Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co (WLG) has recruited two lawyers from Clyde & Co to launch a dedicated real estate team servicing the Middle East and Africa. Andrew Thomson joins as a partner and Melissa Younan as a senior associate.
Andrew Thomson joined Clyde & Co's MENA real estate and hospitality team in 2011 and divided his time between its Dubai and other regional offices. He advised on matters across the GCC together with projects further afield in countries including Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Prior to Clyde & Co, Andrew was a senior associate at Trowers & Hamlins between 2008-2011, also based in the United Arab Emirates.
Melissa Younan joins the firm as a senior associate. She joined Clyde & Co MENA office in 2014, prior to which she worked as an associate in the real estate and commercial department of Hadef and Partners.
The team have over sixteen years of experience in the Gulf region and will provide a full real estate service covering commercial transactions, development work and real estate litigation, together with hospitality services and corporate banking support.
Andrew Thomson said: "This is a particularly exciting time to be joining Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co. The firm already has a market leading real estate practice in Europe and with the combination with Gowlings in January 2016 we will be able to service our clients even more effectively across our extended network. I look forward to working with the great team here on the ground to grow the practice as the real estate economies across the region mature in the years ahead.”
Melissa Younan commented: "The real estate sector in the UAE and wider region remains exciting as factors such as supply and demand, regulatory changes and trends impact heavily on the sector. It is a fast-changing area of law and we look forward to continuing the growth of our practice with such a dynamic firm."
Tim Casben, managing partner of the Dubai office, said: "With the award to Dubai of Expo 2020, we are seeing a significant wave of real estate development covering the major asset classes of retail, offices, hotels and leisure. Together with development around the new Dubai World Central Airport, we have a significant opportunity to build on our reputation in construction and project finance. We are all looking forward to working alongside Andrew and Melissa to grow our real estate capabilities in the region and leverage off our international experience and expertise."
Based in the Dubai International Financial Centre (and having been in the United Arab Emirates for eight years) Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co's Dubai office advises on UAE, DIFC and English law throughout the GCC and Africa.
Real estate will join the firm's existing successful service lines in the region which include construction, corporate & commercial, energy & infrastructure projects, private client and structured & project finance.
Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co will combine with leading Canadian law firm Gowlings, to create Gowling WLG, on 18th January 2016. The new firm will have more than 1,400 lawyers and legal professionals operating from 18 locations across Canada, the UK, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. It will provide clients with world-class legal expertise and multi-jurisdictional support in key sectors. These will include advanced manufacturing, life sciences, power generation and distribution, projects and infrastructure, real estate, resources (mining, oil & gas), and technology and communications. It will also be home to one of the world's premier intellectual property practices.
