Martin Brown

Full Profile

Martin has extensive finance expertise encompasses syndicated financings, project and infrastructure finance, Islamic finance, real estate and development finance, acquisition and leveraged finance, debt capital markets (DCM), asset finance, trade finance, fund formation and asset management, and restructurings.

He has acted for a number of leading international and GCC companies on Sharia’h compliant matters and has extensive experience of applying the fundamental principles of Sharia’h to commercial transactions.  

During his time in Qatar, Martin has advised numerous financial institutions and corporate clients on diverse Sharia’h compliant and conventional lending transactions and has also advised clients on applicable regulatory obligations particularly in respect of the Qatar Financial Markets Authority (QFMA), the Qatar Stock Exchange (QSE) and the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC).

Martin is admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales.  

Prior to joining Clyde & Co, Martin held several prominent positions. He was a partner and head of Addleshaw Goddard’s Doha office and global head of their Islamic finance practice, as well as a partner at Dentons in Doha, and served as a consultant at law firms based in Qatar and the UK.

Experience

• Advising Masraf in connection with its provision of Sharia'h compliant financing in relation to Qatar’s second PPP financing for the construction of eight schools across Doha.*
• Advising a Qatari based financial institution on the Sharia’h compliant debt and equity financing of an investment for the acquisition and subsequent part-out of airframes.*
• Advising an undisclosed fund in their provision of debt facilities to their client for the development of helium assets in Utah and Arizona.*
• Advising Masraf in connection with its provision of Sharia'h compliant financing to UK established SPVs for the development of 11 towers in East Village, London.*
• Advising Qatar National Bank and Al Khaliji in connection with their provision of mezzanine finance to a UK established SPV for the development of two towers in East Village, London.*
• Advising Meethaq Bank on the construction financing of a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant structured as an istisna/forward ijara.*
• Advising Doha Bank as Issuer on English and Qatar law on their USD 2 billion EMTN programme and the issue of USD 500 million certificates listed on the London Stock Exchange.*
• Advising Ahli Bank SAOG and Ahli United Bank BSC as initial mandated lead arrangers in connection with a USD 235 million term loan facility agreement for financing the Muscat Sohar Pipeline Project.*
• Advising Commercial Bank (Q.S.C.) in connection with its QAR 1.2 billion term loan to Msheireb Properties for the development of a spa and family resort and mixed use commercial and office building.*
• Advising Sohar Bank as Mandated Lead Arranger, in connection with the USD 257 million Islamic and conventional project financing for the Moon Iron and Steel Company project at Sohar.*
• Advising the joint venture partners (UK and Qatari) of Matrix ME Alignment Fund Management LLC on the establishment and licensing of this entity as a fund management company (with an Islamic window) at the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC).*
• Advising Matrix ME Alignment Fund Management LLC on the establishment of a parallel co-investment fund structure consisting of a Sharia’h compliant real estate fund and a conventional real estate fund each regulated by the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority.*
• Acting for Tornado Company in obtaining financing from Doha Bank by way of a 13-year tenor term facility, secured by a legal mortgage over Doha's iconic and award-winning Tornado Tower.
• Advising Qatar International Islamic Bank as Issuer on English and Qatari law on their debut USD 700 million sukuk issue listed on the Irish Stock Exchange.*

*Experience gained prior to joining Clyde & Co