Clifford Chance was named international law firm of the year
at the 2018 Middle East Awards last night. The event took place
at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai and also featured its first ever
female Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Egypt’s
Mona Zulficar.
Among the success stories of the night were Clifford Chance.
The firm had roles on the winning deals in the debt and
equity-linked and restructuring categories, while its debt and
equity-linked and project finance teams both picked up coveted
team of the year awards. Allen & Overy also had a great
night, appearing on every winning deal and going home with the
equity team of the year award.
King & Spalding beat a competitive field to win M&A
team of the year, partly off the back of its work in KCA
Deutag’s acquisition of Dalma Energy, which won
M&A deal of the year. The restructuring team of the year
nod went to Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer for its work in the
restructuring of Drydocks World and OSN.
Al Tamimi & Company appeared on two winning deals and
won most innovative national firm of the year for Iraq, Qatar
and the UAE. Linklaters, Shearman & Sterling and Latham
& Watkins also has a strong presence throughout the
ceremony.
The event celebrated the most innovative legal work over the
past 12 months across six categories and the firms and teams
behind it. It also recognised several individuals, not
least Mona Zulficar, of Zulficar & Partners in
Egypt.
Mona was introduced to the stage by Shearman & Sterling
regional managing partner Marwan Elaraby for the Lifetime
Achievement Award. She was the first recipient of the award
from Egypt, and the award reflected a lifetime of influential
and innovative work in the corporate finance and regulatory
practices, as well as impressive achievements in other
fields.
Lubna Qassim, who recently left Emirates NBD, won the Women
in Business Law Award, while rising stars from Allen &
Overy, Clifford Chance, Al Tamimi & Company and Shalakany
Law Firm were recognised. Managing partner of the year went to
Bader El-Jeaan, from Kuwaiti firm Meysan Partners.
Congratulations to all the winners. The full list is
below.
Click here
for photos of the event and here for
the full write up on the deals and teams.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Mona Zulficar – Zulficar & Partners
DEALS OF THE YEAR
Debt and equity-linked
Qatar Islamic Bank collateralised murabaha
financing
Al Tamimi & Co
Allen & Overy
Clifford Chance
Maples and Calder
Equity
ADNOC Distribution IPO
Al Tamimi & Co
Allen & Overy
Shearman & Sterling
M&A
KCA Deutag / Dalma Energy
Allen & Overy
Al Busaidy Mansoor Jamal & Co
King & Spalding
Koshaim & Associates
Latham & Watkins
Project finance
Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International
Airport financing
Allen & Overy
Linklaters
Restructuring
Drydocks World
Allen & Overy
Clifford Chance
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Linklaters
Domestic
Ma’aden Phosphate Company domestic
sukuk
Allen & Overy
Khoshaim & Associates
Latham & Watkins
Law Office of Salman M Al-Sudairi
Maples and Calder
TEAMS OF THE YEAR
Debt and equity-linked
Clifford chance
Equity
Allen & Overy
M&A
King & Spalding
Project finance
Clifford Chance
Restructuring
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
NATIONAL WINNERS
Bahrain
Hassan Radhi & Associates
Egypt
Sharkawy & Sarhan
Iraq
Al Tamimi & Company
Jordan
Khalifeh & Partners
Kuwait
ASAR – Al Ruwayeh & Partners
Lebanon
Abousleiman & Partners
Oman
Dentons
Qatar
Al Tamimi & Company
Saudi Arabia
Abuhimed Al Sheikh Al Hagbani Law Firm
UAE
Al Tamimi & Company
INDIVIDUAL WINNERS
Managing partner of the year
Bader El-Jeaan – Meysan Partners
IFLR Women in Business Law award
Lubna Qassim
Rising stars
Adam Banks – Allen & Overy
Zeina Al Nabih – Al Tamimi & Company
Nicola Reader – Clifford Chance
Omar Sherif – Shalakany Law Firm
BANK AND FIRM AWARDS
International firm of the year
Clifford Chance
In-house team of the year
HSBC
Islamic bank of the year
Qatar Islamic Bank
Pro bono law firm of the year
Dentons
Rising star law firm
Sharq Law Firm