Press Releases

Holman Fenwick Willan continues to strengthen Middle East offering with real estate Legal Director hire

International specialist law firm Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW) has appointed Dubai-based real estate expert Sydene Helwick as a Legal Director.

Sydene is an experienced real estate lawyer who has practised commercial real estate law in the UAE for over 10 years and previously practised in South Africa. Her extensive experience includes acting as a lead negotiator in a number of high value real estate acquisition and disposals, commercial, retail and residential lease transactions; different forms of long-term land leases; advising on complex mixed use developments and preparation of various types of strata documents, such as master community declarations, jointly owned property declarations and building management statements.

Sydene developed her real estate experience through working with top local firms in South Africa and the UAE, as well as working in-house for a master developer, one of the largest real-estate development and property management businesses in Dubai.

Sydene commented: "I am delighted to be joining HFW in Dubai to help build a versatile real estate practice in the Middle East. The firm has an exciting client base across the Middle East and I am looking forward to working with them to ensure their legal real estate requirements are well looked after."

Rula Dajani Abuljebain, Office Head, Dubai, added: "The appointment of Sydene significantly strengthens our offering within the Middle East and specifically in the UAE. We can now offer our Middle East based clients the full scope of real estate related legal services, complementing our already well-established construction practice. The firms continued investment in the UAE and the wider Middle East region means that we are able to offer clients the capability they require in the markets in which they operate".

In 2016 HFW expanded its specialist Middle East legal offering and significantly extended the firm's geographical footprint across the Middle East region and now has offices in Riyadh, Kuwait and Beirut, in addition to the longstanding Dubai office and an alliance in Abu Dhabi.

For further information please contact Rula Dajani Abuljebain, Office Head, Dubai, on +971 4 4230555 or email rula.dajaniabuljebain@hfw.com or Heidi Olsen, Marketing Manager, Middle East, on +971 4 4230562, or email heidi.olsen@hfw.com