Herbert Smith Freehills has closed its Abu Dhabi office, according to reports, and will move its five-lawyer team there to Dubai. It currently has two partners in Doha and eight in Dubai.
It joins a growing band of law firms that are closing their offices in the emirate. Last year, Holland & Knight closed its sole Gulf office in Abu Dhabi, and in March this year, Latham & Watkins closed its outposts in both Doha and Abu Dhabi. In May, Baker Botts also closed its office in Abu Dhabi.
Leading Japanese law firm Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu (NO&T) has announced plans to establish its first permanent European presence with a new office in London, set to open in January 2025.
Japanese Big Four firm Nishimura & Asahi has continued its aggressive international expansion with the opening of an office in Hong Kong. The office will make it the first major Japanese law firm to directly open an outpost in the Asian financial centre.
Submissions open for ALB Firm to Watch (Singapore) list. The list will highlight the law firms with a more compact partner structure or focused practice in the country. The list will be published in the January/February 2025 issue of ALB Asia.