DUBAI/ABU DHABI - 24 March, 2015

In its latest round of global promotions, Squire Patton Boggs has made up two new Partners in the Middle East - Scott Hutton in the Real Estate / Construction Practice in Dubai and Alishia Sullivan in the Private Investment Funds Practice in Abu Dhabi.

Scott Hutton focuses his practice in the Gulf region on construction and development matters, acting on both contentious and non-contentious property related matters including sales, purchases, landlord and tenant and investment issues. Scott acts for a wide range of clients, including local developers and landlords (in residential, leisure, commercial and mixed use developments) as well as international investors and contractors. Scott also has considerable experience in commercial leasing and asset management having acted for institutional landlords and investors together with major retail chains. He lectures on property matters at the Dubai Real Estate Institute.

Scott advises on all standard forms of construction contract, with an emphasis on the FIDIC based contract, the most common form of contract used in the Middle East. He also drafts and reviews bespoke contract documentation. He also has considerable experience with all means of Dispute Resolution in the UAE and has acted in arbitration under the rules of DIAC (Dubai International Arbitration Centre), DIFC-LCIA (Dubai International Financial Centre - the London Court of International Arbitration), ADCCAC (Abu Dhabi Commercial Conciliation and Arbitration Centre) and AjCCAC (Ajman Commercial Conciliation and Arbitration Centre) and has also received a number of appointments as arbitrator under the DIAC rules.

Alishia Sullivan, who is member of Squire Patton Boggs' Private Investment Funds practice group and its Sovereign and Institutional Investors industry group, focuses primarily on advising institutional investors on private investment funds, including private equity, hedge, infrastructure and real estate funds, and direct investments and co-investments. She assists a wide range of clients in drafting, reviewing and negotiating investment documentation including subscription agreements, limited partnership agreements, side letters, managed account agreements and other commercial agreements.

Alishia, who joined the firm in 2008, has more than 10 years' experience representing institutional investors, primarily in the Middle East, with respect to their global investment activities. Prior to joining Squire Patton Boggs, Alishia worked as an in-house counsel for a state-owned petroleum company in the Middle East and was a member of the global projects group of the Washington, DC office of an international law firm.

Bill Nash, Squire Patton Boggs' MENA regional co-ordinator and Abu Dhabi office managing partner, welcomed the news of the promotions: "We're delighted to see Alishia and Scott made up as new partners in our Middle East offices. Their contribution to the highly specialized services we provide our clients locally and internationally has been outstanding, and they represent the very best in their respective fields of expertise. Alishia combines the technical knowledge with the commercial understanding essential for global private investment at the highest levels; and she has played an important role in the past few years in making our global Sovereign and Institutional Investors group the pre-eminent and most multi-skilled legal advisory team in the world, with more than 50 lawyers from 12 offices engaged in sovereign investment matters."

Tom Wilson, managing partner of the firm's Dubai office, added: "Scott's knowledge of property and construction issues in the Middle East is second to none, and he is equally adept in assisting a client with a multi-million dollar investment as in resolving a complex dispute. As we see an increase in interest in the built environment across the region, Scott is well placed to work with our firm's expanded real estate, construction, projects and infrastructure teams in making the investments and developments that our clients are pursuing become a reality."

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About Squire Patton Boggs
Squire Patton Boggs is one of the world's strongest integrated legal practices. With 44 offices in 21 countries, the firm is renowned for its local connections and global influence, delivering comprehensive legal services across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. With expertise spanning all key sectors, the firm is also known for its preeminent public policy practice and deep-rooted relationships in Washington DC and Brussels. For more information, visit www.squirepattonboggs.com

© Press Release 2015