Tag: dubai
Written by Jad on 01 November 2018.
♦ Recent Deals ♦ Dubai, Middle East, UAE
Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has advised Tenaga Nasional Berhad (“TNB”), Malaysia’s largest electricity utility company, on a ten-year US$750 million sukuk issuance, which closed on November 1, 2018. The sukuk was issued via TNB’s wholly-owned Malaysian-incorporated special purpose company, TNB Global Ventures Capital Berhad. The transaction attracted interest from a diverse international group of Islamic and conventional investors, comprising asset management companies, financial institutions, insurance companies, and sovereign wealth funds. Gregory Man, debt capital markets partner in the Dubai office of Norton Rose Fulbright, commented: “We are delighted to have advised Tenaga Nasional Berhad on its second sukuk issuance, having previously advised on the establishment of its landmark sukuk programme and its first ever sukuk issuance in 2016. The last year has seen our global capital markets team advise on a number of high-profile matters, with some groundbreaking work on the first Islamic mortgage-backed securitisation in the UK, the first green sovereign sukuk for the Republic of Indonesia and the first and only AT1 issuance from Turkey for Albaraka Türk.” The Norton Rose Fulbright team was led by partner Gregory Man (Dubai) with assistance from partner Vicky Münzer-Jones (Singapore), of counsel Cynthia Teo (Singapore), senior associate Ganna Vlasenko (Dubai) and international trainee Rachel Hao (Singapore). Norton Rose Fulbright’s Islamic finance practice is one of the longest-established in the market and continues to advise a wide variety of high profile clients on cross-border work. It was recently named Capital Markets Law Firm of the Year at the Islamic Finance News Awards. BNP Paribas, CIMB Investment Bank Berhad, Citigroup Global Markets Limited and HSBC acted as joint lead managers and bookrunners for the sukuk issuance.
Written by Jad on 18 September 2018.
♦ Moves News ♦ Dubai
Squire Patton Boggs has appointed Leroy Levy as a partner in its Public & Infrastructure Finance Practice and as head of project development, MENA, in Dubai. Mr. Levy joins the firm from the Dubai office of King & Spalding, where he was a partner in its project finance practice for eight years. Mr. Levy, who has lived and worked in the Middle East since 2000, specializes in infrastructure projects in the region, particularly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he has advised for many years. He acts for a broad range of clients in public-private partnerships (PPP) and other project finance transactions, in sectors such as energy, waste management, healthcare, education and transportation. He has worked on some of the largest, most innovative and best-known infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia. Among them are the US$20 billion Sadara complex, the largest petrochemical project in the world; Sadaf Captive Power Project, the first independent captive power project in the Kingdom; representing ACWA in the US$3 billion independent water and power project at Shuaibah; and advising Tatweer Buildings Company on the first schools PPP project in Saudi Arabia. A graduate of Queen Mary College, University of London, Mr. Levy also holds an M.Sc. in arbitration and construction law from King’s College, London, and is on the United Nations Economic Commission of Europe’s roster of experts. Prior to joining King & Spalding in 2010, he was head of the Saudi projects practice at Trowers & Hamlins. Thomas P. Wilson, Dubai office managing partner and co-leader of the firm’s global Infrastructure Industry Group, commented: “We are continuing to expand our capabilities in infrastructure and project finance in the Middle East. It is great to have Leroy now join us and he will have a warm welcome from a team that is well used to advising local and international clients on large, complex infrastructure investments and projects across the region – not to mention our pioneering work on developing PPP for national governments.” Khalid A. Al-Thebity, Riyadh office managing partner, added: “We have known Leroy for some time, as he has worked on some of the most significant infrastructure projects in the Kingdom to date. His expertise will be a welcome additional resource as our team gears up for further infrastructure investment as the government’s economic reform program, Vision 2030, continues to unfold.” Mr. Levy is the latest senior appointment in infrastructure and project finance in the firm’s Middle East practice, following the arrival of partner Shane Wilson in October 2017.
Written by Jad on 19 July 2018.
♦ Moves News ♦ Dubai
Dechert LLP has strengthened its Middle East offering with the hires of real estate partner Stephen Kelly and national partner Sarah Mahood. Mr. Kelly is a distinguished practitioner specializing in real estate development and hospitality, particularly within the Middle East, with experience in advising with respect to the full array of development, hospitality and transactional real estate matters. He represents developers and other clients in all aspects of real estate development and advises master developers, hotel operators, service providers and other players within the industry. Mr. Kelly also specialises in implementing titling structures for the most complex development projects in the region and has extensive experience of structuring community and strata title regimes, particularly in large scale master communities, mixed-use and hotel developments. Chambers and Partners quotes clients describing him as “an extremely experienced development lawyer who is able to give a well thought through perspective on the market.” Ms. Mahood is a rising star in the Middle Eastern real estate legal market. She advises master developers, developers, hotel operators, tenants, landlords, investors and lenders with respect to all aspects of development, hospitality and commercial real estate. Ms. Mahood specialises in advising on complex sale and purchase agreements and all aspects of leasing acting for both landlords and tenants. She also has extensive experience of the structuring of complex mixed-use and hotel development projects involving strata titling and multiple ownership. Ms. Mahood is recognised in The Legal 500 as a ‘Next Generation Lawyer’ in real estate. Dechert’s Middle East co-managing partner Chris P. Sioufi said, “We are delighted to add Stephen and Sarah’s top flight real estate experience to our Dubai team, further expanding our client offering in the region.” Richard Jones, chair of Dechert’s global finance and real estate practice groups added “Stephen and Sarah are heavyweights in the Middle East real estate market and they enhance the firm’s ability to provide intelligent and innovative real estate advice worldwide.” “These hires demonstrate Dechert’s firm commitment to investing in and further expanding our Middle East capability,” said Camille Abousleiman, head of Dechert’s emerging markets group, “Stephen and Sarah join a market-leading team of premier lawyers in the region.” “I am excited to join such a dynamic firm with a real appetite to grow its services to clients in the Middle East region,” said Mr. Kelly. “Dechert is globally renowned for its strategic and commercial approach to legal advice, and I look forward to working alongside the firm’s leading real estate group.” Dechert’s real estate group provides clients access to a responsive, interdisciplinary, multi-jurisdictional team to address all aspects of complex real estate transactions. The firm’s internationally recognized practice offers an informed approach based on extensive cross-border experience in the sector. Chambers and Partners quotes market commentators stating “for high value matters, whether in money terms or complexity, we would always use them.” Dechert lawyers have a strong history of working with clients in the Middle East and North Africa region. With the support of the extensive global resources of an international law firm, Dechert advises local, regional and international clients on all matters of law and regulation, applying a creative, results-oriented approach to any type of project or transaction.
Written by Jad on 23 May 2018.
♦ Moves News ♦ Dubai
Global law firm K&L Gates LLP has added arbitration and dispute resolution partner Jonathan Sutcliffe to its Dubai office. He has been based in Dubai for over eight years and joins K&L Gates from Baker Botts LLP. Having previously worked in London, Houston, and New York, Sutcliffe advises clients across a broad range of international arbitration, dispute resolution, and litigation matters as well as investor-state disputes and joint venture disputes. His experience spans a number of sectors including energy, infrastructure, and resources, construction, real estate, hospitality, defense, and insurance. “K&L Gates has an impressive reputation across a number of key sectors where I am also focused,” said Sutcliffe. “I am looking forward to working with the existing team and contributing to the growth of both the Dubai office and the international arbitration and dispute resolution team. Joining their platform opens up a number of exciting business opportunities for me.” Neal Brendel, administrative partner and head of disputes for K&L Gates’ Dubai office, stated: “Jonathan’s substantial breadth and depth of experience as both an advocate and arbitrator in dispute resolution and international arbitration, including appearances before all the major international and regional arbitration centers as well as the DIFC (Dubai International Financial Centre) Courts, adds immediate strength and capacity to our team locally and globally.” Sutcliffe’s arrival follows K&L Gates’ recent ranking in Global Arbitration Review’s GAR 30 as well as a series of other lawyer additions in the firm’s international arbitration, litigation, and dispute resolution practices during the first five months of 2018. These have included the energy disputes and arbitration team of partners Jeremy Farr, Charles Lockwood, and Clare Kempkens in London; construction disputes and arbitration partner Luca Sommariva in Milan; a five-lawyer energy team in Texas; commercial litigation partner John Rothermich in Portland; insurance coverage partner Jonathan Cohen in Washington, D.C.; and intellectual property litigation partners Susan Kayser and C.J. Fahy in Washington, D.C., and Chicago, respectively. With more than 500 lawyers in Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, K&L Gates’ global disputes team has the breadth, depth of experience, and sophistication to successfully address even the most complex and difficult engagements across almost any business sector.
Written by Jad on 08 May 2018.
♦ Moves News ♦ Dubai
International law firm Pinsent Masons has appointed leading infrastructure and energy specialists, Tim Armsby and Gurmeet Kaur, to its finance & projects practice in the Middle East. Both join from Eversheds Sutherland, where Tim was a partner in Abu Dhabi and head of Energy & Infrastructure for the Middle East. Tim has been working in the region for nearly twenty years and his experience includes oil & gas, utilities (including both conventional power and renewables) and wider infrastructure projects (including PPP and front-end construction) in a variety of sectors including transport, waste, health and education. Tim also has significant corporate/M&A transactional experience. Tim will lead the finance and project practice for the region. Gurmeet Kaur was a partner in the Dubai office of Eversheds Sutherland, having been based in the Middle East for 10 years. Gurmeet has extensive experience advising public and private clients on infrastructure, energy and construction projects, particularly in renewable power, water and transportation sectors. She is also a board member of the Middle East Solar Industry Association. Both Tim and Gurmeet will be based in Dubai. Michael Watson, Global Group Head of Finance and Projects at Pinsent Masons, said: "Both Tim and Gurmeet bring with them fantastic experience and we are very pleased they will be joining us. Their skills will further cement our position and develop our capability as leaders in the infrastructure and energy markets in the region and globally. This is a significant step for Pinsent Masons in developing the platform and connecting our practices across the globe with new colleagues who are front and centre of our strategy and directly relevant to the market and our clients." Sachin Kerur, Head of Middle East Region at Pinsent Masons, commented: "We continue to see a range of projects opportunities in the Middle East and we're delighted that Tim and Gurmeet are joining us to further develop our practice. I'm certain that their combined experience will be of great value to our current and future clients."