The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, Norton Rose LLP is a third tier firm,

Norton Rose (Middle East) LLP suffered a number of departures from its finance practice, with former practice head Neil D Miller retiring and Anthony Pallett joining Latham & Watkins LLP. Emma Giddings now leads from Abu Dhabi, with Mohammed Paracha heading the Islamic finance practice. Highlights included advising Askari Bank Limited on a $35m seven-year syndicated term facility for WorldCall Telecom Limited.

Within Construction, Norton Rose LLP is a second tier firm,

Norton Rose (Middle East) LLP’s construction practice remains a key player in the market, despite Jonathan Brufal’s move to Wragge & Co LLP. It continues to act as preferred adviser to Mubadala Development Company on its construction, real estate and hospitality transactions. Martin Preston, who advises on non-contentious matters, acted for the project sponsors in the Dammam 7 petrochemicals plant project in Saudi Arabia, while litigator Patrick Bourke advised a Singaporean development company in a dispute with a Bahrain-based engineering firm.

Within Corporate and M&A, Norton Rose LLP is a third tier firm,

Norton Rose (Middle East) LLP provides ‘timely, thoughtful, thoughtful and efficient’ service to a mix of global and regional corporates, sovereign wealth funds and financial institutions. Highlights included advising Mubadala Development Company on its joint venture with Gulf Related to develop, lease and operate a 355,000-sq ft retail and restaurant complex in Abu Dhabi’s Sowwah Square development. Abu Dhabi based corporate finance partner Alan Bainbridge is ‘smart, reliable, creative and efficient’.

Within Dispute resolution, Norton Rose LLP is a second tier firm,

Patrick Bourke’s prolific contentious practice at Norton Rose (Middle East) LLP continues to advise regional and international corporates and financial institutions in arbitrations and in claims before the Dubai World Tribunal.

Within Investment funds, Norton Rose LLP is a second tier firm,

Under the stewardship of Alan Bainbridge and Jane Clayton, Norton Rose (Middle East) LLP has amassed a broad client base that includes sovereign wealth funds, regional private investment groups, and global banks and financial institutions. Highlights included advising Royal Capital on the structuring and launch of the Royal Capital MENA multi-market strategy fund.

Within Projects and energy , Norton Rose LLP is a second tier firm,

Norton Rose (Middle East) LLP’s projects and energy practice advises global financial institutions and government entities on complex financing matters, often with a cross-border and Islamic financing component. Martin Preston heads the group, which advised Standard Chartered and African Development Bank on the financing of a €90m port project in Senegal. It also advised the lenders on a $1.1bn steel mill project in Bahrain.

Within Real estate, Norton Rose LLP is a first tier firm,

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.

Within TMT, Norton Rose LLP is a third tier firm,

Dino Wilkinson’s relocation to Norton Rose (Middle East) LLP’s Abu Dhabi office means it now provides on-the-ground TMT expertise, and the team is already gaining praise for its ‘good industry knowledge and global experience’. In 2011, it advised ADS Securities, an Abu Dhabi based brokerage and trade services provider, on the procurement of an online trading platform from Squared Financial.