Clifford Chance has transferred the co-head of its London capital markets practice to Riyadh, boosting ties with its Saudi ally, Al-Jadaan & Partners.
Tim Plews will be relocated permanently to the Saudi firm in October where he will join fellow Clifford Chance partner Mohamed Hamra-Krouha, who has been on secondment since 2008 at Al-Jadaan. Hamra-Krouha, a projects specialist, is responsible for Clifford Chance's Saudi Arabia practice in Riyadh. Plews has worked on several Gulf deals in the last decade, including advising on the legal infrastructure for the Dubai International Financial Centre’s establishment in 2002.
Al-Jadaan’s managing partner welcomed the addition, while Clifford Chance said Plew has strong client relationships in the Gulf and his addition will strengthen ties with Al-Jadaan: “Tim’s permanent presence in the region will be a big boost for us across the entire breadth of our transactional practice - having someone of his seniority and experience on the ground in Riyadh is an unprecedented move amongst international firms,” said Graham Lovett, Clifford Chance’s regional managing partner.
The 12-year association between the two firms is arguably one of the strongest in a region where it has been less easy for other international firms to maintain ties. Earlier this month White & Case officially lost its Saudi ally to Latham & Watkins, while DLA Piper lost two sponsors between 2008 and 2009.
The firm has also announced that Hong Kong infrastructure partner Geraint Hughes will be the new managing partner of its Singapore office.
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