White & Case LLP > Doha, Qatar > Firm Profile
White & Case LLP Offices
Alfardan Office Tower, 7th Floor, P.O. Box 22027
West Bay, Doha
Qatar
White & Case LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings
Qatar > Projects, real estate and construction Tier 1
The project development and finance, construction, and dispute resolution-focused teams at White & Case LLP in Doha have ‘great knowledge of the region‘: with leadership from Payvand Vahdat in Doha, Michael Turrini in Dubai and Philip Stopford in London, the team pairs regional strength with local expertise. Energy projects are an area of expertise for the team, which has a longstanding relationship with QatarEnergy which is spearheaded by Stopford. The project finance team are ‘recognised experts‘ in the market. Both front-end construction work and construction disputes are strengths, Vahdat in particular is a key name for arbitration in the construction sector.Practice head(s):
Philip Stopford; Payvand Vahdat; Michael Turrini
Other key lawyers:
Verena Gross; Farah Haider
Testimonials
‘When working on an international arbitration with Payvand Vahdat, he took a hands-on approach and gave sage advice.’
‘Verena Gross is extremely bright. Her ability to seamlessly digest information is tremendous, her drafting is first-rate, as are her cross-examination skills. She successfully managed the entire process, much to the satisfaction of her client. She is also marvellous to deal with.’
‘Farah Haidar is also an excellent lawyer who delivers and produces fantastic work and is a pleasure to work with.’
‘Good established leadership in project finance, with recognised experts. Advice is comprehensive and actionable.’
‘Philip Stopford is great in project finance.’
‘Great knowledge of the region having had a strong presence in Qatar for a number of years, coupled with the highly competent team of lawyers who have extensive experience of the construction projects, makes White & Case a go-to firm for construction disputes.’
‘Michael Turrini consistently develops great relationships with clients that allow him to provide considered and genuine advice on strategic dispute matters.’
‘Verena Gross is technically excellent, her knowledge of contract law is exceptional and she always ensures she gets into the detail of a dispute so can provide clear advice on the merits of her client’s case.’
Key clients
QatarEnergy
Qatargas Operating Company
Qatar Aluminium Limited (Qatalum)
Qatar Investment Authority
Ras Laffan Petrochemical Company
Work highlights
- Advising QatarEnergy and its joint venture partner in connection with a US$6bn petrochemical complex in Ras Laffan, Qatar.
Qatar > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 2
Charbel Abou Charaf who also works from the firm's London office, heads the corporate and M&A offering from White & Case LLP Doha; Charaf is an experienced practitioner with particular expertise regarding local and outbound M&A and equity capital markets matters. High-profile M&A transactions are an area of strength for the team, with additional experience in Islamic finance, real estate & construction, and restructuring. The team collaborates with international colleagues across the wider MENA region as well as the US and Europe. Elias Choueifati is also recommended for his in-depth knowledge of the commercial and legal landscape in Qatar.Practice head(s):
Charbel Abou Charaf
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Qatar Investment Authority
Elegancia Group
Qatar Electricity & Water Company
United Development Company Q.P.S.C.
Es’hailSat
Credit Suisse
Qatar Petroleum
Qatari Diar
QatarEnergy
Ooredoo Q.P.S.C.
United Arab Chemical Carriers Limited
Nasser bin Khaled Al Thani & Sons (NBK)
Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy
Barwa Real Estate
Katara Hospitality
Amwal LLC
Qatar Free Zone Authority
Work highlights
- Advising the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), the body responsible for the organisation of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
- Advised Elegancia in relation to the $707m acquisition of its entire issued share capital by IHG, a company listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange (“QSE”), in consideration for shares issued by IHG.
- Advised Ras Laffan Operating Co (ROC), a subsidiary of Qatar Electricity & Water Company QPSC (QEWC), in the $530m acquisition of 40% of the share capital of Nebras Power from Qatar Holding.
Qatar > Dispute resolution Tier 2
Praised for its provision of ‘robust, succinct and first-class advice’, the dispute resolution team at White & Case LLP pairs its established arbitration expertise with specialised construction dispute services to support clients both domestic and international. Large infrastructure and FIDIC disputes are key areas of strength, the team’s expertise in both ‘legal and technical aspects’ alongside its ability to collaborate with international colleagues makes it a ‘go-to firm for construction disputes’. Payvand Vahdat and Michael Turrini co-lead the team; Vahdat is sought after for his large-scale infrastructure work, while Turrini has notable experience in arbitrations. Verena Groß is particularly recommended.Practice head(s):
Payvand Vahdat; Michael Turrini
Other key lawyers:
Verena Groß; Farah Haidar
Testimonials
‘The team comprises a selection of lawyers with the highest intellect, who readily understand the issues. They give robust, succinct and first-class advice. The teams consists of an equal mix of male and female lawyers, and comprise people of different nationalities, which helps, especially in international arbitration, to understand the culture of the parties.’
‘I worked on an international arbitration with Payvand Vahdat who took a hands-on approach and gave sage advice.’
‘Verena Groß is extremely bright. Her ability to seamlessly digest information is tremendous, her drafting is first-rate, as are her cross-examination skills. She successfully managed the entire process, much to the satisfaction of her client. She is also marvellous to deal with.’
‘Farah Haidar is an excellent lawyer who delivers, produces fantastic work and is a pleasure to work with. ’
‘Great knowledge of the region having had a strong presence in Qatar for a number of years, coupled with the highly competent team of lawyers who have extensive experience of construction projects, makes White & Case a go-to firm for construction disputes. They also have a great network of external advisors and can bring external expertise to the project.’
‘Michael Turrini consistently develops great relationships with clients that allow him to provide considered and genuine advice on strategic dispute matters.’
‘Verena Groß is technically excellent, her knowledge of contract law is exceptional and she always ensures she gets into the detail of a dispute so can provide clear advice on the merits of her client’s case.’
‘White & Case can draw on a pool of exceptionally talented legal professionals that are highly experienced in construction disputes. In my experience, the breath of their experience both in legal and technical aspects allows them to quickly identify the key issues and to ensure that every member of the team is working to address them.’
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Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
Verena Groß | Counsel | View Profile | |
Payvand Vahdat | Partner | View Profile |
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- Projects, real estate and construction
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