International law firm Taylor Wessing today announces that Neale Downes will join Taylor Wessing Middle East LLP, the Firm’s Dubai office, on 10 June. This will be the third partner addition to Taylor Wessing’s global finance team for 2012. His appointment follows the recent appointments of Elisabeth Gaunt from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe and Ross Caldwell from Dundas & Wilson, both of whom are London based.
Neale joins Taylor Wessing from Trowers & Hamlins’ Bahrain office, where he headed up that firm’s regional banking and finance practice. His particular areas of expertise include asset-backed and asset-based financing (including securitisations), syndicated lending, project finance, acquisition finance and other leveraged and structured finance. In particular, Neale has a well known strength in Islamic finance work, having been involved in some of the region’s best known financing transactions.
Neale acts for a wide range of international and local banks and other financial institutions. Clients include HSBC Bank Middle East Ltd, Ahli United Bank, Al Baraka Islamic Bank, Al Salam Bank, APICORP, Bahrain Islamic Bank, Central Bank of Bahrain, Global Investment House, Gulf Finance House, Capital Management House and Arcapita Bank. He also regularly advises corporate borrowers, funds and institutional and other investors in the region.
Neale Downes commented:
“Taylor Wessing has a most impressive management team, a well thought through strategy in the Middle East and, overall, strikes me as a very ambitious firm. It is an exciting time to be joining. I’m hoping to help them realise their ambitions for the region and to develop and lead a strong finance practice, with the support of their existing local and leading international expertise.”
Christopher Dixon, managing partner of Taylor Wessing (Middle East), comments:
“Neale has been based in the Middle East for almost ten years, so brings with him the in-depth regional knowledge that is so necessary for our local clients, as well as providing a boost to the increasingly international, institutional client base of Taylor Wessing’s wider finance practice. We are looking forward to Neale joining and bringing with him his experience, contacts and undoubtedly a leading finance practice.”
Hamid Yunis, head of Taylor Wessing’s Middle East practice, comments:
“Neale’s appointment is a sign of our continuing intentions in the Middle East. We have a fantastic quality offering through our Dubai office, where we act for a number of the leading families, Government bodies and institutions in the region. Our strategic need is to continue the development of the practice not only in the UAE, where Neale will be based, but also to grow the practice in the Middle East region generally.”
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