DLA's Middle East head steps down, Kuwait chief named as successor
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DLA Piper’s Middle East regional managing partner David Church is to step down next year and will be replaced by the head of the firm’s Kuwait office, Abdul Aziz Al-Yaqout.
Church (pictured) launched the firm’s Middle East presence with a Dubai office in 2006. He is expected to move back to the UK during the middle of next year and will continue in the role of international development partner, a position he has occupied since the 2005 transatlantic merger of DLA, Gray Cary Ware & Freidenrich and Piper Rudnick.
Church will continue to deal with the Middle East as part of a remit that includes growing the business in Africa and Asia.
He commented: “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time as managing partner of the Middle East. I’m delighted that I’ve been able to hand over to such a great successor. It was always planned that I’d be moving back to the UK after about four to five years.”
In his time as regional head, Church has overseen rapid expansion in the Midle East. The firm now has seven offices across the Gulf Cooperation Council and hundreds of employees.
However, it has also been a turbulent time with the firm making two rounds of redundancies partner departures and the collapse of alliances in Saudi Arabia (18 June 2009).
Church’s replacement Al-Yaqout, a Kuwaiti national, has risen quickly up the ranks at the firm. The 36-year old partner joined DLA Piper’s Cologne office in 2004 before he moved back to the region to replace Alex Saleh as head of the Kuwait office (29 June 2009).
A month later Al-Yaqout was made a member of the international LLP board (10 August 2009).
Al-Yaqout said: “It’s an honour to be asked to lead the Middle East practice.
“I know the market in 2009 has made life difficult for law firms following the substantial influx of lawyers in 2008. There’ll be a period of adjustment, but I share DLA Piper’s vision for the region and am pleased to have responsibility for a market that has such strategic importance for the wider business.
“I look forward to working closely with my colleagues in the region.
Joint CEO Sir Nigel Knowles said: “We’re pleased that Aziz has taken up this appointment.
“Although market conditions in 2009 have been very challenging in the region, we see the Middle East as having long-term strategic importance for DLA Piper and believe that Aziz will provide the leadership required for us to achieve our objectives.”
He added: “We thank David Church for his contribution to our business in the region and look forward to working with him in his role as international development partner.”
Readers' comments (6)
Anonymous | 15-Oct-2009 11:58 am
It sounds like DLA has finally washed its hands of its Middle East offices. An unmitigated experiment by any account.
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Your post makes no sense | 15-Oct-2009 2:21 pm
In what way is DLA "washing its hands of its Middle East offices." Are they shutting down offices? Last I checked, they are all still going concerns (to say the least). Al-Yaqout is on DLA's global board and he’s been in the DLA system for some time now. So if by "washing their hands of" you mean "fully committed and integrating," then yea. I guess I'd agree.
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Amer | 15-Oct-2009 3:12 pm
Anonymous comments should be ignored as sender is ignorant.
If you have the guts to spill out your name then we would consider you on the post.
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Vlade Divac | 15-Oct-2009 4:01 pm
Anonymous comments have cheapened the quality of this forum. It seems that more and more anonymous writers these days complain about their given situation or whine about certain experience they had. How can they be respected if all they do is whine and complain?
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Mark khouros | 15-Oct-2009 11:57 pm
It was only a matter of time for Dave Church to step down. The question is how will al-yaqout handle the situation that remains. For DLA to be back on the right track many people will be made redundant. It remains to be seen how DLA will address their long term office leases. Interesting to see how al-yaqout tries to turn things around
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Anonymous | 19-Oct-2009 6:55 am
Absurd overexpansion has been typical of UK law firms in the region (i know from personal experience) and DLA are among the ranks of UK law firms which made embarrassing redundancies - often disguised as 'poor performance' reviews and strongarmed lawyers to jump before being pushed.
What business recruits aggressively when billable hours are pitiful, work is scarce and the region over-lawyered? This hire then fire yoyo mentality is too common with large egotistical firms.
Hubrus mentality akin to what we see in the M&A takeovers where value is destroyed.
Hiring many lawyers is a way they pretend business is booming.
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