Paul Hastings, a US multinational law firm, is opening an office in Abu Dhabi to better leverage its multi-billion dollar investments in AI, energy and infrastructure, Paul Hastings has reported. Paul Hastings LLP, considered one of the most prestigious firms in the US, has announced a significant expansion of its global energy and infrastructure practice with the addition of a leading European team and the opening of a new office in Abu Dhabi, positioned as the firm’s regional hub serving clients in the UAE, Europe and Asia. Dinmuhamed (Dean) Eshanov and Georgy Kazakov, who join from White & Case LLP, will lead the new Abu Dhabi office and lead an international team spanning Abu Dhabi, London and Paris, strengthening the firm’s international energy and infrastructure capabilities and complementing its existing US practice.
“The addition of this strong international team, along with our elite U.S. infrastructure and energy group, expands our global reach in high-value transactional work, including finance, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings and large-scale infrastructure developments,” said Frank Lopez, the firm’s chairman. “We currently represent a broad range of sovereign wealth funds, asset managers, banks and corporates around the world who are highly engaged with the team, and we look forward to capturing greater market share in cross-border matters.”
Deepening its presence in the Gulf
The team will work closely with Energy and Infrastructure Co-Chairs Gregory Tan and Rob Friedman, who joined the firm in 2022 in New York, to accelerate the practice’s global growth, as well as with a wide range of other practices and geographies. “It is exciting to be part of the team leading the development of the Abu Dhabi practice, which will serve as a hub for regional clients and transactions, as well as a vital bridge to Europe, the US and Asia for the firm’s clients,” said Eshanov. “A cornerstone of the strategy will be to help expand the reach of European investors in the Middle East and facilitate investment from the region into Europe.”
“We are very pleased to join Paul Hastings as the firm builds its global energy and infrastructure practice. With Paul Hastings’ incredible global platform and deep existing energy and infrastructure capabilities, we are well positioned to support clients pursuing complex transactions in the region and around the world,” said Kazakov. “We look forward to working with the world-class team to further strengthen our client relationships and drive the firm’s strategic growth internationally.”
Dean Eshanov and George Kazakov
Den Eshanov, based in Abu Dhabi, advises on a variety of project development and construction agreements, including design and procurement agreements; power purchase agreements; operation and maintenance agreements; build, own, operate and transfer agreements; and FIDIC-based agreements across a range of industries, including the infrastructure and renewable energy sectors. He also advises on corporate, financial and commercial transactions, including cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and direct investments.
George Kazakov, who will be based in the firm’s European and Abu Dhabi offices, focuses on private equity M&A and finance transactions in the infrastructure sector, advising funds and financial sponsors on domestic and international acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, joint investments and restructurings.