Abu Dhabi firm set to move into Dubai

Agha quit DLA Piper in October 2008 with a team of three lawyers to launch Agha & Shamsi in January last year (The Lawyer, 26 January 2009). He will now relocate to Dubai to be managing partner of the new office, which will be known as Agha & Co.

“Our main office will now be in Dubai,” Agha said, adding that the move would enable the firm to continue practising in Abu Dhabi while expanding its Saudi client base.

Agha will be joined by partner Claire Grainger, who spent two years with DLA Piper, having joined from Clyde & Co, but left in the middle of 2009 before joining Agha & Shamsi in January. She heads the firm’s projects and dispute resolution practice.

When the firm launched it established a non-exclusive relationship with US firm Pillsbury. This marked Pillsbury’s first Gulf affiliation.

“Pillsbury has been delighted with our relationship with Agha & Shamsi and we look forward to ex­panding that relationship into Dubai,” said Pillsbury finance practice head Michael Schumaecker.

The firm counts Deutsche Gulf Finance and First Gulf Bank among its clients.