Freshfields appoints two new partners in the Middle East

Patrick Ko and Reza Mohtashami have been elected to the partnership with effect from 1 May 2009.

Patrick Ko is a member of the firm's corporate practice. Patrick specialises in a variety of corporate work including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and securities.

Patrick joined Freshfields as a trainee, and, following a secondment to the firm's Hong Kong office, qualified into the London corporate department.

Since relocating to the region at the beginning of 2008, Patrick has helped develop Freshfields' award-winning Middle East corporate practice, which works on the most high-profile matters in the region.

Reza Mohtashami becomes a partner in the firm's international arbitration group based in the Dubai office. Reza has previously worked in a number of jurisdictions with the firm, including England, the US and France.

He has advised and represented clients in more than 35 arbitrations conducted under a variety of rules, and specialises in disputes in the energy and telecoms industries.

Reza is co-author of A Guide to the LCIA Rules (Oxford University Press) published in March 2009 and is a member of the editorial board of Global Arbitration Review.

He is included in the 2009 Directory of the International Who's Who Legal of International Commercial Arbitration. Reza has a law degree from University College London and an LLM in international law from the University of Cambridge. He speaks English, French and Persian.

Commenting on the appointments, managing partner of Freshfields' MENA practice, Joseph Huse said:

"We are delighted to welcome Patrick and Reza to the partnership. They both offer an unparalleled level of knowledge and expertise, and have extensive experience in the Middle East. Their appointments are an indication of the strength of Freshfields' operations in the Middle East, and underline the firm's commitment to this important region."