Global legal practice Norton Rose Fulbright has appointed a new banking of counsel Robin Balmer to its Middle East Islamic finance practice.

Balmer joins from Clifford Chance in Dubai, where he was a senior banking lawyer in the Islamic finance team. He has over nine years’ experience in the Middle East with considerable focus on the Saudi market.  

Norton’s Islamic finance practice is let by Dubai-based banking partner Mohammed Paracha, who recently handled the Madinah Airport Expansion PPP, the Jabal Omar District Cooling Project in Makkah and several prominent petrochemical and industrial projects in Saudi Arabia.   

Paracha said: “We are delighted Robin is joining us at this exciting time for Norton Rose Fulbright. Our recent combination allows us to serve our Islamic finance clients in all global markets.  Robin has worked on many market-leading transactions and further strengthens our team.”

Al-Ghamdi, who leads the practice in Saudi Arabia, said: “We are pleased with the increased banking, project finance and Islamic finance capabilities resulting from the Norton Rose Fulbright combination.  As Saudi Arabia continues its investment in all types of infrastructure, the need for Islamic financing of projects is increasing rapidly.  Robin’s experience in Saudi Arabia will help us meet our clients’ needs.” - TradeArabia News Service