Dentons has launched its previously announced combinations with two law firms in Mauritius to form Dentons Mauritius as part of its strategy to become a truly pan-African law firm.

–

Mardemootoo Solicitors was established in 1971 and is recognized as one of the leading and largest solicitors’ firms in Mauritius. It is a multidisciplinary practice including arbitration, litigation and advisory work. Its main areas of focus are Aviation, Banking and Finance, Capital Markets, Commercial, Corporate, Real Estate, Tax and Telecommunications. Chambers Global ranked the firm in General Business Law and General Business Law: Dispute Resolution in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

–

Balgobin Chambers is a set of Barristers Chambers whose origin dates back to 1940s through its first generation of lawyers. It handles both transactions and litigation, covering all areas of Civil, Commercial, Corporate, Employment, and Intellectual Property, with a strong focus on cross-border transactions and Mergers & Acquisitions. Chambers Global ranked the firm in General Business Law in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

–

These combinations give Dentons’ clients access to the experience and talents of lawyers working in 77 countries. These combinations also uniquely position Dentons to provide high-quality legal services to clients around the world.

–

Earlier this month, Dentons also launched a combination with an elite law firm, Hamilton, Harrison & Matthews in Kenya.

–

“These combinations with elite firms in Mauritius give us an even stronger presence in Africa and furthers our strategy to become a pan-African law firm that reaches more of Africa than any of its competitors,” said Elliott Portnoy, Global CEO of Dentons.

–

Mauritius has one of the largest per capita GDPs of any country in Africa. It is a gateway for investments to and from Africa into Europe, and Asia in particular, offering investors a stable economic and political environment, modern infrastructure and a solid judicial system.

–

“Clients in Mauritius, and clients wanting to do business there, will benefit from high-quality legal service on a truly global scale that only Dentons can offer,” said Joe Andrew, Global Chairman of Dentons. “Our clients have access to the deep local knowledge that is provided by lawyers who are both in and of the communities they serve.”
Mauritius is Africa’s most sophisticated financial market and No. 1 in Top African Countries for Ease of Doing Business Index 2016. It attracts more than 32,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in China, India and South Africa.

–

“Our combinations in Mauritius, a country with enormous potential and a very high GDP, are two large steps forward for our Africa growth strategy,” said Noor Kapdi, CEO of Dentons’ Africa region and Managing Partner of Dentons South Africa.

–

The launch of combinations in Mauritius follow in the wake of a launch earlier this month of a combination with Hamilton, Harrison & Matthews, and elite firm and one of the oldest in Kenya. Dentons traces its presence in Africa to the establishment of a Cairo, Egypt, office in 1964. It also has offices in Casablanca, Morocco, and Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa. These combinations will further allow Dentons to pursue its Africa strategy to become a pan-African law firm that reaches more of Africa than its competitors.

Global law firm Clyde & Co has today announced the appointment of Legal Directors Tariq Hameed in Doha and Fara Mohammad in London to grow its global Islamic finance practice.

–

Tariq Hameed is a banking and derivatives specialist with a focus on Islamic finance. He has over 13 years’ experience in the Middle East and joins from Simmons & Simmons where he was a managing associate. His practice covers contractor finance, trade finance, asset finance, structured products and derivatives. He has particular expertise developing and transacting new Islamic finance products and Islamic derivatives. Based in Doha, his work will focus on assisting local and international banks and corporates in Qatar in relation to their banking and financial markets transactions.

–

Fara Mohammad is an Islamic finance specialist, with a focus on transactions relating to Asia-based investments into the UK and Middle East. She has more than 16 years’ experience in different types of investments and financial products and joins from Foot Anstey where she was Director of Islamic Finance. Fara has developed financial products for a number of financial institutions across the UK, Middle East and Asia and has widespread experience of investment funds and Sukuk. Based in London, Fara will focus particularly on assisting Malaysian and South East Asian clients more broadly with their in-bound and out-bound legal work.

–

Adil Hussain, Partner and Global Head of Islamic Finance at Clyde & Co, said: “Our global Islamic finance practice continues to go from strength to strength and the addition of Tariq and Fara, who are both recognised Islamic finance experts in the markets within which they operate, will enable us to service our international clients even better.”
Tariq Hameed says: “I am looking forward to bringing my experience to Clyde & Co. Its unrivalled footprint in the Middle East and the strength of its existing Islamic finance offering will provide the perfect platform to further grow my practice and advance the Qatar banking and finance market.”

–

Fara Mohammad says: “I am delighted to have joined Clyde & Co’s market-leading Islamic finance practice. I look forward to assisting the firm further grow its Islamic finance footprint across London, Malaysia and the rest of South East Asia.”

–

Clyde & Co’s Islamic finance practice is comprised of specialists on the ground across the UK, UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, offering genuine cross-border expertise and global coverage to Shariah-compliant transactions. Our team advises regional and international commercial banks, investment banks, financial institutions and corporate clients on a wide range of financing transactions, including real estate financings, corporate financings, Islamic banking, and capital markets.

–

Clyde & Co has the largest presence and is one of most experienced international law firms in the Middle East with over 40 partners and 400 staff, based full time in Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the UAE, Doha in Qatar, Muscat[1] in Oman and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, providing a full-service commercial offering of local specialists in commercial, corporate, dispute resolution, employment, intellectual property, international arbitration, finance & banking, insurance, projects & construction, real estate, regulatory & investigations, and technology.

Global law firm White & Case LLP has expanded its Global Capital Markets Practice with the addition of Thomas Falkus as a new partner in London.

–

“Our ambition is to establish White & Case as the leading CLO and securitisation practice globally, built around twin hubs in New York and London,” said White & Case partner Stuart Matty, who leads the Firm’s Global Capital Markets Practice. “The addition of Tom adds further strength and depth to the rapidly growing New York-London practice which partners David Thatch and Chris McGarry have been developing since Chris joined us last year, and sends a clear message to the market that we’re determined to continue expanding our role advising clients on their most important, complex, cross-border securitisations.”

–

Falkus, who joins the Firm’s Global Capital Markets Practice, advises financial institutions, sponsors and corporate clients on CLOs, esoteric securitisations, NPLs, fund financings, RMBS and other flow securitisation asset classes. He joins White & Case from Weil, Gotshal & Manges, where he was counsel, and brings more than ten years of experience.

–

“Tom is a technically excellent lawyer, one of the few in London who is recognised for his work advising clients on CLOs and securitisation deals,” said White & Case partner Philippe Herbelin, Regional Section Head, EMEA Capital Markets. “Tom’s client relationships are an exciting fit with our existing portfolio of clients, and his arrival represents further growth in the London CLO and securitisation practice following the addition of partner Chris McGarry and team during 2017.”

–

London-based partner Chris McGarry said: “I have known and worked with Tom for many years. He’s highly regarded by his clients and his practice aligns perfectly with the New York-London practice that David Thatch and I have been developing to service our transatlantic clients, as well as enhancing our wider EMEA structured finance offering.”

–

Recent successes for the White & Case securitisation team include advising Trafigura, one of the world’s leading independent commodity trading and logistics companies, on the establishment of the world’s first ‘true sale’ commodities securitisation programme, as well as regularly acting for arranging banks on CLOs and securitisations on both sides of the Atlantic.

–

Oliver Brettle, London-based member of White & Case’s global Executive Committee, said: “Our 2020 strategy includes a focus on profitable growth in London, in the global financial institutions industry and in our capital markets practice. Tom’s addition drives us forward in all three areas. He is the twelfth partner we have announced joining us laterally in London in 2018 to date, adding to seven internal partner promotions that were effective on January 1, 2018.”

Global, sector-focused law firm HFW has continued to expand its fast-growing international network with the launch of a new office in Abu Dhabi and the hire of two partners.

–

Finance and corporate partners Vince Gordon and Tania de Swart have joined the firm in Abu Dhabi from Reed Smith. Vince was Reed Smith’s regional managing partner for the Middle East.

–

HFW now has 19 partners and more than 50 lawyers – including 28 Arabic speakers – in five offices across the Middle East, making it one of the largest practices of any international law firm in the region.

–

The new office is HFW’s 20th worldwide and its eighth international office opening, merger or association since January 2016, following a fully-integrated US merger and other moves in Brazil, China, Indonesia and the Middle East.

–

Richard Crump, Global Senior Partner, HFW:

–

“Our strategy is to be the world’s leading law firm to the aerospace, commodities, construction, energy, insurance and shipping sectors. As part of that strategy, we have been building capability in the international centres that are important to clients in each of those sectors. The Middle East is critically important to all of our industry groups and is also establishing itself as a key hub for international dispute resolution. It is one of the fastest-growing parts of our business globally.”

–

Vince has more than 13 years’ experience in the Middle East, advising clients on complex corporate, finance, infrastructure and projects transactions, including debt capital markets, M&A and joint ventures, corporate finance, funds, trade finance, regulatory and project finance work.

–

He also has significant management experience: in addition to being Reed Smith’s regional managing partner for the Middle East, he also chaired the firm’s Africa and Australia business teams, and was previously vice chair of its business and finance department and sat on the management committee of its global financial industry group.

–

Vince is ranked as a leading lawyer for banking and finance in the Middle East by independent legal directories including Chambers and Partners, The Legal 500 and the IFLR 1000. The latest edition of Chambers and Partners praised Vince’s “considerable market experience” for banking and finance in the United Arab Emirates.

–

Tania specialises in corporate and commercial work, focusing on M&A, joint ventures, restructurings, corporate governance, foreign direct investments and employment law. She has been in the UAE for more than 10 years, advising clients in a range of industry sectors, including defence, aviation, construction, oil and gas, healthcare, manufacturing, communications, hospitality and education.

–

Vince Gordon, Partner, HFW:

–

“I am excited to be joining a firm with such a deep and longstanding commitment to the Middle East. My clients will really benefit from HFW’s extensive network in the region and globally, and I’m looking forward to helping the firm continue to strengthen its position as one of the leading practices in the Middle East.”

–

HFW has operated in the Middle East for more than 12 years and also has offices in Dubai, Riyadh, Beirut and Kuwait City. It is one of only two international law firms with a presence in Kuwait.

–

The firm recently boosted its Dubai office with the hire of senior disputes partner James Harbridge, who specialises in construction arbitration and the Oman market. HFW also promoted two new partners in Dubai in 2018: aerospace specialist Charles Cockrell and litigation expert Sara Sheffield.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP announced today that it is expanding with the opening of an office in Dallas — the Firm’s ninth in the United States, second in Texas and 14th worldwide. Kirkland’s Dallas office will be located in Bank of America Plaza, 901 Main Street.

–

“Kirkland has established a powerful presence in Texas since opening our Houston office in 2014. Our expansion to Dallas makes sense given the increasing work we are handling in the state, and we are excited to bring together top transactional legal talent in the city for this expansion. We look forward to becoming an integral part of the Dallas business community,” said Jeffrey C. Hammes, Chairman of the Firm’s Global Management Executive Committee.

–

Kirkland will welcome some of Dallas’ top transactional lawyers to the new office. After completing their obligations and notice periods at their prior firms, Michael Considine, Kevin Crews and Thomas Laughlin will join the new office as partners.

–

Mr. Considine represents companies and private equity firms in connection with transformative events, including cross-border M&A, carve-out divestitures, co-investments and joint ventures. He has represented clients in a variety of industries including energy, consumer products, manufacturing, real estate and technology.

–
Mr. Crews focuses on M&A and private equity transactions, with a particular emphasis on the energy sector. He advises sponsors, portfolio companies and other public and private companies in connection with M&A, dispositions, joint ventures and restructurings, as well as strategic investments and financings involving equity and debt securities.

–

Mr. Laughlin focuses on private equity investments, energy transactions and M&A, including transactions relating to upstream and midstream oil and gas properties. His clients are private equity investors, their portfolio companies and a variety of other public and private companies.

–

Lanchi Huynh, Dilen Kumar and Alex Rose will join Mr. Considine, Mr. Crews and Mr. Laughlin as partners in Dallas after completing their obligations and notice periods at their prior firms.
Ms. Huynh focuses on capital markets transactions in the energy space. Her work covers securities offerings, including initial public offerings, by upstream, midstream, oil-field services and related companies.

–

Mr. Kumar concentrates his practice on representing private equity firms and public and private companies in connection with M&A, divestitures and investment transactions.

–

Mr. Rose represents public and private companies, as well as private equity firms and their portfolio companies, in complex domestic and cross-border M&A, corporate governance and other general corporate matters across a variety of industries.

–

Tax partner David Wheat and corporate partner Ryan Gorsche, who joined Kirkland earlier this year, will also work from the Dallas office. Multiple associates have also joined the Firm to support the new Dallas office.

–

“Mergermarket listed Kirkland as the number one M&A advisor for Texas-based companies in 2017 and the first quarter of 2018, which shows how busy we have been,” said Andrew Calder, a partner in Kirkland’s Houston office and a member of the Firm’s Global Management Executive Committee. “We have been working with clients in Dallas for some time and it makes sense for us to have a fixed presence there now. It is a robust market with some incredibly talented lawyers, and this extension of Kirkland to Dallas also allows the Firm to benefit from that significant additional talent pool to service our Dallas and out-of-state clients. Each of the partners and associates that has joined the new office has been carefully selected to fit the Kirkland Texas approach as an entrepreneurial, best-in-class team that will seek to be commercial in finding solutions to client issues.”

–

The approximately 225 lawyers in Kirkland’s Energy Practice Group have a strong presence in Texas, New York and Washington, D.C., and handle an array of sophisticated energy transactions and advisory engagements. Law360 recognized Kirkland as a 2017 Energy Practice Group of the Year, the second consecutive year that the Firm was recognized in that category.

–

Kirkland’s first Texas office, in Houston, opened in 2014 to complement and enhance the service provided to existing and prospective clients in Texas, the United States and abroad. Today, the office has approximately 140 lawyers who have experience on sophisticated transactions and litigation and are particularly active in the energy industry.

–

Mergermarket M&A rankings for 2017 and the first quarter of 2018 showed Kirkland represented Texas-based companies in 82 transactions in 2017 with a combined value of $83 billion.

–
Mergermarket also ranked Kirkland No. 1 in representing Texas-based companies during the first three months of this year with 16 deals totaling $5.5 billion. Visit www.kirkland.com to learn more.

–

Johnson Downie LLC assisted Kirkland in assembling the initial partners for the Dallas office.