Shearman Abu Dhabi gains City partner

Shearman & Sterling is seconding one of its London corporate ;partners ;to its Abu Dhabi office to strengthen its ties with ­sovereign wealth fund clients in the region.

Partner James Comyn is set to leave for the Middle East office later this year as the firm focuses on ­lucrative corporate work stemming from sovereign wealth funds such as the Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment (ADUG).

Earlier ;this ;month ­Shearman London partner Laurence Levy advised the ADUG on its £200m ­acquisition of Manchester City Football Club.

London ;managing ­partner Anthony Ward said: “The Middle Eastern ­practice is very successful for the firm. We’ve been in the region for a long time now and have developed good links with sovereign wealth funds and other groups in the Middle East. The ­referral network from here is very healthy.”

Comyn’s move to Abu Dhabi will leave Shearman London with a three-­partner corporate team of Levy, Lois Moore and US lawyer George Karafotias. Earlier this year (7 July) The Lawyer revealed that ­Shearman corporate head Peter King was defecting to US rival Weil Gotshal & Manges.

Levy ;said: ;“Our ­capabilities in London are still very successful and our referral network has ­certainly benefited from the practice developing in the Middle East. Making sure we ;maintain ;a ;good ­relationship with these clients is very important to the firm.”