Addleshaws launches long-awaited Dubai office with Trowers hire
Addleshaw Goddard is to launch an office in Dubai in September after hiring Trowers & Hamlins’ regional construction head.
Paul Devitt
Trowers partner Andrew Greaves will join Addleshaw Goddard as a partner in its engineering, projects and construction group, which sits within the firm’s litigation division, and will head the new Dubai office, which is set to open on 2 September with a focus on projects and dispute resolution.
Greaves will be joined in the new office by two associates, hired from UAE firm Al Tamimi and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer respectively.
International arbitration partner Jonathan Tattersall and corporate partner Keith Johnston will begin to split their time between Addleshaw Goddard’s Dubai base and its London and Manchester offices. London-based litigation partner Mark Pring, who moved from Chadbourne & Parke to Addleshaw Goddard in January (12 January 2012), also has experience of working in Dubai.
The Dubai office will be Addleshaw Goddard’s second international venture, after it launched in Singapore in May (4 April 2012). The firm first announced its plans to open two international offices in May 2011 (24 May 2011) when the launches were slated for later that year. The Singapore launch was delayed after litigation partner Kent Phillips, who had been pencilled in to open the office, defected to Berwin Leighton Paisner in September 2011 (27 September 2011).
In a statement managing partner Paul Devitt said: “Andrew’s appointment marks an exciting milestone for the firm as we prepare to launch our second overseas office. The projects and arbitration arena in the Middle East has grown considerably over the last five years and we’re seeing an increasing number of instructions from the region and from existing clients who are looking for specialist dispute resolution and non-contentious expertise.”
Readers' comments (7)
Burning Trowers | 11-Jul-2012 8:22 am
Another key departure from their Dubai office. Its Managing Partner is also being moved. Will parachuting in Muttawi plug the gap?
Bahrain office also under pressure with work drying up and Neale Downes' departure to Taylor Wessing. What are Trowers' remaining specialisms in the Gulf?
Time for London management to wake up to their MidEast problems.
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trousers | 11-Jul-2012 10:48 am
Ahh...the old "i split my time between dubai / abu dhabi and london / manchester / new york". No you don't. You are based in london / manchester / new york but want people to think you know something about how things work in the middle east. Its not 2004 anymore, and clients don't fall for this. There is enough choice between law firms who are full service with lawyers on the ground (particularly in dubai) for clients to avoid having to pursuade someone in didsbury to interupt his roast lamb and mint sauce (they work on sundays don't you know) to decipher a document that probably needs on the ground hands-on experience. As for trowers, well they were a player, back in 2004 when other firms were more remote, but they seem to be slipping and even their relocated savoir seems to be unable to avoid this and is by all accounts realising that dubai has grown up, and the grown up players are bossing the playground.
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Chandra Indira | 11-Jul-2012 12:21 pm
Can the last person out of Trowers please turn off the lights? A jigsaw with lots of pieces from different jigsaw sets if their ever was one. If they were a pop band they would be called "Lack of Direction" and their TV show would be "Lost".
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Cake tomorrow | 11-Jul-2012 12:52 pm
Andrew is a good guy who knows his stuff. This is a good move for Addleshaws and I'm sure Greavesy will do well. Would be surprised if he turns his back on waking up to the sunshine every day and return to the UK, unless he is looking to take up white water rafting!
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Anonymous | 11-Jul-2012 4:06 pm
Is the Septic Skeptic on holiday?
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Deutschland | 17-Jul-2012 8:10 am
I heard the Skeptic is too busy laughing at the previous Trowers article "Gubbins to reinvigorate the brand" to be able to respond to the departure of Mr Greaves.
Meet the new boss - same as the old boss.
Read the new story - same as the old story.
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Anonymouse | 23-Jul-2012 11:19 am
Trowers in the Middle East is in its final throes.
What a great shame that such appalling mis-management by a few has led the "International Division" to this state of deterioration.
Enjoy your 13% pay rise Mr Adlington and Mr Amison and then do the gracious thing by walking the same plank that you have pushed so many others off.
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