Sohail Barkatali, Mark Pring, New Hire Richard Keenan on the Move to Dubai
NEW YORK, September 8, 2008 — LawFuel – The international law firm of Chadbourne & Parke LLP announced today that it has bolstered its Dubai office by transferring two partners from its London office and hiring a new international partner. The moves expand Chadbourne’s project finance, insurance and arbitration capabilities in the Middle East, a region of increasing importance to the Firm.
Partner Sohail Barkatali will move to Dubai at the beginning of October, bringing his deep experience in energy and related infrastructure projects in the Middle East. International partner Mark Pring, who focuses on insurance and reinsurance and arbitration, relocated to Dubai in August while maintaining an office in London. Joining the Dubai office later this month will be international partner Richard Keenan, previously a project finance lawyer with leading law firms in London.
“This expansion is the logical next step for our growth strategy for project finance, insurance and arbitration in Dubai and the Middle East,” said Charles K. O’Neill, Chadbourne’s Managing Partner. “Sohail, Mark and Richard all understand clients’ needs and will nurture and develop close relationships with our regional clients.”
Daniel Greenwald III, managing partner of the Dubai office, added, “Sohail, Mark and Richard have strong knowledge of regional and cross-border business issues, the kind we regularly address for clients here in the United Arab Emirates. These additional partners will enable our practices in Dubai to capitalize on a range of new opportunities.”
Mr. Barkatali, 38, joined Chadbourne’s London office earlier this year along with partners Jon Nash and Agnieszka Klich. The three had been a team that worked on major projects throughout the Middle East, Europe, the UK and Africa, across all sectors of project finance. They previously advised the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and Oman Power & Water Procurement Company on the Barka II IWPP project and the privatization of Al-Rusail Power Company; Suez Energy, ACWA Power and Gulf Investment Corporation on the MARAFIQ IWPP project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Gulf Total Tractebel Company on the refinancing of the Taweelah A1 project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; and Veolia on the Sur IWP in the Sultanate of Oman. Mr. Barkatali focuses on the energy and water sectors. He has worked on projects in the Middle East, Africa, the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia.
His transactions have involved independent water and power producer projects, water and wastewater concessions, unbundling and restructuring electricity supply industries, production sharing arrangements, cross-border transportation agreements, sale and purchase agreements, the disposal of oil and gas interests and assets, regulatory matters and privatizations. Mr. Barkatali holds an LL.B., honours, and an LL.M. in commercial and corporate law from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and he did the Law Society Finals at the College of Law, Lancaster Gate.
Chadbourne has to date serviced its Gulf projects practice out of its London office. Mr. Barkatali commented, “Having an office in the region is already helping us further develop our practice. Our continuing work with sponsors and our appointment as lenders counsel on some of the region’s projects is indicative of where the market perceives us.”
The London project finance team is currently advising Suez Energy on the development and financing the Shuweait 2 IWPP project in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and it is advising Veolia and the Besix Group in relation to the development and financing of two wastewater projects, also in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The team is advising lenders, including BNP Paribas and Korea Exim on the financing of the Al-Qatrana IPP and the IFC on the Al-Kamsha wind power project, both projects in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
Mr. Pring, 42, brings significant experience in high-profile multi-jurisdictional disputes. On the insurance/reinsurance side, his key areas of expertise include claims arising out of professional indemnity, directors’ and officers’ (D&O) and credit risk insurances and complex coverage disputes relating to facultative and treaty reinsurances. Mr. Pring has also recently handled a number of international arbitrations, particularly in the energy sector.
His representative matters include advising on an “ad hoc” (non-institutional) Bermuda reinsurance dispute relating to claims arising out of tax shelter schemes; representing a major U.S. group regarding a variety of film finance-related insurance and reinsurance disputes; and representing a U.S. cedant in English Commercial Court proceedings arising out of a D&O liability reinsurance contract. In the energy sector, Mr. Pring is involved in an ICC arbitration pursued on behalf of a multinational power group against state entities in Africa.
Mr. Pring will be adding depth and expertise to the teams for some of the major matters pending in the Dubai office, including a new real estate dispute arising out of a proposed hotel development on one of Dubai’s famous “Palms.”
He continues to maintain an office in London to advise on international arbitration matters. He received a B.A. in History at Cambridge University and completed legal training at the College of Law in York.
Mr. Keenan, 38, joins Chadbourne from Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy in London. He focuses his practice on projects in international power and water desalination; oil, gas and petrochemicals; mining and other process industries; and PFI/PPP projects. He has extensive experience working on financings of power, water and oil and gas projects throughout the Middle East, North Africa and India. Prior to joining Milbank, Mr. Keenan worked as an associate with Clifford Chance LLP in London, where he focused on international power and oil and gas projects and various PFI/PPP sectors, including wastewater, transportation and health. He holds a B.A. from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from Southern Cross University.
Chadbourne opened its office in the United Arab Emirates in May 2007 under the leadership of Mr. Greenwald, who has practiced law in Dubai since 1986. The Firm has been increasingly active in the Middle East on behalf of banks and investment funds, energy companies, telecom groups, government agencies and individuals throughout the region involving capital markets, privatizations, private placements, acquisitions and joint ventures, oil, gas and petrochemical projects and other infrastructure projects, and international arbitration.
About Chadbourne & Parke LLP
Chadbourne & Parke LLP, an international law firm headquartered in New York City, provides a full range of legal services, including mergers and acquisitions, securities, project finance, private funds, corporate finance, energy, communications and technology, commercial and products liability litigation, securities litigation and regulatory enforcement, special investigations and litigation, intellectual property, antitrust, domestic and international tax, insurance and reinsurance, environmental, real estate, bankruptcy and financial restructuring, employment law and ERISA, trusts and estates and government contract matters. Major geographical areas of concentration include Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and the CIS, the Middle East and Latin America. The Firm has offices in New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Houston, Mexico City, London (a multinational partnership), Moscow, St. Petersburg, Warsaw, Kyiv, Almaty, Dubai and Beijing. For additional information, visit www.chadbourne.com.
