‘Highly regarded for its expertise in advising on a broad spectrum of complex, high-value corporate transactions within the Middle East and internationally’, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP combines UAE, Saudi, and English law capabilities to advise leading corporates, sovereign wealth funds, and financial institutions on strategic regional and international transactions. Team head Chris Walters is praised for his ’strategic vision and leadership’ and has a strong track record on significant digital infrastructure transactions. Anna Szyndler handles a wealth of M&A and PE deals in the infrastructure, energy and tech spaces. Andrew El-Khoury widely supports.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Billing & efficiency
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘The team that handles the M&A projects provide great services to their external clients. The response time, efficiency in handling matters, attention to detail, and constant communication is what sets Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP apart from other firms.’
- ‘The willingness of the individuals to understand the specific requirements and concerns is what sets them apart from their competitors. This characteristic is seen in each of the members we have worked with at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP. Key members from the Corporate M&A practice we have worked with are Chris Walters and Anna Szyndler.'
- ‘The HSFK team in the UAE are extremely effective. We have used them for several complicated transactions with fiddly regulatory aspects and they have got them done. They are very easy to deal with and responsive, and found good solutions to problems as they came up.’
- ‘We dealt with Chris Walters (Partner) and Andrew El-Khoury (Associate). Chris was unflappable and extremely clear in his advice. He has a knack of being able to explain things both to his client and the other side in a simple way, which is always helpful. Andrew was hard working and found solutions to issues.’
- ‘Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer’s Corporate and M&A practice in Dubai is highly regarded for its expertise in advising on a broad spectrum of complex, high-value corporate transactions within the Middle East and internationally. The team specialises in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, joint ventures, restructuring, and corporate governance, providing sophisticated legal solutions tailored to the dynamic commercial environment in Dubai and the wider Gulf region.'
- ‘The individuals I work with continuously stand out for their exceptional legal expertise, commercial insight, and unwavering client dedication. What differentiates them from competitors is their proactive approach to problem-solving, combining deep technical knowledge with a pragmatic mindset that delivers tailored solutions aligned with clients’ business objectives.
Key clients
- Singtel, Deutsche Telekom, e&, SK Telecom, and SoftBank Corp.
- TASC Towers Holding Limited / Mobile Telecommunications Company K.S.C.P. (Zain)
- Emirates Telecommunications Corporation (Etisalat / e& enterprise)
- Uber Technologies
- Saint-Gobain Construction Chemicals / Chryso S.A.S.
- Blackstone New York
- Macnica, Inc.
- Africa50
- Marex Group
- Al Jomaih Energy & Water Company (JENWA)
- Sunstone Development Co., Ltd
Work highlights
Advising Zain Group and its subsidiary TASC Towers Holding ("TASC") on their framework agreement with Ooredoo, to combine their mobile telecommunicators tower portfolios to create the largest independent tower company in the Middle East North Africa ("MENA") region.
Advising a consortium of five leading telecommunication companies in the formation of a joint venture: the 'Telco AI Alliance'. Alliance members will develop a cutting-edge Telco AI Platform that will underpin a host of new AI services, such as those that improve service quality, digital assistants, and super apps.
Advising Marex Group plc, a diversified global financial services platform, in connection with its successful acquisition of Aarna Capital Limited (Aarna Capital), a multi-asset brokerage firm operating from Abu Dhabi Global Markets.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Chris Walters
Other key lawyers
Anna Szyndler; Andrew El-Khoury