Press Releases
HFW announces new Middle East regional office Managing Partner
Leading international law firm Holman Fenwick Willan is delighted to announce that Partner Rula Dajani Abuljebain will become Managing Partner of the firm’s Middle East Regional Office in Dubai from 1 April 2015.
Rula has been based in Dubai since 1996 and has been integral to the development of HFW’s client base in the UAE and across the GCC, in particular in Kuwait and Qatar. She specialises in transactional corporate and commercial law. Her practice spans a wide range of areas, including joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions, as well as project, infrastructure and strategic finance. She also provides advice to companies looking to invest in and/or expand their existing businesses in the Middle East. Rula is an English qualified solicitor, a member of the Kuwait Bar Association and bilingual in Arabic and English.
Hugh Brown, the current office head, will retire from the partnership on 31 March 2015. During his time at HFW, Hugh has seen significant growth in the firm to 145 Partners and 13 offices today. He has played an integral role in developing the firm’s Admiralty practice and in particular in spearheading the firm’s approach to working with the Indian maritime market, developing long-standing relationships with some of the largest shipowners and the Indian Classification Society.
Outgoing office head Hugh Brown said: "Since moving to Dubai in 2012, I have been delighted with the way our Dubai office has developed in terms of depth of capability and regional expertise. HFW's team here is widely recognised as a leader across a number of sectors, including shipping and transportation, insurance and reinsurance, construction and aviation. I know that under Rula's guidance the team will continue to go from strength to strength."
Rula Dajani Abuljebain commented: "I am excited by the developments we are seeing in our Middle East practice which are reflective of our growth over the last few years to a position where our Middle East regional office now comprises 9 Partners and 21 Associates. These developments enable us to offer both GCC clients and international clients with operations in the region an integrated service covering dispute resolution, transactions and regulation across a number of industry sectors. I am looking forward to the opportunity to continue working with the team here to further grow HFW’s capability in the region."
Richard Crump, HFW’s Senior Partner said: “I am delighted to welcome Rula into the management team of the firm. The GCC region is an important conduit between East and West and as such we are continuing to invest in our capabilities and the breadth of our coverage across the region. I look forward to working with Rula over the coming years to further develop our Middle East practice. I would also like to thank Hugh, personally and on behalf of the firm, for his hard work and dedication over more than 40 years with the firm. He has been instrumental in developing a world leading admiralty practice and we are all sorry to see him go. We wish him well in his retirement.”
For more information, please contact: Tania Phayre, Head of Marketing, on +44 (0)20 7264 8546 or email tania.phayre@hfw.com.
