International law firm Reed Smith has poached the former head of Gateley’s construction team, Paul Taylor, as it seeks to expand and strengthen its construction disputes practice in Dubai.

Taylor, who has been involved in a number of large-scale construction projects in the Middle East, has been named partner in Reed Smith’s commercial dispute group as a member of its construction and engineering practice.

Construction litigation has been a high-profile line of business in the wake of the global financial crisis, which devastated the real estate and construction market in the region.  Corporate restructurings and a spate of halted construction projects have opened the doors for litigation, particularly in the UAE. 

"Paul's top-notch experience in construction disputes work - coupled with his market reputation and industry relationships - will play an important role in helping us to further expand and strengthen our presence within the construction industry in Dubai and the Middle East,” said Chau Ee Lee, lead commercial disputes partner in the firm's Middle East practice. ALB

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