Baker Botts opens Dubai office to increase service in Middle East, North Africa

Stephen Matthews, Partner In Charge of Baker Botts' Middle East offices, will continue in that capacity working from the new Dubai location. Three associates will join Matthews immediately in Dubai: Aaron Adkins, Patrick Campos and Nabil Issa. The firm will maintain its office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in association with the Law Office of Mohanned S. Al-Rasheed.

Baker Botts now has offices in 10 cities. In addition to Dubai and Riyadh, the firm's worldwide network includes operations based in Austin, Baku, Dallas, Houston, London, Moscow, New York and Washington, D.C.

"Opening an office in Dubai -- a base of operations for many energy companies and financial institutions in a key area of the world -- is essential for us as we continue to build the pre-eminent energy law firm in the world," said Baker Botts Managing Partner Walt Smith. "Adding a Middle East location as significant as Dubai will increase our ability to serve clients and expand our base of clients who are deeply involved in the energy industry in that part of the world."

Stuart Schaffer, chair of Baker Botts' Global Projects Group, said: "The Dubai office will provide service to a number of sectors in the energy industry, and we intend to continue our ongoing work involving LNG, pipeline, gas to liquids, petrochemical and electric power projects in the Gulf region. Dubai is a new base of operations in the Middle East for us. We intend to grow the office and our operations there during the next few years," he added.

Matthews, who has been based in Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. for nine years, said in addition to focusing on energy projects, Baker Botts will expand its corporate, banking, finance, telecommunications, construction and dispute resolution work for clients throughout the Middle East, North Africa region.

"We are very pleased to have been granted the opportunity to open an office in Dubai, a key business hub in the GCC," Matthews said. "With its own vibrant economy and its close proximity to other Middle East energy capitals, Dubai is an ideal location in which to base our rapidly growing Middle East practice, with a focus on capital markets work and large-scale energy infrastructure projects."