CMS will join only a handful of international law firms with a presence in Oman, as the top 10 LB100 network today (10 March) announces a new office in Muscat, its second office in the Gulf region. Continue reading “CMS extends Middle East footprint with Oman launch”
Homegrown BPO – Hogan Lovells puts South Africa at centre of new business support initiative
Transatlantic firm Hogan Lovells has put South Africa at the centre of its cost savings plans for clients, setting up a business support services function that will see new vacancies from Europe and Asia evaluated in terms of whether they could as easily be done from the lower cost site.
Announced today (3 February), the centre, which has been set up in the same building as recent South African merger partner Routledge Modise, follows a strategic view of how the firm provides business services support, and will initially provide a reasonably low-level range of services including conflict checking, client due diligence and research. Continue reading “Homegrown BPO – Hogan Lovells puts South Africa at centre of new business support initiative”
DLA Piper expands Africa group across the continent
DLA Piper’s Africa group last month announced it had expanded in north, southern and eastern Africa with the addition of three new member firms.
Algerian firm B L & Associés, Rubeya & Co Advocates of Burundi and Namibian firm Ellis Shilengudwa joined the 4,200-lawyer firm’s Africa group as of 1 October 2013. The firm now has members in 14 countries in Africa and is located in 30 countries around the world.
B L & Associés is run by Algerian-based partner Fatima Zohar Bouchemla and Paris-based partner Mohamed Lanouar. The firm also comprises eight associates, all of whom are admitted to practise in either Algeria or France.
Continue reading “DLA Piper expands Africa group across the continent”
DLA Piper expands Africa group across the continent with new member firms
DLA Piper‘s Africa Group has expanded in north, southern and eastern Africa with the addition of three new member firms.
Algerian firm B L & Associés, Rubeya & Co Advocates of Burundi and Namibian firm Ellis Shilengudwa Inc joined the 4200-lawyer firm’s Africa Group as of 1 October 2013. The firm now has member firms in 14 countries in Africa, and is located in 30 countries around the world.
Two-partner B L & Associés is run by Algerian-based partner Fatima Zohar Bouchemla and Paris-based partner Mohamed Lanouar and is based in Algiers. The firm also comprises eight associates, all of whom are admitted to practice in either Algeria or France.
Continue reading “DLA Piper expands Africa group across the continent with new member firms”
CC formally launches ‘first-of-its-kind’ Saudi partnership but Riyadh remains a tough nut to crack
Clifford Chance today (6 January) formally announced the launch of its joint Saudi and foreign-owned law firm in Riyadh, boasting an institutionalised career path for Saudi lawyers as it becomes the first international firm to establish an integrated partnership in the Kingdom.
The transactional lawyers of Al-Jadaan & Partners, Khalid Al-Abdulkareem and Abdulaziz Al-Abduljabbar, join Clifford Chance as partners to create a five-partner team alongside English lawyers Omar Rashid, Paul Latto and office head Tim Plews. Continue reading “CC formally launches ‘first-of-its-kind’ Saudi partnership but Riyadh remains a tough nut to crack”
Gateway to Africa: Hogan Lovells ties-up with Routledge Modise
The queue of international firms looking to enter the South African market became one shorter in November, as transatlantic giant Hogan Lovells announced it had tied up with Routledge Modise after ten months of talks.
The 40-partner South African firm, an ally of Eversheds until October last year, will operate under the Hogan Lovells banner, but will not share the same profit pool, as local regulations prohibit it.
Current Routledge chairman Lavery Modise will retain his title in South Africa, while the directors of the firm will now be referred to as partners. The new team is not expected to take up any positions on Hogan Lovells’ board. Continue reading “Gateway to Africa: Hogan Lovells ties-up with Routledge Modise”
Nabarro to launch Middle East ‘hub’ in Dubai
Nabarro is to open an office in Dubai early next year following the Dubai government’s granting of a licence to the firm, in what will become its third international office.
Announced today (21 November), the new office will be led by construction and engineering head Terry Fleet, a former in-house lawyer at Costain, Babcock International and Trafalgar House (Cementation International). Further team members at partner and associate level will be added around the time of the launch.
Continue reading “Nabarro to launch Middle East ‘hub’ in Dubai”
Office openings: Bird & Bird to extend Middle East capability with Dubai presence
Bird & Bird has become the latest leading UK firm to open in Dubai as it transfers Stockholm corporate partner Anders Nilsson to spearhead its new UAE offering.
The 966-lawyer top 20 firm said today that it is setting its sights on expansion to support its growing client base in the emirate, where it advises clients across industries including aviation, media and sports, as well as undertaking work in other sectors such as aerospace, defence, security, communications, energy and utilities, healthcare and life sciences. Continue reading “Office openings: Bird & Bird to extend Middle East capability with Dubai presence”
West meets East – CMS latest to announce Istanbul office launch
The latest move by CMS to enhance its international offering lies at the cross roads between Europe and Asia, with the Global 100 firm today (7 Nov) announcing that it is to launch an office in Istanbul – the latest western firm to open in one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
As partners Döne Yalçin and John Fitzpatrick relocate to Istanbul to lead the new venture, the office will offer services in project finance and infrastructure work, with further plans to expand in the fields of energy, capital markets, and M&A. Continue reading “West meets East – CMS latest to announce Istanbul office launch”
‘We own the time’ – the Africa 2020 vision
‘I’m standing saying that those who miss the boat now, will miss it forever. So if you want to be in Africa, think about investing,’ said Nigerian finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, earlier this year in a public speech.
Before most foreigners had become bullish on Africa, Stephen Jennings, founder of Renaissance Capital, who successfully bet on the opportunities in post-Soviet Russia, put it more pithily when he was quoted in 2007 as saying: ‘If Russia was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, sub-Saharan Africa is a second once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.’ Continue reading “‘We own the time’ – the Africa 2020 vision”