Al Tamimi and Company opens new office in Kuwait

Al Tamimi & Company International has entered into a joint venture with Yacoub Al Munayae, a registered and licensed lawyer in Kuwait. Through the joint venture, Al Tamimi & Company International has acquired The Dawliya Law Firm and, with effect from 27th October 2009, will practice in Kuwait under the name of Al Tamimi Kuwait.

The new office will be led by Alex Saleh, who was previously managing partner of DLA Piper Kuwait, and will comprise senior associate Philip Kotsis and associates Wassim Sassia, providing corporate and commercial expertise. The new office is expected to grow rapidly hiring additional fee earners.

Alex Saleh and his team represent many of Kuwait's leading banks as well as national, regional and international financial institutions on structuring conventional and Shari'ah compliant investment products, restructuring and workouts and they have acted as counsel to the majority of the Sukuk issues in the Kuwait market.

They also have considerable M&A, structured finance and private equity experience advising national and international companies operating in Kuwait as joint ventures as well as on major infrastructure projects such as power generation, water desalinisation and water treatment plants.

Commenting on the new office opening, Al Tamimi founder and senior partner, Essam Al Tamimi, said:

"We are delighted to have been able to open our Kuwait office with such a high profile partner as Alex Saleh and his team with their longstanding presence and connections in market. The decision to open the new office is in direct response to client requirements for an Arab law firm with global connections to offer local, regional and international legal services in Kuwait. The Kuwaiti economy is growing rapidly and, with a substantial on-the-ground presence, we are uniquely placed to advise clients investing in this market."

Alex Saleh, who leads Al Tamimi's Kuwait office added, "Kuwait is a natural extension of the firm's presence in the key markets in the Middle East in particular Jordan and the GCC region where there are significant cross border business activities with Kuwait. There is also a significant local demand for easier access to high quality international legal services from Kuwaiti businesses investing regionally and internationally. With the resources of the largest law firm in the region, combining global standards of expertise with extensive local knowledge and contacts, Al Tamimi, Kuwait can meet this demand."