advised US-based and international clients on IP litigation, transaction and patent prosecution matters.

Alathari, who is also a member of the Gulf Petrochemical and Chemical Association’s (GPCA) research and innovation committee, said, “Saudi Arabia’s ambitious economic growth and diversification efforts are transforming the region as it heavily invests in technology, digitalisation, localisation, data protection and management, and a circular economy. Strong IP rights are critical to protecting these initiatives, and Norton Rose Fulbright’s global presence will help my clients realise and commercialise their maximum potential.”

Alathari earned his JD at American University Washington College of Law, his MS at Johns Hopkins University and his BS in biology from The George Washington University. A registered patent attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), he is licensed to practice in the District of Columbia and Virginia.