Squire Patton Boggs has appointed partners Gassan Baloul and Thomas Wilson as Co-Chairs of its Middle East Practice.
Chair and Global CEO Mark Ruehlmann said, “We have operated in the Middle East for over 50 years and, under Gassan and Tom’s leadership, fully expect to continue to expand our practice to reflect the growth we anticipate the region will see in the years ahead.”
Mr. Baloul was born in the Middle East and brought up both there and in the United States, allowing him to bring a unique perspective in helping clients achieve cross-border success. Mr. Baloul said “as part of the leadership of Squire Patton Boggs, I am delighted that we are further deepening our commitment to our clients in the region. The Middle East embraces a dynamic mix of cultures and economies. Our firm has the perfect skill set and connections to collaborate with our clients to attain their objectives. We are all very excited to continue expanding our resources and relationships in this vital sector of the international community.”
Mr. Wilson, who has been based in the UAE for 15 years, added, “This is an exciting time for our firm and for the region as its economies continue to diversify. We have a great team in place with a deep understanding of the legal, regulatory and policy considerations of doing business in the Middle East. We are already in active discussions with new, prospective team members and are excited for the future.”
Gassan Baloul is a member of the firm’s Global Board and leads its Directed Emerging Market Initiatives. He concentrates his practice on a range of litigation, arbitration, investigations, and government relations matters focused on clients in the Middle East, including governments, financial institutions, and high net worth individuals.
Tom Wilson represents a range of clients including state entities and major multinationals in international arbitrations and other disputes arising from business and projects in Middle East countries, particularly in the engineering and construction industries. He also served on the firm’s Global Board.
Earlier this year, Squire Patton Boggs signed a Cooperation Agreement with The Law Office of Looaye M. Al-Akkas, one of the leading, full-service law firms in Saudi Arabia.