International law firm Patton Boggs has opened an affiliate office in Saudi Arabia, and is bolstering its Middle East practice in the kingdom with the addition of five lawyers formerly affiliated with bankrupt law firm Dewey & LeBoeuf.
The group is led by Khalid Al-Thebity, who will manage the Patton Boggs affiliated office in Riyadh. Al-Thebity’s firm previously served as the Riyadh office affiliated with Dewey & LeBoeuf.
“We are excited to have Khalid and his highly talented team on board,” said Edward Newberry, managing partner of Patton Boggs. “Their focus on energy, financial services, M&A, Islamic finance, dispute resolution, and regulatory and government affairs aligns with the firm’s strategic practices, and a well-established Riyadh office builds on our strong presence in the MENA region. Our Middle East practice has long been a competitive differentiator for the firm, and with offices in Riyadh, Doha, and Abu Dhabi, we are well positioned to offer our clients direct assistance in three of the most vibrant markets in the region.”
Joining Patton Boggs with Al-Thebity’s practice will be Riyadh-based associates Jihad A. Turkistani, Stefan L. Guttensohn, Siraj Al Islam, and Judeh K. Bahnan. Separately, Patton Boggs added former Dewey counsel David Colson and Brian Vohrer to its Washington, D.C. office. New York-based international energy adviser Tess Serranti has also joined the firm from Dewey.
Dewey was once among the 20 largest firms in the United States, with a global reach extending from Los Angeles to Abu Dhabi to Tbilisi, Georgia. But it was decimated amidst financial troubles that sparked a mass exodus of partners. The crippled firm was finally forced to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy protections in late May this year, marking the biggest collapse of a law firm in U.S. history. ALB
Shaheen Pasha is Middle East Regional Editor at ALB. follow her on Twitter: @ALB_TheBrief.
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