International law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, whose lawyers have been advising clients in the Middle East for decades, has opened an office in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emi
International law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, whose lawyers have been advising clients in the Middle East for decades, has opened an office in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, bringing to 13 its number of offices around the world.
The new office will advise clients within and outside the region in areas including global transactions, private equity, investment funds, communications, international dispute resolution, international tax, media and entertainment, capital markets, energy and project finance and development.
‘Akin Gump’s new office in Abu Dhabi represents a significant opportunity for the firm and its clients, given the emirate’s important position in the Middle East, the speed with which it is growing commercially and the pace at which it is attracting companies and investors alike,’ says chairman R. Bruce McLean. ‘This is a long-term commitment made in response to demand from clients as well as a logical extension of our business platform internationally.’
The firm has moved six Akin Gump attorneys to start the office, and has sufficient space and plans for significant growth in the near future. The attorneys currently located in Abu Dhabi include Natasha Kohne, who has relocated from New York to be the managing partner of the office.
She will be supported by corporate partners Lee Kolodny and Elisabeth Cappuyns, who have relocated from Los Angeles and New York, respectively, along with three associates from New York and London. It is anticipated that over the next three to four years the office will grow to 20 lawyers or more.
Founded in 1945, Akin Gump has more than 950 lawyers and advisors in nine offices in the US as well as in London, Moscow, Beijing and now Abu Dhabi. The international offices represent local, international and US clients in connection with M&A transactions, private equity transactions, energy project development and finance, and the firm is actively involved in the London Stock Exchange’s newly-established Specialist Funds Market.
