DLA Piper has appointed Abdul Aziz Al-Yaqout as the new regional managing partner for the Middle East. The appointment will see Abdul Aziz lead seven offices across the GCC countries.

Abdul Aziz succeeds David Church, who has led DLA Piper's practice in the Middle East since its inception in 2006. DLA Piper now has a presence in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar.

'Although market conditions in 2009 have been very challenging in the region, we see the Middle East as having long term strategic importance for DLA Piper and believe that Aziz will provide the leadership required for us to achieve our objectives,' said Sir Nigel Knowles, joint chief at DLA Piper.

Abdul Aziz, 36, a Kuwaiti-national, joined DLA Piper's Cologne office in 2004 and was managing partner of the office until he relocated to Kuwait earlier this year. He is a restructuring and corporate lawyer who represents corporate clients and financial investors across a number of sectors and geographies. He was elected as a member of the board in July.-TradeArabia News Service