Corporate/M&A | Global

This esteemed law firm has a pre-eminent reputation for corporate and M&A work in the UAE. With offices in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the firm is well recognised for handling high-stakes M&A deals across a wide spectrum of industries, most significantly in financial services, healthcare and education. The team's lawyers are well placed to assist its top-flight client base with joint ventures and disposals, and have further noteworthy expertise in energy and technology-related transactions. The team's other areas of expertise include group restructurings and corporate governance matters. On 1st May 2024, Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling merged to form A&O Shearman.

Clifford Chance operates a premier practice in Dubai with exceptional expertise in major M&A deals across the Middle East. The team represents clients from a broad range of sectors including retail, aviation and financial services, and has played a key role in several major regional bank mergers and acquisitions. The firm's lawyers have considerable experience acting for international financial institutions, major corporations and sovereign wealth funds. The team is much admired by the market for its seamless interdisciplinary approach and cross-border depth, with the capacity to work alongside the firm's other departments and offices with ease.

Freshfields is a pre-eminent law firm that adeptly handles multi-jurisdictional M&A deals and corporate structurings from its offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The corporate team regularly assists financial investors and prominent regional clients in the TMT, oil and gas, and financial services sectors. The team has noteworthy experience advising on high-profile, cross-border M&A, and its lawyers are widely endorsed for their strengths assisting sovereign wealth funds and acting for major private equity houses.

Linklaters is a leading law firm much admired for its expertise in high-stakes M&A transactions. Its lawyers are best known for private equity and joint ventures, as well as corporate matters ancillary to IPOs. With strong offices in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the firm has further expertise in asset disposals and group reorganisations. The team is well known for its capabilities and typically acts for banks, sovereign wealth funds and private equity houses. The team is also experienced representing clients in the oil and gas, technology, and food and beverage sectors.

Gibson Dunn continues to make waves in the UAE legal market. It has attracted considerable attention following a slew of high-profile lateral hires at the end of 2022 and the start of 2023, largely targeting Shearman & Sterling, and its recent opening of additional Middle Eastern offices in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. The group offers considerable expertise in private equity, with a strong track record when it comes to advising investment managers and sovereign wealth funds. Its lawyers are regularly seen on buyout transactions. Other significant clients include major corporations and investment banks.

White & Case demonstrates strong capabilities across the Middle East, typically offering specialist corporate and M&A expertise from its Dubai office, and assisting with real estate and energy mandates mostly from Abu Dhabi. The firm is highly respected for its advice to clients on major multi-jurisdictional M&A transactions, leveraged buyouts and joint ventures. The group's lawyers are adept at handling high-stakes private equity mandates and have assisted with strategic partnerships in the oil and gas sector, where they are also noted for their long-standing client relationships.

Addleshaw Goddard is a well-regarded international law firm with a considerable presence in the Middle East, including a strong office in Dubai. The group is able to act on the full gamut of corporate and commercial matters, and is particularly active in private equity, group restructuring and corporate real estate transactions. The team frequently represents major international and regional corporations across an extremely broad range of sectors including education, professional services, and food and beverages.

DLA Piper is a well-regarded international law firm with an increasingly significant reputation for M&A transactions both within the UAE and across the Middle East, staffing region-wide work primarily from its Dubai office. Alongside major acquisitions, sales and disposals, the firm is also proficient in regulatory matters, joint ventures, restructurings and reorganisations. The team's lawyers are notably experienced in representing clients from the healthcare and technology sectors, with further skills in hospitality and oil and gas.

King & Spalding is a strong law firm for corporate/M&A work in the UAE and is known for having specific expertise in transactions relating to Saudi Arabia. The firm is especially well versed in corporate matters arising in the energy sector, including in the petrochemicals arena as well as with regard to renewables. The team offers further expertise in the healthcare, retail and real estate industries and is well endorsed for its capabilities in private equity and venture capital, drawing upon the strength of its market-leading investment funds practice. The team's clientele commonly includes multinational corporations, government entities and private equity firms.

Latham & Watkins is widely endorsed for its expertise in private equity and venture capital matters. From its office in Dubai, the firm is regularly mandated on significant transactions originating in Saudi Arabia. The team has considerable experience advising on both the sell and buy sides of high-value M&A mandates. Notable clients include regional and international institutional investors. Latham also has a strong track record in representing sovereign wealth funds as well as clients from the healthcare, energy and financial services sectors.

Al Tamimi is a well-established regional law firm with one of the largest corporate/M&A teams both within the UAE and across the Middle East. The team advises prominent domestic and international clients on major M&A transactions, joint ventures, corporate structuring and licensing matters. Its lawyers represent a broad spectrum of clients straddling a range of industries, with especially notable expertise in acting for financial institutions. The team also advises on corporate structuring and entity formation.

Baker McKenzie's Dubai team offers notable capabilities in cross-border M&A, with further strengths in corporate governance, compliance and regulatory matters. The team is also regularly to be seen advising on joint venture agreements and corporate restructuring arrangements. It acts for real estate developers and insurers as well as energy and education companies.

The Dubai office of CMS fields a notable team with a commendable M&A practice. The firm's lawyers frequently carry out the Middle Eastern elements of high-profile global acquisitions. They are furthermore experienced in restructurings, FDI, joint ventures and divestments. The team can often be found representing clients from the financial services, hospitality, technology and energy sectors.

Dentons offers a full-service corporate and transactional practice from its offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The firm's impressive regional network is of great benefit when advising on cross-border matters. Its lawyers have expertise in a broad range of corporate and commercial matters including joint ventures, disposals and acquisitions, with additional capabilities in project development. The group is highly experienced in representing major international corporations, in addition to working with government entities. The firm often advises clients operating within the entertainment, technology and financial services sectors.

Hadef & Partners is a leading domestic law firm with considerable longevity and depth of experience throughout the UAE. The group's corporate division is highly seasoned in acquisitions and has a notably broad practice also encompassing joint ventures and corporate restructurings. The firm is regularly instructed by international law firms to act as local counsel on M&A deals.

Norton Rose Fulbright fields a compact yet respected team in Dubai, advising on the full range of transactional matters. In addition to the firm's capabilities in matters related to investment funds and private equity, its lawyers adeptly advise on cross-border M&A and are sought after by a number of regional conglomerates alongside acting for the firm's international clientele.

Pinsent Masons houses a growing corporate offering with considerable depth of experience throughout the UAE. The firm's corporate team in Dubai is well versed in handling M&A transactions as well as significant commercial contracts issues. It is also highly capable with regard to joint ventures and corporate restructurings. The firm acts for a variety of clients in the construction, healthcare and hospitality sectors.