With a view to better serving existing clients, and also tap into the region’s booming energy and infrastructure sectors, Pillsbury is opening an office in Abu Dhabi, its 15th worldwide.

The firm joins a veritable who’s who of international firms to have offices in the UAE capital, including Allen & Overy, Clifford Chance, DLA Piper, Freshfields, Hogan Lovells and Linklaters.

Pillsbury already represents a number of Middle East entities and global companies doing business in the region. Among Pillsbury’s clients are the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), which Pillsbury is advising on a $20 billion project to build four nuclear power plants in the UAE, and Qatar Petroleum, affiliates of which the firm represents in liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects in the UK and the U.S. Other clients include Air Algerie, EgyptAir, Turkish Airlines and Bahrain’s BMI Bank.

Pillsbury partner David Cynamon recently relocated from Washington, D.C. to the UAE to serve as managing partner of the firm’s new Abu Dhabi office. “We have long sought to establish an office in Abu Dhabi to further the growth our U.S. and London offices have helped us achieve in the region,” he said. “Abu Dhabi has become a critical crossroads for many of the clients and industries we serve.” ALB

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