New Law Firm Partner Hire for Dubai Corporate Division
Norton Rose Fulbright law firm has strengthened its corporate offering in the Middle East with the hire of new partner Kayaan Unwalla.
The Middle East is a geopolitical term that commonly refers to the region spanning the Levant, Arabian Peninsula, Anatolia, Egypt, Iran and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage as a replacement of the term Near East beginning in the early 20th century.
Kayaan joins from DWF, where he was partner and head of corporate. He advises clients on matters including cross-border transactional mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, government contracts, commercial agreements and regulatory advice within the technology, defence, security, and industrial sectors.
Kayaan will join existing corporate partner Adjou Ait Ben Idir, who heads up Norton Rose Fulbright’s corporate/ mergers and acquisitions practice in Dubai, and is recognised for her experience in advising on complex local and international mergers and acquisitions, privatisations, private placement and joint ventures in various sectors including energy, financial institutions and real estate.
She also heads up the firm’s Cyber Response Team in the Middle East and has a wealth of experience in cybersecurity related crisis management and corporate governance matters.
Deirdre Walker, head of Middle East at Norton Rose Fulbright, comments: “We welcome Kayaan to the team. Recent changes to legislation and regulation across the United Arab Emirates – including the overhaul of the foreign direct investment regime in the country – make going into business in the United Arab Emirates much easier for international investors who were previously excluded from the region.
This shift is likely to increase confidence in the business environment and we may consequently see an uptick in corporate and mergers and acquisitions activity in the region. As such, Kayaan, Adjou and their teams of associates are well-placed to advise clients that are looking to capitalise on new opportunities that have arisen.”
Norton Rose Fulbright is an international law firm. It is the second largest law firm in the United States and one of the ten largest in the world, by both lawyers and revenue. In 2017/18, Norton Rose Fulbright had total revenue of US$2.1 billion.