The Legal 500

Al Tamimi & Company’s clients are quick to highlight the real estate practice’s ‘strong local connections and depth of resources’, with regional property head Lisa Dale leading a team of dedicated specialists with experience across the full range of contentious and non-contentious property matters. It also has a dedicated strata specialist in Jeremy Scott, who recently acted for Zabeel Investments LLC in providing strata structuring advice for a potential volumetric subdivision project situated on Palm Jumeirah. Hospitality and leisure expert Tara Marlow has ‘a great depth of knowledge’.

Clifford Chance’s real estate practice combines ‘excellent local and international knowledge’, and is ‘very well placed’ to advise on the region’s major construction projects. Practice head Steven Henderson and newly promoted partner Sandy Hall handle a range of matters, from real estate financing to construction disputes. Recent highlights include advising Standard Chartered on the financing of the Fairmont Palm Jumeirah complex, which was the first hotel financing in Dubai following the credit crisis in December 2010.

Clients find Clyde & Co LLP’s property practice ‘a pleasure to work with’, and are quick to highlight newly promoted partner Stephen Kelly’s ‘excellent knowledge of strata matters’. Headed up by the ‘prompt, attentive and knowledgeable’ Alexis Waller, the team acts as the primary adviser to major hotel owners and operators such as Marriott International, and has seen significant growth in instructions from Abu Dhabi based master developers. In 2011, it acted for Tourism Development & Investment Company with respect to title structuring and hotel management arrangements for St Regis Hotel and Residences; Saadiyat Island; and Eastern Mangroves in Abu Dhabi.

Hadef & Partners’ longstanding reputation locally extends across a swathe of property matters. Real estate and construction specialist Basil Siddiqi acted for Tamouh Investments 
LLC regarding developments on Reem Island in Abu Dhabi, and Michael Lunjevich advised Sunland Group on its AED2.5bn project in Dubai relating to the Palazzo Versace resort. The team also handles day-to-day commercial matters relating to property developments for 
clients such as Fortis Plus Holdings and Vista Real Estate.

Norton Rose (Middle East) LLP provides ‘good local real estate knowledge and good value for money’ to a client base that includes government-linked entities such as Mubadala, Dubai World and Kuwait Finance House, and global financial institutions such as Credit Suisse. Practice head Nick Clayson, who has ‘a very good understanding of the local Dubai market’, acted for Abraaj ASAS Fund on its acquisition of a building in Cairo.

Shahram Safai heads Afridi & Angell’s team, which recently advised Union Properties PJSC on the AED1.1bn sale of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC), which involved the first strata plan pursuant to the DIFC’s Strata Title Law. It also handles contentious construction and contractual disputes for multinational contractors.

Allen & Overy LLP’s size and market experience means it can provide ‘a high level of service and wide breadth of expertise, and employ some of the most capable lawyers in the region’. Nick Smith and his team continue to act for Emaar as master developer of King Abdullah Economic City, and also acted for Masdar on the development of Siemens’ new Middle East headquarters. Ian Bevan is a ‘a solid real estate lawyer and has a very logical approach’.

DLA Piper Middle East LLP’s two-partner real estate team has ‘impressive local knowledge’ and provides ‘prompt and polite responses’. Hospitality and leisure continues to be a strong focus for the team, which in 2011 acted for Gulf Related LP, a joint venture between Gulf Capital and The Related Companies, on its acquisition of The Galleria at Sowwah Square, a 33,000sq m retail and restaurant complex in Abu Dhabi. Tom O’Grady heads the practice, and is supported by Abu Dhabi based Duncan Pickering.

The ‘responsive’ Nick Turner heads Herbert Smith LLP’s real estate practice, which demonstrates ‘top-notch attention to detail’ and is considered ‘a go-to firm for complicated transactions’. 2010 saw the team grow significantly at senior associate level, with Richard Ashmore, Justine Ayto and Nicholle Kingsley (‘a very good negotiator’) relocating from London. Recent highlights for the team include advising Standard Chartered on the development of its new headquarters in Dubai, and acting for Waha Capital PJSC on the real estate aspects of an industrial and warehousing development in Abu Dhabi.

Pinsent Masons’ ‘professional’ real estate team ‘always delivers a timely, quality service’ for its developer clients. It has a particularly strong contentious practice, and managing partner Sachin Kerur acted for Perseus Property Management in its dispute against The World LLC relating to the consolidation of land payments for two island acquisitions. Non-contentious highlights included acting for Chun Wo Development Holdings on the real estate aspects of two mixed-use developments in Abu Dhabi. Associate Philip Corfield-Smith is also recommended.

Reed Smith provides ‘a level of responsiveness and industry knowledge that is top-notch’, which is reflected in its top-end client roster, which includes Reem Developers and the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council. Chau Ee Lee, Tarek Abdalla and Arash Amai provide a range of contentious and non-contentious expertise, and recently acted for the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court on a mixed-use development and football stadium project in Al Ain.

Simmons & Simmons Middle East LLP’s real estate practice is particularly well regarded for its client care and attentiveness, and is popular among master developers in the region. The team has acted on a number of strata, leasing and acquisition matters for clients such as Damac Properties and Sourouh Real Estate. Practice head Duane Keighran has ‘good transaction management skill and technical know-how’ in the hospitality and leisure sector, and David Weir provides ‘practical solutions to project structures and documents’. David Nunn moved to Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP in 2011.

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP has built an impressive, broad-based team since setting up its Abu Dhabi office in 2009. In 2011, it welcomed David Nunn and Mohammed Kamal, respectively the former heads of the Middle East real estate teams of Simmons & Simmons Middle East LLP and Hogan Lovells (Middle East) LLP. Their arrival brings the tally to six partners, including construction and planning experts Caroline Pope and Farida Sadiq, as well as hotel sector expert John Sipling. The group handles ongoing retail letting arrangements for Tourism Development and Investment Company.

Habib Al Mulla & Company handles both contentious and non-contentious real estate work for major local developers and real estate funds, with clients including Seddiqi Holdings and Tanmiyat UAE. Former team head Karim Nassif left the firm in December 2011.

Taylor Wessing (Middle East) LLP’s real estate practice focuses on financing and transactions for clients such as Amlak Finance and Aqaar Properties. Jerry Parks is the key contact.

Trowers & Hamlins has been acting for the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport in connection with the procurement of six long-term concession agreements to develop and operate six new car parks. Construction specialist Andrew Greaves heads the team.