International law firm Bird & Bird has named former Al Jazeera chief legal officer, Osama Abu-Dehays, partner in its international media and sports sector groups, as it seeks to bolster its presence in the region.

Abu-Dehays, who will be splitting his time between the UAE and Qatar, will help boost the firm’s telecommunications, media and technology practice across the Middle East and North Africa.

“Osama brings a deep understanding of the media and sports sectors to our international team, as well as excellent regional experience in those areas and in the IT and telecommunications sectors,” said Mark Pinder, head of Bird & Bird Middle East. “This strong, industry sector-based background is a great fit for our firm, and complements the way (that) we are developing our local and regional expertise.”

Prior to joining Al Jazeera, Abu-Dehays was the chief legal officer of the Arab Media Group before which he was the deputy head of legal at the Middle East Broadcasting Corporation (MBC). ALB

Shaheen Pasha is MIddle East Regional Editor at ALB. Follow her on Twitter: @ALB_TheBrief.

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