Norton Rose head of Middle East debt capital markets Rizwan Kanji has joined King & Spalding in Dubai to play a leading role in the firm’s debt capital markets and sukuk practice.
“The Middle East is a key element of our firm’s strategy for international growth, and we expect to see continued growth in sukuk offerings in the region and in other capital markets,” King & Spalding head of Middle East and Islamic finance practice Isam Salah said.
In his time with Norton Rose, Kanji has advised on several recent landmark sukuk and conventional transactions. These include the first Turkish sukuk – a US$100m offering by Kuveyt Turk Katilim Bankasi in August 2010; the first sovereign sukuk by the Kingdom of Bahrain to be listed on the London Stock Exchange; the establishment of Islamic Development Bank’s US$3.5bn Trust Certificate Program dual-listed on the London Stock Exchange and Bursa Malaysia in Oct 2010; and the establishment of a US$2bn EMTN program for Emaar Properties PJSC.
According to the managing partner of King & Spalding’s offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, the firm’s sukuk practice and debt capital markets practice is an area the firm plans to continue to expand, as an important component of the firm’s strategy in the region.
King & Spalding has a team of nearly 30 lawyers across its Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh offices specialising in commercial, corporate and financial transactions as well as project development, construction and engineering – with particular emphasis on matters related to the energy industry.ALB
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