Law Middle East

Core42 general counsel Roopal Jobanputra shares how she came to lead the legal team of a major technology company, as well as advice for female lawyers. "Women bring unique strengths to the legal profession, and our perspectives are more important than ever in shaping the future of industries like technology," she says. #IWD2025

RAYNE co-founder and March cover star Sarah Jones discusses her journey and what inspired her to launch a UAE-based legal consulting business. #IWD2025

Findings from the inaugural CMS Middle East M&A report demonstrate a strong and stable M&A market at a high activity level. However, deal volume falls short of post-Covid highs while overall value remains under $100 billion for the third consecutive year. “We are waiting in anticipation for overall value to return to pre-Covid-19 levels,” said Graham Conlon, partner and Middle East corporate head at CMS. “Despite this,?what we are seeing is that countries across the region are becoming mature markets and are attracting established investors and corporates.”

Clifford Chance acted for Derayah Financial Company on its?SAR 1.5 billion (US$400 million) IPO on the main market of the Saudi Exchange. Baker McKenzie represented HSBC Saudi Arabia as the sole underwriter, financial advisor, bookrunner, global coordinator, and lead manager on the deal. Derayah's IPO debut is the latest in a line-up of successful listings in the Kingdom. Both firms recently advised on Nice One's Saudi IPO.

Reed Smith LLP partner Michelle Nelson reflects on the 20 years she has practised in the region, in the second instalment of a two-part series profiling female lawyers paving the way in construction law. #IWD2025

Ashurst and Latham & Watkins advised parties on the #IPO of Alpha Data on Abu Dhabi's ADX, marking the first IPO to take place in the UAE in 2025. Ashurst represented Alpha Data on the listing, acting as the company's international and local counsel. Latham & Watkins represented the underwriters.

It gives us great joy to bring you this month's issue which celebrates the remarkable strides made by women in law. Our cover star, Sarah Jones, shares her story from corporate life to a mother-of-five and the entrepreneurial spark that led her to launch RAYNE, a Dubai-based legal consulting business. She now helps lawyers—mainly working mothers—find balance in their careers. Saudi Arabia’s female partner ranks are growing, and in a special feature, we speak to three recent promotees on how they made it and the challenges they overcame along the way. Added to this are perspectives from Emirati female partners paving the way in their respective fields. What’s more, two prominent construction lawyers share their career stories, as does Core42 general counsel Roopal Jobanputra who recounts how she came to lead the legal team of a major technology company. Happy reading. Read the digital edition: https://lnkd.in/exzsWTqE ??: Ajith Narendra for ITP Media Group

The Middle East is seeing a growing number of female lawyers making significant inroads into the traditionally male-dominated field of construction law. In the first of a two-part series profiling female lawyers paving the way in construction law, Sarah Hudson, counsel and head of Middle East construction at Linklaters, Abu Dhabi, shares her career story. #IWD2025

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) will acquire Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) in a $2 billion deal expected to close in the first half of 2025, with A&O Shearman and Clifford Chance serving as legal advisors. Once completed, the acquisition will result in a combined platform comprising of 750 aircraft with a total value of approximately $22 billion on lease to around 170 airline customers in about 70 countries.

All of this week, we will be sharing the stories of high-powered women in the Middle East legal market, starting with a story featuring three recently promoted female partners in Saudi Arabia. In the last year, Latham & Watkins’ Najla Al-Gadi, Baker McKenzie’s Hessa AlAiban, and Clyde & Co’s Shahd Makhafah were appointed to the partnership in the Riyadh office of their respective firms. For the first time, they speak on how they made it, the challenges they overcame along the way, and share advice for aspiring female partners. #IWD2025