• Alex Ghazi, former Group General Counsel at Arabtec joins the firm as Head of Office effective 1 June 2017
• Appointment integral to the growth of the Abu Dhabi office for the firm

UAE: Al Tamimi & Company, the largest law firm in the Middle East has announced their latest Head of Office recruit, Alex Ghazi, former Group General Counsel and Company Secretary for Arabtec Holding PJSC, based in Abu Dhabi.

Alex has over 21 years experience having spent most of his career as a corporate and commercial lawyer, involved in various international transactions. Over the years, he led various legal teams and departments in different industrial sectors, starting from real estate development, to automotive, to construction.

He obtained his LLM (Masters Degree) in International Business Law in 1993, from France, and after training and working with Clifford Chance in Paris and Dubai. He then moved to Marriott International in Dubai and then London, heading the legal department for Europe and the Middle East. He later became the Chief Legal Officer for Abdul Latif Jameel in Jeddah before joining Arabtec, in July 2013 as Chief Legal Officer for Arabtec Construction.

Husam Hourani, Managing Partner at Al Tamimi & Company, said:

“We are delighted to have secured Alex for this important position as we look to further establish our presence in Abu Dhabi. The past five years have seen very strong results from the firm with 56% increase in revenue for the Abu Dhabi office, at a time where we’ve seen firms exit the market.”

“Alex, aside from being an outstanding lawyer, is also very much admired for his leadership and commitment to providing superior legal services. We are very pleased to welcome him to the firm as head of office and look forward to the future with him at the helm of the office there.”

On his appointment, Alex Ghazi stated:

“With the on-going mergers in Abu Dhabi, there is an evident paradigm shift in the market: the focus has turned to productivity, profitability and accountability. With the increased competition, the rules and regulations become stricter and all the players will need to ensure full and continued compliance. But above all, they will also require a clearer vision of the anticipated changes. Al Tamimi, with its vast local experience and regional presence, should be the right business partner to help evolve and adapt to the new market conditions.

With Al Tamimi’s reputation in the region and the quality of the Abu Dhabi office team, it was not a difficult decision for me to make. I am delighted to embark on this new and exciting journey.”

Al Tamimi has had a strong start to 2017 and was recently recognised for its achievements at the Middle East Legal Awards, winning the ‘Regional Firm of the Year – Large Practice’ award and being shortlisted in a record 12 categories.