UK firm Charles Russell has transferred corporate partner Andrew Sharpe from its London base to Bahrain, in an effort to build its IT and telecommunications practice.

Sharpe, whose clients in the region have included Batelco, Zain and Etisalat, will be joined in the corporate practice by a new Bahraini trainee, Reem Al Mahroos.

Bahrain managing partner Clive Hopewell said the firm is looking to develop its presence in Bahrain, where it has based its Middle East practice since August 2007.

The firm last year received a major mandate from the Central Bank of Bahrain as the administrators of the troubled Awal Bank, which had defaulted on financial obligations and had assets totalling more than US$5bn. Hopewell and partner James Hyne headed up the assignment, along with Mahroos.

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