International law firm Pinsent Masons has announced the appointment of leading Corporate lawyer Osama Hassan as a Partner in the Middle East.
Osama is a considered a leading figure in the UAE corporate legal market having operated in the region for 25 years, most recently for Canadian firm Bennett Jones. His clients include Government Departments, heads of family owned business and many government owned entities. He also has a client base of significant blue chip energy and infrastructure organisations, some of whom are also current clients of Pinsent Masons.
Hassan will be bringing Senior Associate, Ziad Haddad, and Aarshi Mahajan. All three will based in Dubai and will join the current eight-person team there.
Hassan will lead the Corporate practice in the Middle East working closely with Dubai Corporate head, Alison Hubbard and Head of Pinsent Masons in the Middle East, Sachin Kerur.
Hassan is the third lateral partner hire completed by the firm in January.
Sachin Kerur, Head of Pinsent Masons in the Middle East, says:
"Osama is recognised by many senior leaders within the UAE for his expertise, and he is considered a trusted adviser to a broad range of significant clients in the region. His appointment represents a serious statement of intent by the firm in the region, and follows a period of significant growth and investment allied to our focus on the energy, infrastructure and technology sectors. I am very pleased to be able to work closely with Osama"
Andrew Masraf, Partner and Head of Corporate at Pinsent Masons, says:
"We have taken steps in recent years to further build our Corporate practice across our global network in response to client demand. To have brought in someone of Osama's calibre and regional contacts will be significant for our practice in the Middle East, ahead of significant anticipated IPO and M&A activity as the region returns to sustainable growth."
David Ryan, Managing Partner at Pinsent Masons, says:
"We have made a number of significant lateral and team hires since the beginning of the year which says something both about our confidence for the year ahead, and the renewed sense of vigour with which we are pursuing our strategy to become a market-leading firm in the global sectors in which we operate. I am delighted to welcome Osama to the firm."
The appointment represents the latest investment in the Middle East by Pinsent Masons following the appointment of Tax specialist Ian Anderson in Dubai from the QFC at the start of the year. It is also a further significant development for the firm's Corporate practice following the appointment of a four-partner team in Singapore last year.
Legal 500 has noted Osama as "unrivalled in the UAE - he is bright, an extremely hard worker, and gives practical business advice that delivers favourable results time and time again." Chambers Global stated that he "offers the total package - Shari'a, local and international law advice from one canny and analytical source".
Osama was educated at the Cairo Faculty of Law and trained at Al Jabri and Partners in Dubai before working with Dentons legacy firm Fox & Gibbons and Taylor Wessing legacy firm Key and Dixon.
For further information:
Iain Munro, Bell Pottinger
Mobile: +971 55 559 7389
Email: imunro@bellpottinger.com
About Pinsent Masons
Pinsent Masons is a global 100 law firm employing over 2,500 people in total, including over 1,500 lawyers.
The firm has operates out of Doha and Dubai and its office network extends across the major international business and financial centres of London, Munich, Paris, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore in addition to key business centres in the UK. The firm also launched a presence in Turkey in 2013.
Pinsent Masons LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England & Wales (registered number: OC333653) authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, and by the appropriate regulatory body in the other jurisdictions in which it operates. The word 'partner', used in relation to the LLP, refers to a member of the LLP or an employee or consultant of the LLP or any affiliated firm who is a lawyer with equivalent standing and qualifications. A list of the members of the LLP, and of those non-members who are designated as partners, is displayed at the LLP's registered office: 30 Crown Place, London EC2A 4ES, United Kingdom.
We use 'Pinsent Masons' to refer to Pinsent Masons LLP and affiliated entities that practise under the name 'Pinsent Masons' or a name that incorporates those words. Reference to 'Pinsent Masons' is to Pinsent Masons LLP and/or one or more of those affiliated entities as the context requires. © Pinsent Masons LLP 2015.
© Press Release 2015
