A&O Shearman was formed in 2024 via the merger of two historic firms, Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling. A firm of nearly 4,000 lawyers, including 800 partners, working across almost 50 offices in 28 countries, A&O Shearman has the experience, diversity of skills and backgrounds, and global understanding to stay at the forefront of the changes across every sector, market, and jurisdiction around the world.

A&O Shearman is one of the leading international firms in the United Arab Emirates, with lawyers in the key hubs of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The firm acts as trusted advisors to leading domestic and international corporates, investors, and financial institutions, and have long-standing relationships with government agencies and regulatory bodies across the UAE and the wider Middle East. The firm won the prestigious InternationalLaw Firm of the Year at the IFLR Middle East Awards 2026.

Key clients
Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar), ADNOC Murban, Aljazira Capital, Al Rajhi Capital Company, Asyad Shipping, Dubai Islamic Bank, Dubizzle, Emirates Global Aluminium, Emirates NBD Bank, ENGIE, G42, Gulf Capital, Islamic Development Bank, Khazna Data Centres, Mubadala, OMIFCO, RAK Gas, Saudi Telecom Company, Tabreed

Highlights
In banking and finance, Anthony Traboulsi and his team advised Khazna Data Centres on its landmark AED 9.62 billion debt financing with Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and First Abu Dhabi Bank. This transaction stands among the largest private financing deals in the MENA region, underscoring market confidence in the rapidly expanding digital infrastructure sector.

The firm’s market-leading capital markets practice was recognised with several wins at the 2026 IFLR Middle East Awards. The team advised Saudi Telecom Company (stc) on its USD5 billion trust certificate issuance programme and inaugural USD2 billion dual-tranche issuance, incorporating an innovative sukuk manafae structure, which received an Impact Deal award. It also advised on Cenomi Centres’ debut retail sukuk, the first issued under the CMA’s newly amended Rules on the Offer of Securities and Continuing Obligations and winner of Deal of the Year. The firm also acted for the underwriters on OMIFCO’s IPO, which won Equity Deal of the Year.

In restructuring, Adam Banks and Haris Meyer Hanif led the team advising creditors on the complex and strategically significant restructuring of Amlak Finance PJSC, winner of Restructuring Deal of the Year.

Testimonials
“A&O Shearman has embedded knowledge of AD Inc positions, placements, approaches etc. They always go above and beyond to get the deal across the line. They are collaborative across jurisdictions to deliver clients cohesive advice.” – Capital markets 

“Anzal Mohammed is responsive, a sector expert, and consistently provides a high level of service.” – Debt capital markets 

“Diana Billick is responsive, pragmatic, and calm.” – Capital markets 

“Diana Billick is a powerhouse on deals, leading a cross-jurisdictional (US, UK, and ME) practice from Paris.” – Capital markets 

“Jodi Norman is responsive, detail-oriented, a creative thinker, strategic, consistently delivers at a high level, and is a great people leader.” – Financial services regulatory 

“Jodi Norman is a sophisticated navigator of governance, regulatory, and policy matters, offering nuanced and complex regulatory insight.” – Financial services regulatory 

“Benjamin Crawford has extensive M&A experience and provides practical risk management solutions for transactions, with good digitalisation efficiencies.” – M&A 

“A&O Shearman’s exceptionally high quality of work and full-service offering stand out across teams and functions. In particular, the complexity of enterprise-level IT cloud and infrastructure agreements demonstrated commercial acumen in navigating large IT provider positions.” – Project development 

A&O Shearman’s real estate team showed skill and knowledge in negotiating local law and commercial aspects of leases and premises relocation risks.” – Real estate 

“Faye Priestley has excellent local law knowledge, combined with practical commercial positions in the market.” – Real estate 

Afridi & Angell is a UAE full-service law firm founded in 1975. The firm boasts of being one of the first in the UAE market and prides itself on being a multi-specialist. The firm can advise local, regional and international clients on transactions particularly known for its banking and M&A practice. Afridi & Angell has the capacity to handle the most high-profile and complex deals in the UAE.   

Founded in 1989 Al Tamimi & Company is a leading corporate law firm in the UAE.  The firm boasts of over 450 legal practitioners across 17 offices in the Middle East and North Africa, with four offices in the UAE. The deal team is led by UAE lawyers, most notable are managing partner Jody Waugh and senior partner Husam Hourani among others. The firm is mostly recognised for its banking practice with a well-established history in the financial services sector. 

Alem & Associates is a fast-paced Lebanese law firm founded in 1953 by senior partner Mohamed Y Alem. The firm has spread its tentacles to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Riyadh. Alem & Associates has extensive experience in advising clients within the Middle East. The team is known for its M&A practice where it advises on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and other strategic transactions. The firm prides itself on having a deep understanding of UAE regulations and market dynamics. 

Anjarwalla Collins & Haidermota traces its presence in the UAE back to 2010. The firm is in Dubai and acts as the regional office of ALN. The firm has a talented team of international lawyers with significant experience in handling cross-border transactions, led by country partner Adil Shafi and senior partner Atiq Anjarwalla. The firm has a robust banking and M&A practice handling sophisticated corporate and financial transactions including mergers and acquisitions, syndicated financing and bilateral loan transactions. 

Amereller is an international law firm offering expertise to clients around the world. With 10 offices across the Mena region, the firm offers cross-border expertise from its Dubai office.The firm excels in advising multinational a clints on their M&A activity with a focus on inbound investments in the MENA region.

AX Law is a new generation law firm dedicated to delivering first-class legal services. The firm has a team of lawyers with great wealth of experience and licensed to practise law in various jurisdictions. The deal team is being led by partners Karim Fawaz and Ashleigh Bruce. The firm deals with the most complex projects in the region and regularly advises clients from public and private sectors on transformative projects with a specificic focus on technology projects including data centres. 

Chicago-headquartered Baker McKenzie is well recognised around the world, including the Middle Eastern region. In Qatar they opened their office in 2011 and the firm operates out of Doha and is led by Ian Siddell, co-managing Partner of the Bahrain and Doha offices.

The firm’s work focuses on projects, particularly infrastructure projects, and the firm are strong in banking and corporate work and boasts sectoral strength in defense and infrastructure.

 

Key clients

The firm’s key clients list features the likes of Saudi Binladin Group, The Commercial Bank, Qatar National Bank and DBS Bank.

Bonelli Erede Lombardi Pappalardo is an Italian, multinational law firm with offices in Europe, Middle East and North Africa. The firm launched its Dubai office in 2017.   The firm has a dynamic and experienced transactional team headed by managing partner Marco De Leo. The firm is active in corporate and M&A practice where it advises both local and international clients on transactional issues and general corporate matters. 

Bracewell is an international law firm headquartered in Houston, Texas. The firm was founded in 1945 in the US and has presence in London and Dubai. The UAE team is led by managing partner Christopher Williams. With operations in the UAE since 2007, it has maintained solid projects practice in the region specifically in energy and infrastructure developments. Bracewell’s energy and projects practice in the UAE is led by partner Andrej Kormuth. 

BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates was established in 2005. The firm has significantly expanded over the years and has nine offices across five countries in the Middle East. The team is led by managing partner Jimmy Haoula, who specialises in corporate, commercial banking and real estate transactions and has almost two decades of experience in the region. He is supported by a bench of seasoned partners including Rima Mrad (M&A) and Michael Kortbawi (banking).

The firm's expertise lies in domestic IPOs and local, regional and cross-border mergers and acquisitions. The corporate team specialises in private equity, dispositions strategic investments, joint ventures, establishment of entities, and general corporate advisory work. BSA also has a strong real estate practice. Jimmy Haoula was one of the legal pioneers who led the development of the regulatory framework in the real estate sector in Dubai, and has advised on many projects and developments including the first long-term lease real estate project, and many projects within Emaar Real Estate Developments. 

Clifford Chance is a leading international law firm with a longstanding UAE presence, operating from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The firm has market-leading capabilities across corporate M&A, banking and finance, project finance, capital markets and financial services regulatory work, earning a tier one ranking across all practice areas. The regional practice is led by managing partner Mohammed Al-Shukairy, with key partners including Mohamed Hamra-Krouha, Qudeer Latif, Tariq Imam, Graham Brewer, Stuart Ure, Omar Rashid, and Jack Hardman.

Key clients
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA), ADNOC, ADNOC Drilling Company, Albawani Capital, Aldar, Amlak Finance, Arada Developments, Arqaam Capital, Arqaam Securities, Bank of America, Barclays Bank Ireland, Binance, BlackRock, BNP Paribas, Citi, Citibank Europe, Citigroup Global Markets, DP World, Dubal Holding, Dubai Holding, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD Bank, Emirates NBD Capital, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), Government of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, Government of the Emirate of Sharjah, Government of the United Arab Emirates, HSBC Bank, International Finance Corporation, International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA), Investment Corporation of Dubai, Istithmar World, JERA, Kuwait Investment Authority, Majid Al Futtaim Holding, Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Mamoura Diversified Global Holding, Mannai Corporation, Mauritius Commercial Bank, Morgan Stanley & Co. International, Multiply Group, Permira, Qiddiya Investment Company, Riyad Bank, SACE, Saudi Awwal Bank, Saudi National Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, State of Kuwait, TAQA, The Walt Disney Company, Titan Lithium Industries, UAE Central Bank, UniCredit

Highlights
The debt capital markets team, led by “Market Leader” Stuart Ure, advised the Federal Government of the United Arab Emirates, acting through the Ministry of Finance, on the UAE’s inaugural Sovereign Retail Treasury Sukuk offering. This involved the fusion of two market infrastructures that had not previously been combined in this way in the UAE: traditional sovereign sukuk issuance mechanics and equity-style retail subscription mechanics. The team also advised Standard Chartered Bank on the inaugural issuance by Doha Bank of US$150 million floating rate digitally native notes, marking the first digitally issued bond in the MENA region to be cleared and settled on Euroclear's D-FMI platform.

In banking and finance, Qudeer Latif led the team advising Bank of America and Dubai Islamic Bank (as mandated lead arrangers) in connection with the US$2Billion dual tranche syndicated term facilities for the Boru Hatları İle Petrol Taşıma Anonim Şirketi (BOTAŞ) guaranteed by the Ministry of Treasury and Finance of the Republic of Türkiye. This landmark transaction marks the debut Islamic financing by a state-owned enterprise in the Republic of Türkiye, with a syndication of 24 financiers from across the globe.

The Tier 1 M&A team acted for Multiply Group in the landmark sale of its UAE-based district cooling business, PAL Cooling Holding and its subsidiaries, to a consortium comprising National Central Cooling (Tabreed) and CVC DIF, marking one of the most significant deals in the UAE infrastructure sector.

Testimonials
“Graham Brewer is responsive and technically strong.” – Banking and finance  

“Clifford Chance’s team is very experienced and responds in a timely manner.” – Capital markets 

“Stuart Ure is well experienced, has excellent know-how, and provides quick responses.” – Capital markets 

“Clifford Chance is efficient, commercial, and responsive.” – M&A 

“Coordination across jurisdictions was handled seamlessly, with clear communication and consistent alignment among local and international counsel. The team’s responsiveness and ability to turn around detailed comments under tight timelines were particularly valuable during intensive negotiation phases.” – M&A 

“The team is particularly effective in supporting complex, cross-border project transactions. They demonstrate a strong understanding of project finance structures and can provide commercially relevant advice in addition to identifying legal risks.” – Project finance

“In our recent engagement, the team was instrumental in coordinating across multiple stakeholders and ensuring that negotiations progressed efficiently. The team’s responsiveness and ability to synthesise complex issues into clear, actionable points were especially valuable.” – Project finance

“Clifford Chance stands out for its ability to combine strong technical expertise with practical, solution-oriented advice in complex, multi-jurisdictional projects. Its team was able to anticipate issues early and proactively propose workable solutions rather than simply flagging risks.” – Project finance

CMS is an international law firm established in 1999 with more than 70 offices in over 40 countries worldwide. The firm operates in the UAE through its offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The UAE team was launched in 2012 by partner John O’Connor who has led the team ever since. CMS UAE is well known for its complex domestic and cross-border M&A transactions with expertise and specialism in particular industry sectors such as Energy, Media and telecommunications, Technology, and Real estate. 

Dentons is a full-service global law firm with two offices in the UAE located in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The firm has a global presence with over 200 offices in over 80 countries. Dentons’ presence in the UAE can be traced back to 1969. Led by managing partner Paul Jarvis and supported by well-seasoned practitioners such as Stephen Knight, Qasim Aslam and Alex Roussos, the firm has a stellar reputation in the market. The firm is active in banking, debt capital markets, M&A and project development. 

Eptalex - MEG Legal Services is an international law firm with a presence in several Middle East countries. The firm has an office in Dubai. The firm has strong capabilities in corporate work. It advises on all aspects of domestic UAE law applicable in cross border M&A, joint ventures and takeover bids.

 

Highlights 

Partners Diane Assaf and Lara Dagher joined the firm in 2024 while partners Bachir Nawar and Wadih Charbel joined in 2025.  

London-headquartered international law firm Freshfields is among the largest law firms in the world and one of the world’s oldest. The firm has over 40 years’ experience in the Middle East with, among others in the region, offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Partner Pervez Akhtar leads the team in Dubai whilst Partner Tom Lawless is the team lead for the Abu Dhabi office. The firm is generally well regarded in the market with exceptional recognition for its banking and M&A work.

Key clients
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), CVC Strategic Opportunities, Emirates Insurance Company, Etihad Rail, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Holcim, Janus Henderson MENA Private Credit Fund, Property Finder, Vision Invest

Highlights
Led by “Market Leader” Pervez Akhtar, the equity capital markets team represented EIC, a leading UAE-based insurance provider on its share buyback from one of its shareholders, Al Mamoura Diversified Global Holding Company (Mamoura), and subsequent redistribution plan. The transaction marks the first of its kind in the UAE, representing a major milestone for the market.

The Tier 1 M&A team advised CVC on its agreement to invest in International Schools Partnership, the global group of 111 private international schools with over 110,000 students across 25 countries.

Freshfields represented Janus Henderson MENA Private Credit Fund, a leading provider of flexible financing solutions in the Middle East and Africa, on a US$ denominated sharia-compliant financing for the KIMSHEALTH Group. This deal was shortlisted for Loan Deal of the Year.

Testimonials
“Freshfields is very knowledgeable, reliable, smart, and available.” – M&A 

“Freshfields provides perfect legal execution and a strong understanding of legal issues.” – M&A 

“The team is super responsive, hardworking, has good case knowledge, and keeps a good overview.” – M&A 

“In addition to the legal expertise, we are impressed with the commercial awareness, the international aspects of their transactions as well as an informal approach to transactions with strong links in the market.” – Banking and finance

“The firm is very motivated to perform well and very good at finding solutions to problems.” – Project finance

“The team is known for cross service line, jurisdictional integration, client management and collaboration.” – Restructuring

“Freshfields has been consistently impressive and has the capability to handle complex restructuring and special situation matters. I wouldn’t hesitate to put them in the top firms in the region on complex cross-border matters.” – Restructuring


 

Formed in 1890, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher is an international law firm with operations in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Its Dubai office services clients in the Middle East, Africa and other locations.

 

Focusses / specialisms

The firm’s MENA business often serves as international counsel and advises clients on restructuring, leveraged finance transactions, Islamic finance, bank lending, term loan financings, leveraged loans and asset-backed credits.

In M&A, the firm’s Middle East team has expertise in cross-border work, advising both its buy-side and sell-side clients, as well as businesses in the restructuring space.

 

Key clients

Key clients include FTI Consulting, Gulf Capital, Arcapita Investment Partners, KBBO Group, Gulf Energy Maritime, Investbridge Capital, TPG, Silverpoint and Everest Capital.

Gowling WLG is an international law firm with history tracing back to 1887. The firm has about 20 offices across Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Gowling has its UAE offices established in Dubai headed by partner Tim Casben. The firm is particularly active in the corporate and M&A practice where it regularly advises on financial investments and joint ventures amongst others.  

Greenberg Traurig has its history traced back to 1967 when it was established in South Florida. Greenberg Traurig opened its UAE offices in 2023 when it received a license to practice in the UAE. The UAE team handles complex domestic and cross-border transactional work spanning from mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures to corporate structuring among others. 

Hadef & Partners is a leading independent UAE law firm established in 1980 by Hadef Al Dhaheri. The firm has over 100 lawyers in its offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The firm boasts of advising on complex and strategic projects and transactions in the UAE. The deal team is led by managing partner Sadiq Jafar. The team advises on domestic and cross-border transactions, mostly in the banking and M&A practice areas. 

London-headquartered multinational law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has offices in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

 

Focusses / specialisms

In projects, the firm advises on the full spectrum of clients in the sector on energy and infrastructure projects. The firm is also visible in the M&A practice, where it advises on several mandates across various sectors including energy and infrastructure.

 

Key clients

Key recent clients include Uber, Aramex, Marubeni, Provis Real Estate, LTR, Gras Savoye, Engie, Nesma and Mowah.

 

Client feedback: 32^nd edition (2022/2023)

M&A

“Great legal knowledge and advisory, strong ability to adapt to the evolution of the project and provide solutions/options, always defending the client's interests.”

“Immediate responses to our emails/queries, explaining their rationale behind proposed suggestions, understanding our position and working with us to get our desired outcome. Approachability, as the entire team was easy to work with and friendly.”

Hourani & Partners is a prominent Middle Eastern law firm with a history of over 40 years. The deal team is led by managing partner Chadi Hourani and supported by a bench of seasoned practitioners. The team is widely recognised for its standout banking, capital markets and M&A capabilities, and is instructed on sophisticated, cross-border mandates. The firm serves a variety of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, private equity funds, publicly listed companies, commercial and investment banks, insurance companies, and government agencies.

Key clients
Fidence (formerly Hoche Partners Corporate Services), Partners for Growth

Highlights
Hourani acted as sole legal counsel to Fidence on its 100% acquisition of CW Partners. This transaction was important and high profile given that the acquisition marked Fidence’s first external growth outside Luxembourg.

The banking and finance team acted as counsel to Partners for Growth in their financing to Comfi, a fintech offering B2B and other financing in the MENA region.

Ibrahim. N. Partners is an independent law firm with offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and known for its strong regional expertise across corporate, commercial, and financial matters. The firm advises local and international clients on M&A and regulatory work and is particularly well known for its expertise in equity capital markets, where it has consistently maintained a Tier 1 ranking.

Key clients
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, ALEC Holdings, BlueFive Capital, Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA), Dubai Residential REIT, Dubai Taxi Company (DTC), Gulf Navigation Holding, Nema Holding Company, Sharjah Islamic Bank, Talabat Holding

Highlights
The firm represented Gulf Navigation Holding PJSC, a Dubai Financial Market-listed maritime and shipping company, in its AED 3.2 billion acquisition of all assets of Brooge Energy Limited and its operating subsidiaries. It marked one of the largest strategic acquisitions in the UAE energy sector and the first-ever use of Article 299 in practice, setting a precedent for future public M&A transactions.

The firm also has a market leading equity capital markets practice. Led by Ahmed Ibrahim, the team recently acted as UAE legal counsel to Dubai Residential REIT, advising on all aspects of the transaction, from structuring and regulatory compliance to IPO execution and listing. This is the first government REIT ever in the history of the UAE.

We acted for Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC (“ADCB”) as legal counsel in the rights issue of AED 6.1 billion, being the largest rights issue in the banking sector in Abu Dhabi. This landmark transaction represents the largest-ever rights issue by a company with a primary listing on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX).

Testimonials

2025
“The team’s knowledge, expertise, and attention to detail are exceptional.” – Equity capital markets

“Ahmed Ibrahim is the first choice when it comes to capital markets in the UAE.” – Equity capital markets

“They demonstrate strong expertise, quick turnaround time, and great availability.” – Project Finance

“The team provides timely advice and are highly business oriented.” – M&A

“Malack El Masry is excellent in M&A and corporate matters.” – M&A

“Malack El Masry provides good and sound advice.” – M&A

The international law firm King & Spalding was founded on 1 January 1885 in Atlanta. The firm has been present in the UAE for over a decade, advising on transactions involving local and international laws. The firm boasts of having closed the most high-profile deals in the UAE for both local and foreign clients. The deal team in the UAE is led by managing partner Nabil Issa. The firm is known for its banking, M&A and projects practice. 

Established in 2012, Levari is a full-service international law firm with offices in London, Cairo, Washington, Amman and Dubai.

 

The firm has particular experience in both fund registration and formation as well as venture capital transactions. The firm’s practice specialises in representing oil and gas, retail, banking, technology, venture capital and private equity clients including SMEs.

 

Key clients

Some of the firm’s key clients include Dana Global, GFI informatique, Okadoc Technologies Dubai, Yela, Jonomi Ventures, Brink’s Global Services, Colgate Palmolive and Dinar.

Cayman Islands-headquartered Maples Group is a multi-jurisdictional offshore law firm. The firm’s operations in the Middle East include offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The deal team is led by managing partners Manuela Belmontes and Philip Ireland. Maples Group advises clients on the laws of British Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands from its UAE offices. It is highly regarded for its experience in cross-border transactional work in banking, investment funds M&A and debt capital markets. 

Matouk Bassiouny is a full-service law firm headquartered in Cairo and founded by highly regarded lawyers, Omar S Bassiouny who is also the Group Head of Corporate and M&A, and John Matouk who is the Group Head of Dispute Resolution. The firm established its branch offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in 2018.

Key clients
Money Fellows, Nawy, Oliv, Sylndr, Thndr

Highlights
The team led by Mohamed Essam represented Money Fellows, Africa’s leading fintech digital platform, on its USD 13 million financing round.

The firm advised Spark Education Platform (“SEP”) in connection with securing a landmark strategic partnership with First School Management (“FSM”), the global advisory arm of GEMS Education (“GEMS”). This strategic collaboration will introduce GEMS-branded schools to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, expanding access to high-quality education through a range of international curricula across the GCC.

Testimonials
“Matouk Bassiouny provides local expertise for aircraft-related transactions in Egypt. The team is knowledgeable, well connected locally, and understands customer goals. They are able to take a commercial, practical view and cut straight to the issues that matter.” – Banking and finance 

“Matouk Bassiouny is responsive, commercial, easy to understand, and proactive in sorting out issues.” – Banking and finance  

“Malak El Amiry’s work is always completed on time and to a very high standard.” – Banking and finance 

“Sherif El Hosseny provides quick, thoughtful, and correct legal guidance. He is very commercially aware and well connected locally. A thought leader in aviation in Egypt and a trusted partner.” – Banking and finance 

“Sherif El Hosseny is responsive, knowledgeable, and proactive in resolving issues.” – Banking and finance 

“Matouk Bassiouny has deep knowledge of the capital markets in Egypt. Also, the professionalism they offer and the way they deal with us as partners, rather than service providers, stand out.” – Capital markets 

“Matouk Bassiouny is very knowledgeable and diligent. It provides an excellent level of service.” – Capital markets 

“Mohamed Abdel Fattah is extremely reliable and caring; we consider him a partner to the company, not a service provider. I believe he is one of the most knowledgeable professionals in the Egyptian capital markets.” – Capital markets 

“Mohamed Abdelfattah is very knowledgeable. He thinks outside the box. He has an excellent relationship with regulatory authorities. He is diligent and on top of his work.” – Capital markets 

“Mohamed Galal is very professional and dedicated. He is diligent and on top of his work. A rising star in capital markets.” – Capital markets 

“Matouk Bassiouny is efficient, detail-oriented, accurate, understands our needs well, and know how to protect us in our investments.” – M&A 

“Alia Elraey is always responsive and a good communicator on the issues at hand.” – M&A 

 “Moustafa Rizk is always highly responsive and a good communicator on the issues at hand.” – M&A 

“Mohamed Essam knows how to protect us while still being founder-friendly and makes sure that BECO is represented in the right manner, which is very important to us.” – M&A 

“Matouk Bassiouny is proficient and knowledgeable, with deep government relations that helped facilitate the process of reaching an amicable settlement agreement.” – Project development  

“Matouk Bassiouny provides concise, commercially focused, and prompt advice on all matters of aircraft leasing and trading. They are a very experienced team with good on-the-ground relationships with the local authorities.” – Project development  

“Amgad Nagy demonstrates great responsiveness and attention to detail.” – Project development 

“Malak El Amiry is experienced in aircraft leasing. Malak provides calm and concise responses to queries.” – Project development 

“Myriam Fahmy demonstrates great responsiveness and attention to detail.” – Project development 

“Sherif El Hosseny steps in on complex queries or urgent matters with prompt responses and an understanding of the fast-paced nature of a transaction.” – Project development 

Meysan traces its presence in the Middle East back to 2015. The firm was awarded the Rising Star Law firm of the Middle East the same year it was established. The firm launched its London offices in 2023 with the intention of bringing together leading legal talent in the Middle East and the United Kingdom. Meysan prides itself on having extensive expertise in UAE laws and advising on complex transactional matters, led by Managing Partner Bader El-Jeaan.

Key clients
Agility Logistics, Al Farwaniya Property Developments (Reem Mall), Al Khair National for Stocks and Real Estate, Al Massaleh Real Estate Company, Gulf National Holding, Kuwaiti National Investment Holding, Logic (Logic Information Systems), National Real Estate Company

Highlights
Meysan acted as legal counsel to Al Farwaniya Property Developments Limited, as landlord, in connection with the lease and hospitality arrangements entered into with Irish Quarter Hospitality Limited for the opening and operation of a McGettigan’s outlet at Reem Mall, Abu Dhabi.

Led by M&A partner Bader El-Jeaan, the team acted as legal counsel to National Real Estate Company K.P.S.C. and Kuwaiti National Investment Holding Ltd in connection with the sale of their shareholding interests in Mediterranean Investments Holding plc (MIH), Palm City Ltd (PCL), and Palm Waterfront Ltd (PWL) to International Hotel Investments p.l.c. and CPHCL Company Limited.

Testimonials
“Meysan Partners combines true regional depth with excellent commercial judgement. Where our clients need a nuanced understanding of the region, a deep book of contacts, and an aggressive US-style approach, Meysan is top of our list. On the matter we worked on together, where Meysan brought us in, they defined the scope with care, adjusted it sensibly as the client's needs changed, and treated specialist input as part of the strategy rather than an add-on.” – M&A 

“Abdulwahab Sadeq is practical and dependable on long-running, sensitive matters. He answers operational questions quickly, gives us local regulatory and procedural context when it matters, and suggests a call when that will settle a point faster than an email chain. He keeps the client informed and aligned without adding friction, and he makes sure the practical side of the engagement, including approvals and payments, runs smoothly.” – M&A 

Bader El-Jeaan is one of the best-connected and most experienced lawyers I know in the Gulf. He brings a New York-style approach, which is very rare in the Middle East. He is responsive and measured, and keeps complex, multi-party matters focused on outcomes.” – M&A 

“Bader El Jeaan is among the top lawyers in the Middle East. He is equally strong across corporate work and litigation. He is one of a kind. Bader brings a New York-style work ethic to his practice, a rarity in the Middle East. He works through the details himself. On a recent multi-jurisdictional fund matter, he went through a large bank production personally and set it against specific findings in the first-instance judgment. From that, he identified a focused fresh-evidence point for the appeal before the rest of the team had finished reviewing the material. He is equally good on sequencing. He saw that the steps in two jurisdictions had to run in parallel and moved while the judgment was still in draft, and he thinks carefully about how each piece of correspondence might later be relied on. He coordinates US, Cayman, Gulf, and London teams without losing the thread, decides quickly, and is available at almost any hour, often replying from a plane. He is also firm but fair with opposing counsel.” – M&A 

Morgan Lewis & Bockius is an international law firm with offices in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America. The firm serves clients in the UAE out of its Abu Dhabi and Dubai offices managed by partners William Nash III and Alishia Sullivan respectively. The firm supports transactions in the Middle East, North Africa and more widely, both conventional and Islamic finance deals. The firm is also known for its real estate practice. 

London-headquartered multinational law firm Pinsent Masons has advised clients for more than 15 years from its office in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The deal team in the UAE is being managed by Catherine Workman, who is highly regarded in the market. The firm has built a strong M&A practice in the UAE over the past years while its finance and restructuring team has developed a reputation for providing big clients with commercially oriented solutions across conventional and Islamic banking, and restructuring. 

PwC Legal has a global presence in more than 160 countries. The firm’s team in the UAE belongs to a global M&A and restructuring network. The firm specialises in M&A transactions and corporate restructuring, with specified focus on carve-outs, group simplifications and reorganisations. The firm operates across a range of sectors with particular expertise in retail, industrials, financial services and energy sectors.

PwC Legal has a global presence in more than 160 countries. The firm’s team in the UAE belongs to a global M&A and restructuring network. The firm specialises in M&A transactions and corporate restructuring, with specified focus on carve-outs, group simplifications and reorganisations. The firm operates across a range of sectors with particular expertise in retail, industrials, financial services and energy sectors.

Rasma Legal is a UAE-headquartered multi-service law firm founded in 2007 by Mazen Rasamny. The firm offers clients exceptional regulatory experience in the UAE, KSA and across the GCC region, specifically in the financial services and financial technology sectors. Rasma Legal has a strong focus on corporate advisory work with a good record of steering companies through complex mergers and acquisitions, private equity and other significant corporate transactions in the Middle East. 

Simmons & Simmons is an international law firm headquartered in London. The firm was founded in 1896 and has been working in the UAE for more than 25 years. The deal team includes a lot of highly regarded practitioners such as partner James Coleman. It is mostly known for its award-winning banking practice specifically Islamic finance led by partner Aditi Sanyal. The team regularly advises on complex and high-value transactional matters across technology, media and telecommunications sectors. 

Squire Patton Boggs was established in 1886. It is a global law firm headquartered in Washington DC with over 40 offices across the globe. In the UAE, the firm has offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The UAE team consists of prominent lawyers, worthy of mention is partner Matthew Powell who is highly regarded in the market. The team offers a full spectrum of M&A and corporate/commercial services in the UAE and broader MENA region.  

Tribonian Law Advisors was founded in 2011 with offices in Beirut, Riyadh and Dubai. The deal team is led by the managing and founding partner Rindala Beydoun and supported by well-seasoned practitioners such as partner Carlo Pianese and partner Emile Boulos. The firm is regarded as a high-quality boutique law firm specialising in mergers and acquisitions and corporate work.

Key clients
Arab Beverages Investment, e& (formerly Etisalat Group), Emirates Driving Company, GTR Royal Trading Company (D43), Kazim Holding, Two Point Zero Group (formerly Multiply Group)

Highlights
TLA acted as lead legal counsel for Emirates Driving Company in its acquisition of a minority stake in Mwasalat Holding, by way of secondary transfer from One Transport Holding and primary issuance by the Target with an option for Buyer to invest up to 50.2% in Target.

The team, led by Emile Boulos acted as lead legal counsel for Two Point Zero Group PJSC in the purchase from three sellers of shares of London Lites Ltd, an advertising and related digital and non-digital media services company in the UK, for cash consideration and the issuance of shares to Sellers in Buyer company, representing 15% of the share capital of Buyer.

TLA acted as lead legal counsel for Kazim Holding Limited and for GTR Royal Trading in their acquisition of 100% of Legacy Hotels Holding and its subsidiaries, whose purpose is to operate, manage and sub-franchise branded hotels in the MENA Region.

Testimonials
“Tribonian Law Advisor’s team has been diligent, both in the quality of its work and in the time and attention it dedicates to each matter. Having TLA on the deal team gives us greater capacity to focus on the commercial aspects of the transaction, with confidence that the legal workstreams are being properly managed and nothing is overlooked.” – M&A 

“Emile Boulos is excellent at managing sell-side counsel, ensuring that our commercial objectives are advanced without compromising the necessary legal protections. He is also consistently responsive and available when needed.” – M&A 

“Siwar Roumanos has a strong eye for detail and is excellent on transaction documents, particularly in identifying issues and ensuring that the drafting is precise and commercially workable.” – M&A

Trowers & Hamlins is an international law firm with broad practice. The firm’s presence in the UAE could be traced back to 1991. Trowers & Hamlins boasts of being a pioneer in Dubai legal market with expertise and commercial connections across the region. The team consists of notable UAE lawyers such as Martin Amison. The firm has an active M&A practice where it mostly advises on divestitures and acquisitions. 

Walkers is an international offshore law firm headquartered in the Cayman Islands. The firm was formed in 1964 with its Dubai office opening in 2005. Led by managing partner Daniel Wood and supported by well-seasoned practitioners such as partner Ciaran Bohnacker, the firm has a top notch financial and corporate practice. The firm is well known for its cross-border legal advice in banking, investment funds and restructuring/insolvency. 

White & Case is a global law firm established in 1901. The firm is headquartered in New York with offices in the America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa. The firm boasts a cross-border integrated law practice with local, US and English-qualified lawyers across its offices. The firm’s presence in the UAE could be traced to 2007 when it opened its office in Abu Dhabi and further expanded into Dubai in 2013. The UAE team is led by partner Abdulwahid Alulama.

Key clients
Aldar Properties, Dream Games Teknoloji, Mubadala Investment Company, Tabreed

Highlights
The real estate team advised SRG Real Estate Developer L.L.C. on a landmark forward purchase transaction involving a mixed-use development in Dubai Studio City. The transaction is one of the UAE's largest mixed-use real estate transactions of 2026 and among the largest acquisitions in Dubai Studio City.

The banking and finance team, led by Alexander McMyn advised Societe Generale as mandated lead arranger on a US$230 million cross-border acquisition facility provided to an offshore shareholder of an Indian infrastructure investment trust sponsored by La Caisse.

In project finance, the team advised EWEC on the refinancing of the Al Dhafra PV2 IPP through a US$870 million 144A / Reg S green bond issuance. The transaction involved one of the world’s largest single-site solar PV plants and further established EWEC’s capital markets-based financing model for strategic infrastructure assets in Abu Dhabi.