Abu Dhabi

Norton Rose (Middle East) LLP
15th Floor Al Sila Tower
Sowwah Square
PO Box 105708
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates

Tel +971 (0)2 615 1700
Fax +971 (0)2 615 1750

We are committed to the Middle East and have had a continuous presence here for over 30 years. With over 60 lawyers based across our regional network, we are one of the largest and most highly regarded international legal practices in the Middle East. We are committed to building a team of locally qualified lawyers and ensuring that all our lawyers understand, appreciate and can advise on key local law issues.

We opened our office in Abu Dhabi in January 2009. We have over 20 lawyers based here, offering expertise in corporate, banking and Islamic finance, project finance, infrastructure, construction, real estate and dispute resolution. We help our clients to do business in the emirate and work for Abu Dhabi institutions such as Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Mubadala Development Company PJSC, Aldar and Etihad.

We also have offices in Bahrain, Dubai and extensive experience working in Saudi Arabia, advising our client base of regional and international financial institutions and companies in their activities across the GCC and internationally.

We advise on projects in:

Financial Institutions

We advised Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank PJSC on the establishment of a US $5 billion trust certificate issuance programme, which at the time of issuance was the second programme launched by an Islamic financial institution and at US $5 billion was the largest. It was also the first programme to be listed on the London Stock Exchange.

Energy

We advised Marubeni Corporation on the purchase of a 20 per cent stake from GdF Suez in Ruwais Power Company, the project company raising financing for the proposed US$2.4 billion Shuweihat S2 independent water and power project in Abu Dhabi.

Infrastructure, mining and commodities

We are currently advising Mubadala Development Company on the real estate aspects of this mega-project of Sowwah Island Abu Dhabi. This involves advising in relation to the leasing of commercial and retail premises to local and international financial institutions and professional service organisations.  This also involves advising in connection with the structuring and development sale of plots (including the grant of musataha rights) to local and international investors.  We also work with the in-house legal team, development team, leasing team and third party stakeholders in relation to the structuring and implementation of the community management framework to ensure a workable, legally robust and transparent regime for the management of community infrastructure and services.  Our work on Sowwah has also required us to provide a detailed interface between our client and the relevant authorities (DMA, UPC) particularly in relation to planning, car parking and land registration.

Transport 

We advised Etihad Airways on its US$102.3 club A340 financing, one of the first aircraft finance transactions in the United Arab Emirates since The Cape Town Convention came into force. This deal won Airfinance Journal’s “Middle East Deal of the Year” in 2008.

Technology and innovation

We advised an Abu Dhabi government department on the renegotiation of a major IT infrastructure and support outsourcing contract with Injazat Data Systems.