January 30, 2012
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce Hardeep Plahe is joining its Dubai office as a partner. Plahe, having practiced with Linklaters in Dubai, will continue his corporate practice in the Middle East, advising on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and financial regulation issues.
“We are pleased to welcome Hardeep to the firm,” said Ken Doran, Chairman and Managing Partner of Gibson Dunn. “Hardeep is an English-trained lawyer who has significant experience in the UAE and the Gulf region and a broad corporate and M&A practice, which is just what we need to serve our clients in the region.”
“Hardeep will be a terrific addition to the firm,” said Paul Harter, Partner in Charge of the Dubai office. “He is one among very few lawyers in the region who consistently delivers the highest quality legal services and who has a long-term commitment to the region. He is known as someone who really understands how the Middle East works and is highly regarded. With his skills and knowledge, Hardeep will help us deepen relationships with clients and other companies in the UAE and throughout the Middle East.”
Plahe’s addition follows Chézard Ameer who joined the firm’s Dubai office as a corporate partner from Ashurst in October 2010 to head the Gibson Dunn’s international funds practice.
“I am looking forward to joining the firm,” said Plahe. “Gibson Dunn’s international platform, uncompromising standards and commitment to the emerging markets will continue to provide an ideal foundation on which to further my corporate practice and continue to help clients on their most important projects.”
About Hardeep Plahe
Plahe’s practice focuses on public and private mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, private placings, joint ventures, reorganizations and financial services regulation. He is noted for “having built a strong reputation for finance and corporate work” in Chambers Global 2011. Representative transactions include advising Royal Bank of Scotland on the sales of its retail and private banking businesses in the UAE, advising on the $12 billion merger of Emirates Bank International and the National Bank of Dubai and the subsequent listing of Emirates NBD, advising on the $4.96 billion IPO and Nasdaq Dubai listing of DP World, and advising Zain (Mobile Telecommunication Co.) on several transactions including the $12 billion cash tender offer for Zain by Etisalat and the proposed disposal of Zain Saudi Arabia to BatelCo and Kingdom Holding.
Plahe practiced with Linklaters since 2001, resident in the London office from 2001 to 2006 and in the Dubai office from 2006, serving as one of the founding members of the office. In 2003, he was seconded for six months as counsel to the Private Client Services division of Credit Suisse in London advising on a range of issues, including the sale of securities into the Middle East. He is a member of the Law Society of England & Wales, as well as the Chartered Institute of Securities & Investments. He received his law degree from Oxford University in 1998. He speaks English and Punjabi.
About Gibson Dunn’s Dubai Office
Gibson Dunn has been representing leading institutions, companies and sovereign funds in the Middle East for over 30 years. The Dubai office today serves as one of the cornerstones of the firm’s emerging markets practice. Gibson Dunn lawyers handle the most complex investment and financing transactions for a growing client base, both within the Middle East and from the Middle East into Europe, Asia and North America. The Dubai office also serves as a bridge for Middle Eastern clients to the firm’s litigation and commercial arbitration practice in the United States, the United Kingdom and globally.