Norton Rose starts operations from BFH's Financial Centre

The legal firm, which has had a presence in Bahrain since 1979, is a constituent of the Norton Rose Group, a leading international legal practice that offers full business law services across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Welcoming BFH's first partner from the legal fraternity, Mr Salwan Uchi, Marketing Director, BFHHC said, "The Financial Centre is home to many leading financial institutions in the region and joining hands with Norton Rose (Middle East) LLP is a key development for us since it opens a new chapter for BFH in the legal aspects of the financial sector."

"Norton Rose is one of the world's leading Islamic finance practices, focusing primarily on banking, corporate finance and dispute resolution, and BFH has also been playing a key role in developing financial trends in this sector. We are confident that the synergy our partnership develops will see further growth in this direction, reinforcing Bahrain's already strong position as the centre of Islamic finance in the Middle East," he added.

Commenting on the decision to relocate to the BFH premises, Mr. Dominic Harvey, Norton Rose (Middle East) LLP said, "The Financial Centre is the ideal springboard for our operations because this world-class integrated development has evolved as a hub for the financial services sector in the region."

"For us at Norton Rose, knowledge is key to our business success, hence we are committed to investing in a culture of shared knowledge designed to keep our clients up-to-date on legal and commercial developments in key industries. We are confident that BFH's state-of-the-art technology, support systems and infrastructure will provide the perfect environment for automating our document production and widening our already substantial client, base among leading domestic and foreign banks and businesses, assiduously built up during our 25 years of operation in the Middle East and North Africa," Harvey added.

Norton Rose has been involved in numerous energy and infrastructure projects in the Middle East and has been advising some of the region's most innovative funds and private equity deals, apart from being involved in a number of privatisations and IPOs. Its strength lies in knowing how the businesses of its clients work and sharing industry knowledge and expertise across borders.

Its client base spreads across the Gulf region, Middle East and North Africa as well as the Indian sub-continent. It also has an office in Dubai, an associate office in Riyadh and will soon be operational in Abu Dhabi.