Addleshaw Goddard is increasing its capability across the Arabian Gulf and targeting further growth, with the addition of a new office in Qatar – the firm’s third office opening in the GCC region in the last nine months.
With bases in Doha, Dubai and Muscat, Addleshaw Goddard joins a select group of international law firms, offering specialist expertise in Construction, Projects, Corporate, Finance, Arbitration, Renewable Energy, Private Wealth Management and Litigation across three important jurisdictions in the GCC.
The Qatar office will be led by Hussein Damirji, formerly a partner at US law firm Patton Boggs, who specialises in corporate, commercial and family office (high net worth) investments. He will be joined by fellow partner, banking and finance expert Martin Brown who joins the firm from Denton’s Doha office. Hussein and Martin will be supported by a team of associates.
Paul Devitt, Addleshaw Goddard Managing Partner said: “This latest investment is a very exciting development for our capability in the Gulf region. By developing broad and relevant service lines across the GCC, we are well placed to provide clients with specialist, local market expertise in their own country, on pan-regional assignments and also in relation to their UK investment portfolios.”
“We are very pleased that Hussein and Martin are joining us to lead our offering in Qatar. Both Hussein and Martin are incredibly well respected and their track-records, combined with our strong presence in Oman and Dubai sends out a clear message about our long-term commitment to the region and to Qatar in particular.”
Hussein Damirji has worked in the GCC and MENA regions for decades and is fluent in English, Arabic, French and German. He specialises in corporate and commercial matters and has extensive experience advising clients on banking and securities law, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and employment law.
He has advised clients in multiple jurisdictions including Iraq, Jordan, the UK, Turkey and the United States. Previously described as “Iraq’s most high profile business lawyer,” his reputation and market knowledge singles him out as a go-to-lawyer for high-profile matters in the region.
Hussein has previously worked for a leading global financial management and advisory company where he oversaw all aspects of European and Middle Eastern equity offerings.
Martin is a specialist in international finance and acts for a variety of financial institutions as well as sponsors and corporate borrowers. He has extensive experience of cross-border syndicated financings, debt capital markets, fund formation and management, real estate finance, Islamic finance, general corporate acquisition transactions, and restructurings. Martin has been based in Qatar since 2008 and has worked on many conventional and Shari’ah-compliant financing transactions throughout the GCC, Africa and Europe.
Opening an office in Qatar is the latest in a number of strategic investments made by Addleshaw Goddard to deliver a high quality, borderless client service anywhere in the world, whether through its own offices or preferred firm network. The firm first opened an office in the GCC region in September 2012 with the launch of its Dubai office which is led by international construction and engineering expert Andrew Greaves. Its second office in the region opened in Oman in January 2013, in association with Nasser al Habsi Law Firm and is led by banking, finance and project finance law expert Roger Byrne and corporate specialist Charles Schofield.
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