Nabarro has doubled its Dubai office, adding a Dentons associate, local barrister and counsel in a bid to beef up its constructions disputes practice overseas.
Dentons energy associate Nick Kramer joins the firm as a partner and head of commercial and construction in the Middle East. He is joined by local counsel Aarta Alkarimi and UK-qualified barrister Yousaf Said have joined nine months after the firm opened in the region (21 November 2013).
The firm opened the office at the beginning of the year with two partners and one associate with construction partner Terry Fleet heading the office. It followed in the Singapore office’s footprints (20 September 2010), focusing on construction and engineering, development, dispute resolution and infrastructure.
Before launching in Singapore in 2010 Nabarro had only one overseas base in Brussels and alliance relationships with GSK in Germany, August & Debouzy in France and Nunziante Magrone in Italy.
Kramer worked at Dentons for 12 years, nine of which were in Dubai. He specialises in development, infrastructure, power, energy and oil & gas projects and has worked for clients throughout the region, including the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan as well as Africa.
Said has practised in Dubai for 11 years and advised many international companies on a range of legal matters related to the setting up of Free Zone companies, branch offices, Limited Liability Companies and Special Purpose Vehicles.
The Middle East continues to generate a very small proportion of firm revenue and Nabarro has been aiming to build up its contentious and non contentious practice in the area.
Nabarro said it would consider tying up with a foreign firm in Singapore to bolster its international presence. Both offices connect to Nabarro’s new infrastructure, construction and energy sector group, which aims to tie together the firm’s contentious and non-construction practice.