< Previous10 May 2025law-middleeast.com NEWS 70% The new system will accelerate legal processes by up to 70% The UAE is planning to use AI to develop and monitor its laws in a move lawyers have described as “groundbreaking” with the potential to set a global precedent. The announcement was made by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, following a meeting of the UAE Cabinet. “This new legislative system, powered by artifi cial intelligence, will change how we create laws, making the process faster and more precise,” he said. “It will ensure that our legislative framework stands out, aligning our laws with the best global practices while staying true to the unique path of our rapid development.” As part of the initiative, the cabinet approved the formation of a new Regulatory Intelligence Offi ce under its general secretariat. “This offi ce will work on creating a comprehensive legislative plan that brings together all federal and local laws in the UAE, connecting them through artifi cial intelligence with judicial rulings, executive procedures, and public services,” he said. The new system is said to be the fi rst of its kind globally. It will examine the eff ect of laws on the economy and society in real-time and suggest updates using data. It will accelerate the legislative process by up to 70%, reducing the time and eff ort required for research, drafting, evaluation, and enactment of laws. It will also link global research centres to bring UAE laws in line with best international practices. Commenting on the new system, Taimur Malik, a UAE-based lawyer and legaltech specialist, said: “The establishment of the Regulatory Intelligence Offi ce aimed at leveraging AI for harmonising current laws and creating new laws which are in sync with societal requirements is a groundbreaking legal development.” Continuing, Malik, a former Clyde & Co partner, said: “Beyond the positive impact in the UAE, this may become a test case for how legislative drafting takes places around the world in the future. Globally, many laws are seen as archaic and legislative developments often take time due to capacity constraints of lawmakers and lack of data and this system by the UAE can work to overcome such hurdles.” The move comes as part of a wider push to bring AI to government services in the UAE. UAE’S ‘GROUNDBREAKING’ AI LEGAL OFFICE COULD SET GLOBAL PRECEDENT, SAYS TOP LAWYER The Regulatory Intelligence Offi ce, said to be the fi rst of its kind globally, will examine the eff ect of laws on the economy and society in real-time LME_May2025_10-13_News_13600210.indd 10LME_May2025_10-13_News_13600210.indd 1002/05/2025 15:5202/05/2025 15:52May 2025 11law-middleeast.com 87 SHG has doubled its footprint to 87 venues across 25 countries Sunset Hospitality Group (SHG) has secured an additional $25 million investment from Goldman Sachs, with several law fi rms, including Al Tamimi & Company, Baker McKenzie and White & Case, advising on the transaction. Baker McKenzie advised SHG, a global hospitality company, in addition to Al Tamimi and Walkers. Based in the UAE, SHG’s portfolio includes hotels and resorts, restaurants, beach clubs, nightclubs, and fi tness centres. Some of the headline brands within its portfolio include AURA, DRIFT Dubai, and SUSHISAMBA. SHG received funding from the private credit business at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, which received legal counsel from White & Case, alongside Ogier, an off shore law fi rm. The investment follows the recent announcement by Goldman Sachs that it is exploring a new private credit strategy focused on the GCC region. SHG fi rst received $35 million from Goldman Sachs Asset Management in October 2022. With this latest investment, the group said it will accelerate key strategic projects, with a strong focus on expanding its hotel and resorts division. Commenting on the investment, Maude El Khoury, general counsel at SHG, told Law Middle East: “This achievement would not have been possible without the exceptional legal guidance and dedicated support of our trusted advisors at Baker McKenzie, White & Case, and Al Tamimi & Company. Their expertise and collaborative approach played a key role in guiding us through a smooth process that positions SHG for a new chapter of growth and global expansion.” Baker McKenzie acted as lead advisor for SHG. The team was led by partners Adnan Doha and Adil Hussain, with support from the fi rm’s teams in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Turkey. Al Tamimi advised SHG on aspects of UAE law, with a team led by partner and head of projects, Mark Brown. SHG acquired a majority stake in Maximal Concepts, a Hong Kong-based hospitality company, in 2024. The group said it plans to invest in additional hospitality companies to complement its growing portfolio. Since receiving initial funding in 2022, SHG said it has been able to double its footprint from just over 40 venues in nine countries to 87 venues across 25 countries. SEVERAL LAW FIRMS ADVISE AS SUNSET HOSPITALITY GROUP SECURES ADDITIONAL $25 MILLION FROM GOLDMAN SACHS This latest investment will accelerate key strategic projects, with a strong focus on expanding its hotel and resorts division, the group said NEWS LME_May2025_10-13_News_13600210.indd 11LME_May2025_10-13_News_13600210.indd 1102/05/2025 15:5202/05/2025 15:5212 May 2025law-middleeast.com NEWS 1984 The year Habib Al Mulla and Partners was established Habib Al Mulla and Partners has expanded into Egypt with the opening of a new offi ce in Cairo. The offi ce will be located in Mivida Business Park in New Cairo. The team comprises seven members with plans for expansion, a spokesperson for the fi rm said. The offi ce was offi cially launched by the fi rm's founder and chairman, Dr Habib Al Mulla (pictured), during a ceremony held at Dar Al Darb in the Citadel of Cairo. It is the UAE fi rm's fourth international offi ce to open in recent years, after it opened in Baghdad and Moscow last year, and Istanbul in 2023. The expansion comes amid a growing infl ux of Emirati investment into Egypt driven by lucrative opportunities in real estate, infrastructure, and a shared commitment to strengthening economic ties between countries. "Our expansion into Egypt is a natural step in our fi rm’s journey," said Dr Habib Al Mulla. "Egypt’s economic potential, combined with its deep legal talent pool, aligns seamlessly with our vision of off ering strategic legal guidance across borders. As UAE investment in Egypt continues to rise, we are committed to supporting businesses with our deep regional expertise and industry-specifi c legal teams." Mohammed El Khatib, principal partner and head of disputes, said: "Egypt has always been a cornerstone of the region’s legal and economic framework, and it is an honor to bring our expertise to a market that is not only growing but also deeply connected to the UAE. This move strengthens our ability to support clients with a local presence while maintaining our global standards. We are here to provide businesses with the highest caliber of legal counsel, ensuring they navigate Egypt’s evolving legal landscape with confi dence and success." Habib Al Mulla and Partners has been operating in the UAE for more than 40 years and has grown to a team of over 70 lawyers providing services across fi nance, real estate, energy, and technology. The fi rm's most recent expansion to Baghdad was achieved through a strategic partnership with Al Nessor Law Firm, a local fi rm. It aims to facilitate foreign investment and address the country's legal needs through the partnership. UAE LAW FIRM HABIB AL MULLA EXPANDS TO EGYPT WITH NEW CAIRO OFFICE It is the fi rm's fourth international offi ce to open in recent years, after it opened in Baghdad and Moscow last year, and Istanbul in 2023 LME_May2025_10-13_News_13600210.indd 12LME_May2025_10-13_News_13600210.indd 1202/05/2025 15:5202/05/2025 15:52May 2025 13law-middleeast.com MAY 1 The date the newly- appointed partners assume their roles Global law fi rms have announced partner promotions within their Middle East offi ces, as part of larger fi rm-wide promotion rounds taking eff ect in May 2025. A&O Shearman Mike Campbell and Richard Chamberlain have been promoted to partner in the energy, natural resources and infrastructure practice, based in Dubai. Addleshaw Goddard Philip Chalmers has been promoted to partner within the fi nance and restructuring group across the UAE. In Saudi Arabia, Jasem Alanizy has been named a partner in the corporate fi nance team. Cliff ord Chance Sohini Kar-Purkayastha has been promoted to partner in the global fi nancial markets group, based in Dubai. Clyde & Co Janeen Pickering has been promoted to partner in the real estate practice based across Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Meanwhile, in Jeddah, Lamisse Bajunaid has been promoted to partner in the fi rm’s intellectual property, technology and commercial practice. Dentons Hazel Shakur Quinn has been promoted to partner in the real estate practice while Faris Shehabi has been promoted to partner in the dispute resolution practice. Both new partners are based in the fi rm’s Dubai offi ce. DLA Piper Mapanza Nkwilimba has been promoted to partner in the fi rm’s Doha offi ce. He specialises in dispute resolution across energy and natural resources. Eversheds Sutherland Roberta Wertman has been promoted to partner in the construction litigation practice, based in Abu Dhabi. In Dubai, Steve Jennings has been named a partner in the corporate practice. Freshfi elds Charlotte Stevens has been promoted to partner in the fi rm’s global transactions group, based in Abu Dhabi. Linklaters Jack Allen-Fitt and Sarah Hudson have been promoted to partner in the energy and infrastructure practice, based in Abu Dhabi. In Dubai, Patrick Sutton-Mattocks has been promoted to partner in the corporate practice. Skadden Bora Rawcliff e, a specialist in white collar defence and investigations, has been elevated to partner in Skadden’s new Abu Dhabi offi ce. Stephenson Harwood Jordan Ellis, Paul Katsouris, and Toufi c Safi e have been promoted to the fi rm’s partnership, based in Dubai. Ellis has been named a par tner in the private wealth team, while Katsouris has been named a partner in the maritime, trade and off shore group. Safi e has been named a partner in the corporate and commercial team. WFW Charlotte Knight has been promoted to partner, based in the Dubai offi ce. She specialises in assets and structured fi nance, with a focus on maritime transactions. She joined the fi rm as a trainee in London, before moving to Dubai in 2018. GLOBAL LAW FIRMS ANNOUNCE PARTNER PROMOTIONS ACROSS REGION Partner promotion season continues apace, and here are the recently appointed partners at global law fi rms across the region PROMOTIONS LME_May2025_10-13_News_13600210.indd 13LME_May2025_10-13_News_13600210.indd 1305/05/2025 16:1605/05/2025 16:1614 May 2025law-middleeast.com MOVES 10 Mayer Brown has ten partners in the Dubai office Mayer Brown has strengthened its Middle East off ering with the hire of two partners in Dubai. Priya Shah (left) and Rafe Khokhar (right) have joined the fi rm’s Dubai offi ce from Ashurst and Dechert respectively. With their additions, Mayer Brown counts ten partners in its Dubai offi ce, its hub for work in the Middle East. Shah was most recently a senior associate at Ashurst, based in the fi rm’s Abu Dhabi offi ce. She specialises in energy matters, with a focus on upstream oil and natural gas. She brings more than a decade of experience advising national and international energy companies, exploration and production (E&P) companies, project developers, traders, and off -takers on liquefi ed natural gas (LNG) and energy projects, as well as upstream oil & gas acquisitions and disposals. Mayer Brown’s Dubai offi ce managing partner, Tom Thraya, said: “Our clients will benefi t from Priya’s broad experience in the energy sector. Her addition aligns with our strategy to grow our domestic and cross-border capabilities in the energy, projects, and natural resources sectors, and further expands Mayer Brown’s market-leading global capabilities.” Khokhar was most recently a counsel specialising in corporate and securities at Dechert. His practice focuses on capital markets transactions, advising sovereign entities, fi nancial institutions, sovereign wealth funds, and asset managers on capital markets and Islamic fi nance and Sharia-compliant products, regulatory capital instruments, and liability management transactions in emerging markets. He works on Regulation S and Rule 144A off erings, advising issuers and underwriters, and has worked on off erings of ESG-linked securities, as well as on novel digital capital markets transactions, including the world’s fi rst sukuk fi nancing using blockchain technology. Thraya said: “Rafe brings with him particularly relevant capital market s experience, especially in complex transactions. His hire shows our ongoing commitment to developing strategic and long-standing client relationships in the region, adding capabilities that support this.” MAYER BROWN CONTINUES MIDDLE EAST EXPANSION WITH DUBAI PARTNER HIRES With the additions of Priya Shah and Rafe Khokhar, the fi rm counts ten partners in its Dubai offi ce LME_May2025_14-15_Moves_13600866.indd 14LME_May2025_14-15_Moves_13600866.indd 1405/05/2025 16:1105/05/2025 16:11May 2025 15law-middleeast.com MOVES AKIN GUMP Akin has hired Alexander Malahias as a partner in Abu Dhabi to jointly lead its expansion into Saudi Arabia. Malahias was most recently a partner in the project development and fi nance practice at White & Case, based across the fi rm’s London and Riyadh offi ces. He has joined Akin in Abu Dhabi as a corporate and fi nance partner after nearly two decades at White & Case. The fi rm is expected to open a new offi ce in Riyadh later this year, its third in the Middle East, due to be co-led by Malahias. A spokesperson for Akin said the fi rm will announce the other co-lead of the Riyadh offi ce in due course. They will be joined by Jennifer Riddle, a project fi nance partner, who was also previously at White & Case. Both Malahias and Riddle will be based in the Abu Dhabi offi ce until the fi rm receives its fi nal approvals on its application for a licence to operate in Saudi Arabia. Malahias advises government entities, sponsors, fi nancial institutions, corporate and creditor clients on project fi nance transactions across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and wider Middle East. His practice spans key sectors, including energy transition projects, large-scale tourism and real estate, oil & gas, petrochemicals, power & utilities, and infrastructure, while Riddle brings experience in energy & infrastructure fi nancing, with a strong focus on renewable energy. Together, Riddle and Malahias have worked with key regional entities including Red Sea Global, NEOM, and EWEC. Akin has two offi ces in the UAE. It opened an offi ce in Abu Dhabi in 2008 and further expanded to Dubai in 2014. PAUL HASTINGS Paul Hastings has hired an energy and infrastructure team in Abu Dhabi, London, and Paris. Abu Dhabi partner Dinmukhamed ‘Din’ Eshanov, London partner George Kazakov, and Paris partner Xavier Petet have joined from White & Case. Their hires come after the fi rm announced the launch of its fi rst Middle East offi ce in Abu Dhabi. Eshanov and Kazakov will co-head the new Abu Dhabi offi ce and, along with Petet, lead an international team spanning Abu Dhabi, London and Paris, strengthening the fi rm’s global energy and infrastructure capabilities and complementing its existing US practice. The newly appointed team will work closely with the energy and infrastructure practice co-chairs Gregory Tan and Rob Freedman, who joined the fi rm’s New York offi ce in 2022. Eshanov, based in Abu Dhabi, advises on various project development and construction mat ters across a range of industries, including the infrastructure and renewable energy sectors. Kazakov, who will work out of the fi rm’s Europe and Abu Dhabi offi ces, focuses on private equity M&A and fi nance transactions in the infrastructure sector. Petet, based in Paris, advises fi nancial sponsors in their M&A and private equity transactions, primarily in the middle and large- cap market. All three partners have joined the fi rm after just under four years as partners at White & Case. OTHER MOVES... LME_May2025_14-15_Moves_13600866.indd 15LME_May2025_14-15_Moves_13600866.indd 1505/05/2025 16:1405/05/2025 16:1416 May 2025law-middleeast.com DEALS $1.375B The amount Prada agreed to buy Versace US law fi rms Skadden and Wachtell are leading on the sale of Versace to Prada for nearly $1.38 billion in cash. Skadden is serving as legal counsel to the Prada Group, which owns Prada as well as iconic brands Miu Miu and Church’s. Wachtell is representing Capri Holdings, a global fashion luxury group, which owns Versace, as well as Jimmy Choo and Michael Kors. The deal will be funded by around $1.7 billion in new debt and has been approved by both the Prada and Capri Holdings boards of directors. The sale of Versace is expected to deliver a number of benefi ts, including the strengthening of Capri Holdings’ balance sheet, enabling it to make accelerated strategic investments in Michael Kors, and to increase shareholder value. The proceeds will be used to support Capri Holdings’ capital allocation priorities, including business investments, debt reduction, and future share repurchases. The deal is expected to close in the second half of the year, subject to customary closing conditions including regulatory approvals. A Skadden team led by corporate counsel Cristina Tomassini and partners Sandro de Bernardini and Peter Serating in London and New York are guiding Prada on the deal. A cross-border BonelliErede team is advising Prada in relation to the Italian law aspects and fi nancing of the transaction. The team includes partners Eliana Catalano, Emanuela Da Rin, Giovanni Guglielmetti, Vittorio Pomarici, as well as Dubai offi ce managing partner and Law Middle East May cover star Marco De Leo, for certain aspects of the operation concerning the activities of the Versace group in the Middle East. The Wachtell team is led by corporate partners Joshua Cammaker and Mark Stagliano, based in New York. Barclays is serving as Capri Holdings’ fi nancial adviser on the matter, while Citigroup Global Markets Europe and Goldman Sachs Bank Europe are serving as financial advisers to Prada. SKADDEN AND WACHTELL LEAD AS PRADA BAGS VERSACE FOR NEARLY $1.4 BILLION A cross-border BonelliErede team is advising Prada in relation to the Italian law aspects and fi nancing of the transaction LME_May2025_16-17_Deals_13599929.indd 16LME_May2025_16-17_Deals_13599929.indd 1605/05/2025 16:1705/05/2025 16:17May 2025 17law-middleeast.com DEALS together the Gulf and emerging Asia to serve the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market both in the region and internationally. To date, the combined network of ShopUp and Sary has served over 600,000 retailers, hotels, restaurants, and wholesalers; facilitated a total of 100 million shipments; and has made over $5 billion in transactions on their subsequent platforms, exceeding $750 million in embedded fi nancing disbursements. Post-merger, both ShopUp and Sar y will continue to operate in their respective geographies under their respective brand names, while leveraging SILQ’s infrastructure and combined capabilities. The group will establish a f inancing infrastructure arm, SILQ Financial, with equity investment and financing facilities from the Sanabil Investment and Valar Ventures funding round. Greenberg Traurig’s team was further supported by Riyadh partners Shibeer Ahmed and Marwa Al-Siyabi. Greenberg Traurig launched in the Middle East in 2023 with offi ces in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Since then, the fi rm has been growing steadily in the region, planting roots in the key industries and business sectors most active in the Middle East. Greenberg Traurig partner Chadi Salloum OTHER DEALS... GREENBERG TRAURIG Greenberg Traurig advised US-based Seesaw on its acquisition of Little Thinking Minds, an edtech startup based in Jordan, with offi ces in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Seesaw will integrate its interactive learning technology with Little Thinking Minds’ Arabic literacy curriculum and assessment tools to enhance education for students, educators, and families regionally and internationally. It is Seesaw’s fi rst deal in the region and positions the company to strengthen its presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with culturally relevant educational content and literacy tools in both Arabic and English. Seesaw plans to launch its Arabic language platform in late 2025. Seesaw and Little Thinking Minds currently serve over 800,000 users at over 3,000 schools and related institutions in the MENA region, and will now look to expand their global reach as part of their combined off ering. The cross-border Greenberg Traurig corporate team was led by Dubai partner Chadi Salloum (pictured), with support from New York partner Serena Y. Shi. Salloum also recently led a team representing Bangladesh’s ShopUp on its merger with Saudi Arabia’s Sary to form SILQ. Subject to closing formalities, the merger backed by a $110 million funding led by Sanabil Investments, a wholly owned company by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures, is expected to create the largest B2B commerce platform bringing LME_May2025_16-17_Deals_13599929.indd 17LME_May2025_16-17_Deals_13599929.indd 1705/05/2025 16:1705/05/2025 16:1718 March 2025law-middleeast.com DEALS Upcoming events and key dates for your diary LEGAL CALENDAR MAY 1 | RIYADH MENA Antitrust Symposium 2025 Hosted by Baker Botts, together with Prince Sultan University and George Washington University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the first edition of this event brings together industry experts from organisations such as General Competition Authority, Saudi Aramco, and ACWA Power, to explore competition dynamics, regulatory challenges, and emerging opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. MAY 1-2 | DUBAI Private Client Middle East Circle This event is targeted at private client practitioners in the region to discuss the latest opportunities and trends impacting their practice. It features partners from Al Tamimi & Company, BSA Law, Mishcon de Reya, Taylor Wessing, and more. It takes place over two days in Dubai’s Meliá Desert Palm. MAY 14 | ONLINE The ADGM Employment Regulations—What you need to know Clyde & Co’s employment team advised Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) on the ADGM Employment Regulations 2024, which came into force on April 1, 2025. This webinar, jointly hosted by Clyde & Co and ADGM, will explain the key amendments and what employers and employees need to know. MAY 20 | DUBAI AI Accelerator: Building Lawyers for the Future Aimed at aspiring lawyers, this event hosted by GROW in collaboration with Cliff ord Chance’s global technology group, seeks to explore the latest trends in technology and their impact on the legal industry. The event will take place at the fi rm’s Dubai offi ce in ICD Brookfi eld Place and will begin with a crash course in AI, led by Cliff ord Chance lawyers, followed by a fi reside chat featuring the fi rm’s partners and clients. MAY 22 | DUBAI SYNERGY Dubai 2025 This day-long event hosted by Thomson Reuters seeks to explore the future of professional work and the tax compliance, legal, and regulatory developments shaping the UAE market. Taking place in the Armani Hotel in Downtown Dubai, the agenda includes panel discussions and workshops on themes ranging from the region’s evolving tax landscape to the chief legal offi cer’s quest for ‘value’. MAY 22 | DUBAI Trump’s tariff strategy—A Middle East perspective Stephenson Harwood will be hosting a breakfast briefi ng at the fi rm’s Dubai offi ce in Burj Daman, which will provide an in-depth discussion on President Trump's new trade tariff s focusing on their implications for the Middle East and the wider global market. 18 May 2025law-middleeast.com CALENDAR LME_May2025_18_Legal Calendar_13600030.indd 18LME_May2025_18_Legal Calendar_13600030.indd 1802/05/2025 06:4202/05/2025 06:42March 2025 19law-middleeast.com INTERVIEW ATTENDANCE IS LIMITED. SCAN TO SECURE YOUR PLACE Join us in June 2025 at the Women in Law Forum—a powerful morning of insight, inspiration, and connection. This exclusive event brings together leading voices from across the legal world to explore the evolving role of women in shaping the future of law in the Middle East. From boardrooms to courtrooms, women are leading change—and this is the space where those stories are shared, challenges are unpacked, and new ideas are born. Designed as a high-impact morning for a select group of professionals, this event off ers an intimate and focused environment that prioritises real conversations over corporate presentations. Across curated panels, we will dive into leadership journeys, explore what it means to break the mould in today’s legal landscape, and refl ect on how mentorship and allyship can create lasting change. Expect honest dialogue, practical takeaways, and a sense of shared purpose. Whether you are navigating the path to partnership, building in-house legal strategy, or mentoring the next generation, this event off ers the insights and connections that matter. If you are a partner, associate, general counsel or rising star—this is where conversations start, ideas are exchanged, and momentum is built. SPONSORSHIP David Bentley Senior Commercial Manager Law Middle East david.bentley@itp.com EDITORIAL Aishah Hussain Editor Law Middle East aishah.hussain@itp.com CONTACT US LME_May2025_19_WILaw Event_13602971.indd 19LME_May2025_19_WILaw Event_13602971.indd 1907/05/2025 17:0607/05/2025 17:06Next >