Trowers & Hamlins' Oman office has reaffirmed its commitment to Oman and the regional market with two key internal moves and a new hire to bolster its Corporate practice.
Partner Benjamin O'Brien-McQueenie, has relocated to Muscat from Trowers' Bahrain office. He brings with him significant experience and a proven track record on a range of corporate transactions across the GCC, having advised a range of international and regional clients investing in, or from, the Middle East, as well as banking institutions, private equity investors and sovereign wealth funds. Benjamin will lead the Trowers Corporate team and will focus on corporate transactions and legal advisory mandates within the MENA region. In addition, Benjamin has assisted clients in the structuring of funds (locally and offshore) involving GCC assets and investors and regularly advises on digital services and data protection matters.
Joining Benjamin is associate Li Ying Teng, a lawyer in Trowers' International Corporate Department. Previously based in the firm's Kuala Lumpur office, Li Ying has gained a wide range of experience advising clients from Malaysia and the GCC region on cross-border corporate and commercial matters, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions; corporate advisory and regulatory matters; private equity; negotiating international commercial contracts and equity capital markets.
The team has been further bolstered by the addition of Aida Al Jahdhami who returns to the firm, where she was an intern back in 2016. She joins from Al Tamimi and Co's Corporate team.
These moves come as Oman presses forward with economic diversification initiatives, investing in non-oil related and sustainable programmes. The Sultanate also launched a 3-year fiscal stability programme recently to add momentum to its economic recovery from the pandemic-driven slowdown and support the development of the country’s financial sector. Oman has also recently signed agreements with its GCC neighbours to boost its economy and create jobs.
Commenting on the changes, Benjamin said: "Oman is in a very exciting space right now, with its economic diversification bringing about highly innovative and promising projects and investment. I am delighted to be based here and to work with clients as these massive changes unfold.
"As well as our important local work, our Muscat office plays a pivotal role in the firm's broader international strategy and it's absolutely right that we continue to invest in our presence here."
He added, "I'm delighted to be working with Li Ying Teng and to welcome back Aida Al Jahdhami, whose excellent legal and local knowledge are a real boon to our team here. Together with our other colleagues across the region we are excellently placed to deliver for clients here in Oman and across the GCC as the region works to meet the new economic challenges and opportunities that lie ahead."
Thomas Wigley, Resident Managing Partner for the Oman office added: "This investment in our corporate team will strengthen our capacity to provide top-tier corporate transactional support. We are confident that this will allow to better serve the Oman market and to continue to deliver exceptional service to our clients."
