Vargas Partners Newswatch: Middle East Big Law news

Freshfields advises Banner Ridge on $280m acquisition of True Green Capital Fund III LP

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Freshfields advised Banner Ridge on acquiring limited partner interests representing about $280 million of capital commitments in True Green Capital Fund III, L.P., via a tender offer to existing investors. The transaction closed in September 2026. The team was led by Partner Ivet Bell; Partners Sarah Katz and David Nicolardi advised on tax and regulatory matters respectively.

Confirmed · Middle East

Sources: Freshfields — news

LIV Golf paid Gibson Dunn over $7.1 million in discounted fees, per bankruptcy records

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

LIV Golf Inc. paid more than $7.1 million to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in discounted legal fees while the once Saudi Arabian-backed golf circuit was shedding much of its workforce, according to bankruptcy court records. Source is a social post.

Confirmed · Middle East

Sources: Bloomberg Law, Bluesky — Big Law search

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader makes four lateral hires to build Middle East corporate and finance

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, described as a "sleeping giant" in the Gulf, is investing in its corporate and finance practice to catch up with rivals, following four lateral hires.

Confirmed · Middle East

Sources: Law.com — International Edition

Debevoise and Paul Weiss lead on Schneider Electric's $22.6bn acquisition of PTC

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Paul Weiss and Debevoise & Plimpton have taken the lead roles as Schneider Electric agrees to acquire PTC for $22.6bn in an all-cash acquisition. Debevoise is leading on the buy side. Paul Weiss head Barshay is on the sell-side team.

Confirmed · Middle East

Sources: Legal Business

Covington promotes Marc Norman to Dubai partner in 15-lawyer class

hello@vargaspartners.com (Vargas Partners Newswatch) — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Covington's new partnership class adds a Dubai data center and project finance specialist as Gulf infrastructure capital draws rival firms.

Covington has promoted 15 lawyers to its partnership, including Dubai-based project development and finance partner Marc Norman, The Oath reported. The class took effect on 1 October across Brussels, Dubai, New York, San Francisco and Washington, with Washington taking 10 of the 15, two in New York and one each in Brussels, Dubai and San Francisco (Pulse 2.0).

Norman advises on project development and finance across energy, infrastructure and technology, and is recognised for data center work in the Middle East, Europe and the US (The Oath). Chair Doug Gibson said the promotions "reflect our commitment to succession planning" (Pulse 2.0).

Norman's promotion builds on Covington's 2017 Dubai project finance office

Covington opened its Dubai office in 2017 after absorbing a project finance team from Chadbourne & Parke, building a Middle East practice spanning renewables, oil and gas, infrastructure, compliance and disputes (Covington). Norman joins Haykel Hajjaji and Antonio Michaelides, promoted to partner in the same office the prior year (The Oath).

The office has a regional track record. Covington was named Project Finance Team of the Year at the 2024 IFLR Middle East Awards, having closed almost a dozen regional deals worth over $12bn between July 2023 and June 2024 (Covington). In November 2025 it advised on financial close for two Saudi solar plants totalling 1.4 GW (Covington).

Middle East data center spend above $100bn drives project finance demand

The work sits in a market expanding fast. Middle East data center investment reached $7.61bn in 2025 and is forecast to hit $20.74bn by 2031 (Research and Markets). Saudi Arabia and the UAE are committing over $100bn to next-generation data centers, including the HUMAIN platform at $77bn and the Stargate UAE campus at over $30bn (Research and Markets).

Saudi Arabia's renewable energy program targets about 50% renewables in the power mix by 2030, with ACWA Power-led consortia investing roughly $8.2bn in 15,000 MW of projects (Public Investment Fund). That pipeline is the energy and infrastructure financing a Dubai project finance desk exists to capture.

Kirkland, Mishcon and A&O Shearman expand across Riyadh and Dubai

Rivals are building in the same region. Mishcon de Reya opened its Dubai office at One Za'abeel in June 2026, months after announcing simultaneous UAE entry (Legal Business). Kirkland & Ellis, which entered the Gulf with a Riyadh office in October 2023 (Kirkland & Ellis), has registered with the Abu Dhabi Global Market toward a possible second office (The Lawyer) and hired a funds partner from Morgan Lewis for Riyadh (Global Legal Post). A&O Shearman is building in Riyadh amid a flurry of Gulf and City hires (Legal Business).

Covington's 15-partner class against Kirkland's 225 and Latham's 40

The round is modest beside the firm's largest competitors. Kirkland made at least 225 partners in its October 2026 round, 90% in the US (Global Legal Post); Latham & Watkins promoted 40 associates, nearly double its start-of-year intake, with Washington its second-largest hub (Global Legal Post). The size gap reflects different partnership models.

Covington lost a seven-person London private equity team to Paul Hastings (The Lawyer). Promoting from within, in a year when London partner moves hit a record 668 (Sartori Global), is one answer to that pressure. The class also deepens contested regulatory work: Mark Clifford and Lisa Ann Johnson in US sanctions and export controls, Jayne Ponder in privacy and AI regulation (Pulse 2.0).

Gulf infrastructure and data center capital is drawing both the mandates and the firms that compete for them. A single Dubai promotion against a Washington-weighted class shows where Covington is choosing to hold a regional bench it has spent nearly a decade building.

Sources: The Oath (Middle East), Pulse 2.0 — Law, Covington & Burling, Covington & Burling, Covington & Burling, Research and Markets, Public Investment Fund, Legal Business, Kirkland & Ellis, The Lawyer, Global Legal Post, Legal Business, Global Legal Post, Global Legal Post, The Lawyer, Sartori Global

Big Law Weekly: Middle East, 28 September – 4 October 2026

hello@vargaspartners.com (Vargas Partners Newswatch) — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Baker McKenzie's funds head joined Ashurst in Abu Dhabi, Linklaters added a Riyadh corporate partner, and Pinsent Masons named its Abu Dhabi head.

The week's Gulf news turned on investment funds and corporate partners, the two practices closest to sovereign capital. James Burdett, who led Baker McKenzie's Middle East and Africa Funds Group, left as the firm's third practice-group head to depart since late August, which Law.com International framed as a Middle East retention problem.

Burdett did not stay off the market. He resurfaced at Ashurst Perkins Coie as head of investment funds for the Middle East and Africa in Abu Dhabi, The Oath reported, a single move that took a practice head from Baker McKenzie to a direct competitor.

James Burdett leaves Baker McKenzie for Ashurst Perkins Coie in Abu Dhabi

The move follows a surge in regional sovereign capital. MENA sovereign wealth funds are forecast to invest $136bn across 327 deals in 2026, down from a $176bn peak in 2025 but still their second-busiest year on record, per AGBI, with Abu Dhabi's Mubadala the most active Gulf investor over the first nine months at $26.2bn.

Those funds hold more private capital than their peers. Middle East sovereign investors allocate 43 per cent of their exposure to private markets against 35 per cent for global peers, Executive Moves reported, the demand that firms advising on fund formation and outward deployment are chasing. Baker McKenzie has continued to invest in the Gulf despite the exits, adding a banking and finance partner in January.

Linklaters adds Clyde & Co's Almarzouki in Riyadh as US firms open there

Linklaters announced that Mohammed Almarzouki, a Clyde & Co corporate partner with more than a decade advising on M&A and joint ventures, joined its Riyadh practice on 1 October, Law.com International reported. He is the firm's second Middle East lateral this year, following the departure of its former Saudi managing partner, as it rebuilds a Riyadh corporate bench around Vision 2030 deal flow, per Legalcommunity MENA.

The Riyadh build-out runs wider than one firm. Morgan Lewis opened a Riyadh office on 3 November 2025, and Bird & Bird and Reed Smith both opened there across 2025, part of a run of US and international firms establishing on-the-ground Saudi presence chronicled by AGBI. Clyde & Co, which lost Almarzouki, has seen partner mobility across the Gulf, with departures to DWF and CMS tracked by Legalcommunity MENA.

Pinsent Masons and Covington name leaders and partners in Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Pinsent Masons appointed William Reichert, a corporate partner with more than 30 years advising multinational corporations, private equity sponsors, institutional investors and founders, as head of its Abu Dhabi office, The Oath reported. The firm pointed to its 20-year UAE presence, with Middle East head Catherine Workman calling Abu Dhabi one of the most exciting global markets today.

Covington promoted 15 lawyers to partner across five offices, among them Marc Norman in Dubai, Pulse 2.0 reported. Norman is a project development and finance lawyer active in Middle East data-center work. Energy and infrastructure are a second Gulf growth line alongside funds and corporate. Read more.

Squire Patton Boggs and DSK Legal advise on sovereign and cross-border deals

The deal flow matched the hiring. Squire Patton Boggs advised sovereign-wealth fund Arab Invest on acquiring a 15 per cent stake, worth $37.5m, in regional healthcare operator AKDITAL KSA, alongside AKDITAL Group and private equity firm Mediterrania Capital Partners, The Oath reported.

DSK Legal and Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu advised Japanese logistics group KRS Corporation on acquiring a majority stake in Coldrush Logistics, a deal that involved a secondary purchase from UAE-based shareholder Hydra Commercial Investments, Law.asia reported.

Fasken reshuffles South African leadership as BonelliErede reviews the UAE Civil Code

Across the broader region, Fasken named pensions partner Ludwig Frahm-Arp to lead its South African team and rehired finance partner Bontle Bopape less than a year after she left for an in-house role, Law.com International reported.

On the technical side, Letizia Santin of BonelliErede examined how the new UAE Civil Code, Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 which entered into force on 1 June 2026, reshapes construction arbitration across hardship, termination, liquidated damages and risk allocation, The Oath reported.

Read together, the week's moves point to one source of demand. A funds head lost by one firm and gained by another in Abu Dhabi, a corporate lateral into Riyadh behind a run of new Saudi offices, and office and partner appointments across Abu Dhabi and Dubai all sit on the same sovereign capital that AGBI measures in the hundreds of billions, concentrated in the private-market and project work those lawyers advise on.

The full list of the week's moves is on the Middle East week page.

Sources: Law.com — International Edition, Pulse 2.0 — Law, The Oath (Middle East), Law.com International — Middle East & Africa, The Oath (Middle East), Law.com International — Middle East & Africa, Law.asia, The Oath (Middle East), The Oath (Middle East), Legalcommunity MENA, Morgan Lewis, Bird & Bird, AGBI, AGBI, Executive Moves, Baker McKenzie

Sullivan & Cromwell joins the rush to Abu Dhabi

hello@vargaspartners.com (Vargas Partners Newswatch) — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

S&C's first Middle East office, led by alumnus Ahmed el-Gaili from Latham, follows Skadden and Kirkland into ADGM as sovereign capital drives demand.

Sullivan & Cromwell has opened its first office in the Middle East. The firm announced on 14 September that it has full authorisation from the Registration Authority of ADGM, Abu Dhabi's international financial centre, and that Ahmed T. el-Gaili is rejoining as a partner to lead its Middle East practice.

El-Gaili spent six years at S&C in London before moving to the Gulf. He arrives from Latham & Watkins, Law360 reported, where the firm's own deal announcements described him as a Riyadh partner. His practice covers M&A, private equity, joint ventures, project finance and restructuring for sovereign wealth funds, state-owned enterprises and governments, across energy, infrastructure, telecoms and technology. Partners Garth Bray and Umberto Hassan, the latter focused on UAE-based clients, will work alongside him, and the office will cover the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the wider region.

"Sovereign capital, private equity and infrastructure investment in the Middle East is fueling some of the most high-profile and complex transactions anywhere in the world," el-Gaili said. Bloomberg reported the opening as a move to win work on Gulf deals.

Abu Dhabi is Sullivan & Cromwell's 14th office, alongside London hires

S&C opens offices infrequently; Abu Dhabi is its 14th. The firm has historically promoted most of its partners from within, and its Middle East office is led by a returning alumnus rather than a lateral team. In the same week it announced David Avery-Gee and Sarah Flaherty as new M&A partners in London, adding partners in two markets at once.

Skadden, Kirkland and Simmons entered ADGM before Sullivan & Cromwell

S&C is one of several firms to open in ADGM since the start of 2025. Skadden opened there in January 2025 under Michael Hilton, a senior Freshfields hire, and in June took three investment management partners from Akin, two of them in Abu Dhabi, to advise sovereign wealth investors. Greenberg Traurig launched in Abu Dhabi in October 2025 with two Latham partners. Simmons & Simmons opened in ADGM in January with a funds and asset management focus. Kirkland registered in ADGM in April, and Pérez-Llorca set up there in June.

Riyadh licenses 35 foreign firms as DWF closes its office

Saudi Arabia has taken a different path. More than 35 international firms have been licensed in Riyadh since the kingdom opened its legal market in 2023, Law.com counts. In August DWF became the first Global 200 firm to close its Riyadh office, shortly after Saudi Arabia relaxed its rules on foreign ownership.

ADGM assets up 54% as Bain Capital, EQT and Pantheon arrive

ADGM reported assets under management up 54% year on year in the first half, with 190 fund and asset managers based there, against 154 a year earlier. Bain Capital opened in April; EQT and Pantheon followed in September. These managers are clients for funds, private equity and regulatory work. Abu Dhabi capital also invests abroad: Mubadala Capital took part in the $6bn Clear Channel takeover, a US public-company deal of the type at the centre of S&C's practice.

Iran attacks and a 20.5% fall in Gulf promotions preceded the openings

In March, Iranian missile and drone attacks led firms including White & Case and Baker McKenzie to tell staff to work remotely, and up to 70% of staff at some international firms left the region before a ceasefire allowed them back in April. Gulf partner promotions at Global 200 firms fell 20.5% in the first quarter. Kirkland registered in April, weeks into the ceasefire, and S&C opened in September; both committed to Abu Dhabi after the disruption.

Latham and Baker McKenzie lose Gulf partners to new entrants

The work behind these openings is sovereign M&A, private equity, fund formation, disputes and project finance for energy, infrastructure and data centres. Partners in those practices are moving between firms. Latham has lost a Riyadh partner to S&C and two partners to Greenberg Traurig's Abu Dhabi launch. Baker McKenzie has lost its Middle East investment funds head, James Burdett, to Ashurst Perkins Coie in Abu Dhabi, its third partner exit since late August; the departure comes as the number of fund managers in ADGM is rising. In disputes, Three Crowns has hired Freshfields' Saudi disputes head Amani Khalifa in Dubai.

The US firms entering ADGM have done so with small partner teams built around existing relationships with sovereign investors such as ADIA, Mubadala, ADQ and PIF, and have filled those teams largely by hiring from firms already in the region.

Sources: Sullivan & Cromwell, Law360, Bloomberg, Latham & Watkins, Sullivan & Cromwell, Skadden, The Global Legal Post, Law.com International, The Global Legal Post, Simmons & Simmons, Law.com International, The National, Law.com International, Law.com International, ADGM, Bain Capital, ADGM, ADGM, Law.com International, Law.com International, Law.com International, Law.com International, Law.com International

Squire Patton Boggs advises Arab Invest on 15% AKDITAL KSA stake acquisition

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Squire Patton Boggs advised sovereign-wealth fund Arab Invest on acquiring a 15 per cent stake, representing USD37.5 million, in regional healthcare operator AKDITAL KSA. The deal runs through a partnership with AKDITAL Group and private equity firm Mediterrania Capital Partners (MCP).

Confirmed · Middle East

Sources: The Oath (Middle East)

Pinsent Masons names William Reichert head of Abu Dhabi office

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Pinsent Masons has appointed William (Bill) Reichert as head of its Abu Dhabi office. He is a partner in the firm's corporate practice with more than 30 years of experience. He advises multinational corporations, private equity sponsors, institutional investors and founders.

Confirmed · Middle East · Abu Dhabi

Sources: The Oath (Middle East)

Fasken names Ludwig Frahm-Arp to lead South African team, rehires Bontle Bopape

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Fasken named pensions partner Ludwig Frahm-Arp to lead its South African team. It rehired finance partner Bontle Bopape less than a year after she left for an in-house role.

Confirmed · Middle East

Sources: Law.com International — Middle East & Africa

DSK Legal and Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu advise KRS on Coldrush majority stake

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

DSK Legal and Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu advised KRS Corporation, a Japanese logistics provider, on acquiring a majority stake in Coldrush Logistics for an undisclosed amount. The deal involves a primary subscription to new Coldrush shares and a secondary purchase from existing shareholder Hydra Commercial Investments, which is UAE-based.

Confirmed · Middle East

Sources: Law.asia

Covington promotes 15 lawyers to partner, including Marc Norman in Dubai

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Covington has promoted 15 new lawyers to its partnership. Marc Norman takes the partnership role in the firm's Dubai office. Covington chair Doug Gibson said the new partners practice across a range of areas critical to clients.

Read the full article →

Confirmed · Middle East · Dubai, Brussels, New York, San Francisco, Washington DC

Sources: The Oath (Middle East), Pulse 2.0 — Law

BonelliErede's Letizia Santin examines new UAE Civil Code's impact on construction arbitration

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Letizia Santin of BonelliErede examines how the New UAE Civil Code reshapes construction arbitration, covering hardship, termination, liquidated damages and risk allocation. The excerpt says Federal Decree-Law No. 25 of 2025 entered into force on June 1, 2026.

Confirmed · Middle East

Sources: The Oath (Middle East)

Baker McKenzie loses Middle East investment funds head, its third practice head exit

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Baker McKenzie's Middle East investment funds head has departed, the third Baker McKenzie practice group head to leave since late August. The outlet says this highlights growing retention challenges for the firm in the Middle East. Destination and name not stated.

Confirmed · Middle East

Sources: Law.com — International Edition

Ashurst Perkins Coie appoints James Burdett as investment funds partner in Abu Dhabi

Sat, 03 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Ashurst Perkins Coie announced the appointment of James Burdett as partner in its Investment Funds practice, based in Abu Dhabi. The firm says this strengthens its private capital offering across the Middle East. He advises fund sponsors and investors, including sovereign wealth funds.

Confirmed · Middle East · Abu Dhabi

Sources: The Oath (Middle East)

Covington promotes Marc Norman to partner

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Covington has promoted Marc Norman to partner in the Middle East, The Oath reported on October 2.

Confirmed · Middle East · Middle East

Sources: The Oath

Linklaters appoints Mohammed Almarzouki as corporate partner in Riyadh

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Linklaters announced Mohammed Almarzouki will join as a partner in its corporate practice on 1 October, based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He has over a decade's experience advising on M&A, joint ventures and corporate matters.

Confirmed · Middle East · Riyadh

Sources: Law.com International — Middle East & Africa, The Oath (Middle East)

Baker McKenzie’s Middle East investment funds head departs

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Baker McKenzie’s head of investment funds in the Middle East has left, the third such exit reported, Law.com International said on October 1.

Confirmed · Middle East · Middle East

Sources: Law.com International

Linklaters hires a Clyde & Co partner for Riyadh corporate

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Linklaters has hired a partner from Clyde & Co for its corporate practice in Riyadh. Law.com International reported the hire on September 29 and The Oath on September 30.

Confirmed · Middle East · Riyadh

Sources: Law.com International, The Oath

Freshfields’ Saudi disputes head joins Three Crowns

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The head of Freshfields’ Saudi disputes practice has joined Three Crowns. Law.com International reported the move on September 23 and Global Legal Post on September 24.

Confirmed · Middle East · Saudi Arabia

Sources: Law.com International, Global Legal Post

Gulf IPO drought pushes firms to diversify

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT

A drought in Gulf IPOs is pushing Baker McKenzie, Akin and other firms to diversify their work, Law.com International reported on September 22.

Confirmed · Middle East · Gulf

Sources: Law.com International

Sullivan & Cromwell launches in Abu Dhabi with a Latham partner

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Sullivan & Cromwell has opened in Abu Dhabi, hiring a partner from Latham to launch the office, Law.com International reported on September 14.

Read the full article →

Confirmed · Middle East · Abu Dhabi

Sources: Law.com International