Clyde & Co, the largest international law firm in the GCC, has celebrated the opening of its new offices in the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) with a reception at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Doha. Hosted in association with the British Embassy, the reception was attended by over 200 guests including a range of high profile corporate figures as well as the diplomatic representatives of no less than 24 countries. The new premises, located in the QFC Tower, will become the centre of Clyde & Co’s activities in Qatar.
Clyde & Co obtained its QFC licence in January 2007 and first opened its office, the third in the region after Dubai and Abu Dhabi, in the Ministry of Economy and Commerce building. Previously the firm had serviced Qatar from its regional offices in the UAE.
Headed by partner David Salt, the firm’s Doha team currently offers a full range of legal disciplines in both Arabic and English, providing legal counsel and guidance on the local Qatari legal framework, Qatar Financial Centre and international laws. Five additional lawyers are scheduled to join the office over the upcoming year. In addition to Clyde & Co’s global strengths in the areas of aviation, insurance and reinsurance, international trade, shipping, and dispute resolution, the Qatar team’s areas of expertise comprise banking and finance (including Islamic finance), construction and commercial property, corporate and commercial, information and communications technology, intellectual property and regulation.
Commenting on the occasion, David Salt said: “It is particularly exciting to be at the forefront of policy development in the world’s fastest growing developed economy and dealing with the challenges and opportunities that this work entails. Qatar has become a serious attraction for many international companies eager to take advantage of the business potential here and, by establishing a presence in the QFC, Clyde & Co is perfectly placed to provide a premium commercial service to clients in Qatar and across the region.”
Highlighting the importance of the occasion, a selection of partners from Clyde & Co’s UK, Middle Eastern and Asia-Pacific offices were also in attendance at the event.