Located in the financial center of one of the most rapidly growing regions in the world, our Dubai office is dedicated to servicing the needs of our many clients in the Middle East, including local companies, banks, family offices and government agencies, as well as U.S., European, Asian and other companies doing business in the Gulf.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher has been representing many of the largest institutions and companies in the region for more than 30 years. Gibson Dunn ranked as No. 1 in Middle East M&A by both value and number of deals in 2008, based on Mergermarkets reported deals involving GCC buyers, sellers or targets.
The Dubai office works as an integrated team with Gibson Dunn's 15 other worldwide offices, including our European offices in London, Paris, Brussels and Munich, and our Singapore office, and has the capabilities to handle complex and innovative transactions and comprehensively serve clients' needs across disciplines throughout the Middle East.
The Dubai office focuses on providing counsel on:
- Regional and outbound mergers and acquisitions, private equity and other investment transactions, including fund formation
- Regional and global finance transactions, including Shari'ah-compliant finance
- Capital markets transactions
- Project finance
- Real estate investments
- Tax issues applicable to investments in the United States and Europe
- Commercial dispute resolution, including litigation and international arbitration
- Regulatory and compliance matters
- Infrastructure development, financing, construction and operation
Many of our Firm's partners have lived or worked in the region and have an in-depth understanding of the legal and cultural environment that is necessary for the successful completion of projects.
In particular, Gibson Dunn lawyers have been involved in numerous Islamic finance transactions, and have regularly worked with Shari'ah s cholars to develop Shari'ah-compliant investment structures. For example, Gibson Dunn lawyers worked with Shari'ah scholars to develop the Ijara lease structure which subsequently became the model for Shari'ah-compliant leveraged real estate ownership in the United States; the Firm advised on the design and implementation of the first Shari'ah-compliant leveraged private equity transaction in France; and the Firm has also helped structure Shari'ah-compliant investments in leveraged private equity transactions in other European countries and the United States.
We have also provided advice to many Middle Eastern financial institutions, including Islamic institutions, regarding the regulations applicable to them, including anti-money laundering regulations, and have represented many of such institutions with respect to establishing and operating affiliates of them in Europe and the U.S.
In addition, Gibson Dunn is recognized as one of the premier litigation firms in the world and regularly represents Middle Eastern and other clients in court (including the U.S. Supreme Court), arbitrations and other forums in connection with matters of the highest significance.
Chambers and Partners Global Guide 2010 ranks our Middle East practice as a leader in the fields of Corporate/Commercial and Investment Funds and our UAE practice in the field of Corporate/Commercial. In addition, the 2010 edition of Legal 500 EMEA ranks our Dubai office in Corporate/M&A and Investment Funds.
For more information, please contact the Partners-in-Charge of our Dubai office, Peter Baumbusch or Paul Harter, at +971 4 370 0311.