Al Tamimi & Company, one of the leading law firms in the Middle East, has appointed Alex Ghazi, former group general counsel and company secretary for Arabtec Holding, as its new head of office recruit who will be based in Abu Dhabi.

Ghazi has over 21 years experience having spent most of his career as a corporate and commercial lawyer, involved in various international transactions. Over the years, he led various legal teams and departments in different industrial sectors, starting from real estate development, to automotive, to construction, said a statement from Al Tamimi.

He obtained his LLM (Masters Degree) in International Business Law in 1993, from France, and after training and working with Clifford Chance in Paris and Dubai.

He then moved to Marriott International in Dubai and then London, heading the legal department for Europe and the Middle East. He later became the chief legal officer for Abdul Latif Jameel in Jeddah before joining Arabtec, in July 2013 as chief legal officer for Arabtec Construction, it stated.

Welcoming the appointment, Husam Hourani, the managing partner at Al Tamimi & Company, said: "We are delighted to have secured Ghazi for this important position as we look to further establish our presence in Abu Dhabi."

"The past five years have seen very strong results from the firm with 56 per cent increase in revenue for the Abu Dhabi office, at a time where we have seen firms exit the market," he remarked.

“Besides being an outstanding lawyer, he is also very much admired for his leadership and commitment to providing superior legal services. We are very pleased to welcome him to the firm as head of office and look forward to the future with him at the helm of the office there," he added.

On his new role, Ghazi said: "With the on-going mergers in Abu Dhabi, there is an evident paradigm shift in the market: the focus has turned to productivity, profitability and accountability. With the increased competition, the rules and regulations become stricter and all the players will need to ensure full and continued compliance."

"But above all, they will also require a clearer vision of the anticipated changes. Al Tamimi, with its vast local experience and regional presence, should be the right business partner to help evolve and adapt to the new market conditions," he added.-TradeArabia News Service