Clifford Chance announced as M&A Adviser Panel Sponsor at TMT Finance Conference in Doha

The premier networking event for telecom, media and technology executives, investment bankers and advisers in the region, which takes place at the Sharq Village Hotel Doha, March 18-19, 2009, is now in its third year. The event theme of Defining the Future of Telecom in the Middle East.

In a special panel focused on mergers and acquisitions in the telecoms, media and technology sector, experts will debate on the opportunities and challenges for consolidators in the TMT sector in the Middle East and Emerging Markets in 2009. The best merger and acquisition strategies will be highlighted.

Joachim Fleury, Global Head of the Communications, Media and Technology Group at Clifford Chance LLP, commented:

"The Middle East is a core area of our focus on transactions in the telecoms sector. It is core because of the sophisticated and well funded operators that reside in the region and because of the investment opportunities that are coming up - in the Middle East itself and in the adjoining regions of Africa and Asia."

Other leading M&A advisers featuring in the panel will include Eric Arveschoug, Head of TMT Corporate Bank/Corporate Finance, CEEMEA, Citi, Jake Donavan, Global co-Head of TMT and Head of Europe, Middle East & Africa Telecoms Group, JPMorgan and Valentin Pitarque, Executive Director Investment Banking, Goldman Sachs International.

This year's event will feature a keynote address by Qatar Telecommunications (Qtel) Chairman H.E. Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud Al Thani, and a Leadership Panel chaired by Ghassan Hasbani, Vice President, Booz & Co, which includes CxOs from the leading telecom operators from the region. The executives will discuss the changing structure of the telecom industry and their strategies for regional and global expansion in emerging and developed markets.

"Merger and acquisition strategy and procedure will be absolutely critical to the success of the leading telecom operators from the Middle East in 2009, and we have gathered together some of the best advisers in the business to join this panel," said Dominic Lowndes, Director, TMT Group at BroadGroup. "For telecom operators in the Gulf there are some fantastic opportunities to expand within the region as well as in Asia, and Africa. With valuations erratic and cross border transactions notoriously challenging the need for top quality professional and legal advice is higher than ever."

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) is Patron of TMT Finance and Investment Middle East 2009 which is organised by BroadGroup. Clifford Chance LLP is M&A Adviser Panel sponsor, Booz&Co is Conference Partner, Orient Consulting is PR Partner, Qatar Airways is Official Airline Partner, Capital MS&L is Investor Relations Partner. Further sponsors and partners will be announced in the coming weeks.

Media partners for the event include TradeArabia, theGulf, .commerce, AlAssets, Nooz, Telecommunications Insight and Middle East Monitor.

Designed as a unique networking hub, the event facilitates personal interaction and access for senior executives in telecom operator, service provider and supplier organisations, private equity and investor firms, investment banks, legal advisers, and other financiers and professional intermediaries focused on the TMT sector.