This week’s Movers & Shakers (April 29, 2022)
PwC Legal Middle East appoints Sirri Al Kaylani as the new director for the Energy and Projects Business Unit
PwC Legal Middle East has announced the appointment of Sirri Al Kaylani, a new Director in PwC Legal covering Energy & Infrastructure Projects starting from February 2022. Al-Kaylani is an experienced corporate/commercial lawyer with over 22 years of experience, including 11 years’ living and working in the Middle East. Sirri specializes in working on high value Energy and Infrastructure Projects, including projects in the Oil and Gas, PPP, IPP and IWPP projects in Power and Water Industries in the Middle East (including GCC), Africa and Europe.
Al-Kaylani qualified as a Solicitor of England & Wales in 2000. Throughout his 22-year career, he has advised National Oil Companies, International Oil Companies, Governments and a triple A rated Development Finance Institution (DFI) on Energy & Infrastructure Projects in the Oil & Gas and Power & Water Industries. He has been living in the Middle East since 2011 and has held General Counsel positions in leading companies in the Oil & Gas and Power & Water sectors in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
Commenting on his new role, Al-Kaylani noted: “I am excited to begin this new journey at PwC Legal Middle East leading Energy & Infrastructure Projects, building on my consistent track record of supporting and advising clients in the Oil & Gas and Power & Water Industries in the Middle East and bringing my experience of transforming corporate legal departments and setting up Compliance and Governance Departments.”
Darren Harris, PwC Legal Middle East’s leader, commenting on Al-Kaylani’s appointment, “I am delighted to welcome Sirri Al-Kaylani to our PwC legal team, to lead our energy and projects business unit and support our clients to achieve sustainable goals and impactful results. His experience in working with clients in the Energy & Infrastructure sectors in the Middle East including leading companies in the Oil & Gas and Power & Water Industries in the GCC notably the UAE and Saudi Arabia will play a key factor in enabling us to deliver efficient legal advisory services and add value whilst our clients continue to grow and meet the challenges and opportunities presented by the Energy Transition.”
Baker Botts Expands Technology Offering in the Middle East with new special counsel
Baker Botts L.L.P. announced that Rob Flaws has joined its Dubai office as special counsel in its Corporate Group, focusing on technology, data protection, and intellectual property. Flaws is a technology, intellectual property, FinTech and data protection law specialist. He joins Baker Botts with over a decade of experience supporting both international and local clients across the Middle East in understanding complex legal issues in relation to technology and data, managing their intellectual property, executing transactions, and providing creative, practical solutions to clients.
Flaws joins the firm from his role as global counsel for telecoms giant MTN, where he supported MTN in its provision of technology and telecoms services across multiple jurisdictions, and on the growth and development of its new mobile money and FinTech businesses.
Prior to joining MTN, Rob was based in Dubai as the head of the Middle East Technology and Intellectual Property practice for a leading international law firm and remains a recognized practitioner within the MENA region. His’s work has included advising clients on multi-million-dollar digital transformation and outsourcing projects, coordinating data protection compliance and cybersecurity programs and leading on breakthrough projects in the region in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, E-sports, FinTech and Blockchain. Flaws has also been heavily involved in the development and advancement of regulation in the fields of both data protection and FinTech, working with government entities and regulators to help shape legislation and assisting clients with responses to consultation papers and ongoing compliance with legislative developments in these and other areas.
Rania Tadros joins Stephenson Harwood as new Dubai office managing partner
Stephenson Harwood LLP has strengthened its Dubai office with the arrival of Rania Tadros as the new office managing partner. Tadros is a leading marine and international trade (MIT) lawyer and will join the firm’s global MIT practice. “Accelerating the growth of our international offices is a key focus for the firm and Rania’s arrival is a significant milestone in the development of our practice in the Middle East,” said Eifion Morris, CEO, Stephenson Harwood. “Not only does she bring the legal acumen that our clients expect, her experience and knowledge of the region will be incredibly valuable as we continue to grow our Dubai office. She has a mandate from me to grow our presence in the region, particularly in the areas of corporate, private wealth and litigation.
“From a personal point of view, I’m really looking forward to welcoming Rania into the global leadership team and benefitting from her years of leadership experience. The next few years, as we work together on our significant ambitions in the Middle East, will be exciting.”
Tadros is a shipping, offshore and trade lawyer, who has more than 20 years’ experience in shipping and offshore energy disputes, as well as providing commercial support to companies in the shipping and offshore sectors. She also specialises in issues that arise in construction contracts – and has advised on numerous related disputes – as well as being involved in local debt collection and bankruptcy work. Tadros will join the firm from Ince, where she was the Dubai office managing partner for more than seven years.
“This is a big coup for the MIT practice,” said Alex Davis, the MIT global practice group leader, Stephenson Harwood. “For some time now, we’ve focused on the development of our global business sectors, and Dubai is a vital hub. Strengthening our practice in the UAE, with a lawyer of Rania’s calibre, is a hugely important development.
“She is one of the finest marine and international trade lawyers in the region with particular expertise in the energy and offshore industry, which aligns perfectly with our existing strength in this sector. Her arrival is a real step forward for the MIT team and our global ambitions.”
A&O announces 39 new partners globally
Allen & Overy has announced the promotion of 39 new partners globally, effective from May 1, 2022. They represent 17 offices across the firm’s global network and 36 per cent of the new partners are women. Five of A&O’s main practice areas are represented by the group, with 13 new partners in Banking, 12 in Corporate, nine in Litigation, four in ICM and one in Tax.
Global managing partner Gareth Price commented, “The talent represented by this group of new partners is exceptional and I’d like to offer my congratulations to each of them. That this is one of the largest groups we have ever promoted demonstrates our continuing growth ambitions across multiple geographies and practice areas.”
Adam Banks and Kamar Jaffer from the banking practice area have been promoted to partner in the firm’s Dubai office.
Adam Banks has expertise covering distressed restructurings, bankruptcy related mandates and origination financings. He is based in Dubai from where he advises on situations across the wider Middle East region. Banks’ restructuring practice includes advising debtors, creditors (and creditors’ committees), insolvency practitioners and other stakeholders in distressed situations (including some of the largest and most prominent restructurings in the Middle-East). He also regularly advises in relation to origination financings where his clients include corporate debtors, sponsors, arrangers and financiers in a range of sectors including real estate, education and hospitality and in relation to a range of financing structures (both conventional and Shari’ah compliant).
Kamar Jaffer advises sponsors, managers, sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) and institutional investors on structuring and establishing investment funds (including Shari’a compliant funds), co-investments, segregated managed accounts, bespoke investment structures, joint ventures and cross-border M&A. Jaffer’s experience spans a broad range of sectors including private equity, debt, technology, infrastructure, real estate, venture capital, hospitality and healthcare sectors. Prior to joining the firm, she was head of legal for the Middle East and North Africa (including Turkey) for PineBridge Investments Middle East, a global multi-asset class manager, providing cross-jurisdictional legal advice across private equity, real estate and distribution of funds and global financial products. Jaffer’s experience in-house has provided her with a unique and firsthand perspective on the structuring, establishment, regulatory aspects, marketing and closing of investment funds (including negotiations with key investors) and co-investment arrangements. She has previously worked for a global law firm in London. She was recognised by Chambers as “Up and Coming” in Middle East Investment Funds in 2021 and 2022 and by Legal 500 as a “Rising Star” in Investment Fund Formation and Management in the United Arab Emirates 2021.
Clyde & Co announces 2022 partner promotions
Clyde & Co has announced the promotion of 23 equity partners across its global network, effective May1, 2022.
The promoted partners represent each of the firm’s core sectors and each of its regions. There are 14 promotions in Insurance, five in Projects & Construction, three in Energy, Marine & Natural Resources, and one in Aviation.
A majority (16) of the promotions are outside of the UK, further underlining the global nature of Clyde & Co’s offering, with nearly 60 offices and associated offices across six continents. Eight of the promoted partners are based in North America, seven in the UK, five in the Middle East & Africa (MEA), two in continental Europe and one in Asia Pacific (APAC).
For the second time in three years, over half (12) of the promotions are women.
Carolena Gordon, Clyde & Co’s senior partner, commented, “We are a firm that has always valued growth, for the benefit of our people and our clients. While we are very proud to regularly welcome new partners and colleagues from outside the firm, it is particularly satisfying and important to be able to promote exceptional talent from within. Our diverse 2022 team of new partners have all displayed the legal skills, client focus and technical expertise that we expect from our people, but they have also demonstrated the collegiality, leadership skills, drive, and empathy that we look for in our partners and leaders. They are a credit to the firm and I wish them well in the next stage of their careers.”
Roshanak Bassiri Gharb from the Insurance – Corporate practice has been promoted to partner in Dubai. Roshanak is a Solicitor of England and Wales and an Italian avvocato. She is an M&A and corporate lawyer in private and public sector and has been working for almost a decade in the Milan and London offices of a leading Italian law firms. She has developed a particular knowledge in corporate insurance field by providing advice in extraordinary transactions with target companies active in the insurance and reinsurance business and daily assistance to one of the largest insurance group in Italy further to the acquisition by an American player. Roshanak has also acquired significant expertise in connection with acquisition financing and debt issuance. She has also been working in the energy field and, specifically in the oil and gas sector. Besides providing day-to-day assistance to companies operating in the oil&gas field, she has been seconded for almost one year and a half in the banking & capital market department of the Italian national oil &g as company.
She was in charge for the Iranian desk of one of the leading Italian firm in Italy, further to a period of secondment in Iran. In 2017 she was in the nominees for emerging professional of the year in Italy. Roshanak speaks English, Italian and Farsi.
Since the start of the last financial year in May 2021, Clyde & Co also made 20 partner level hires, including nine in North America, four in the UK, four in APAC, two in Europe and one in MEA. Growth also came through the opening of offices in Vancouver, Phoenix, Denver and Las Vegas, and the agreement of a merger with UK-headquartered law firm BLM.
