DLA Piper win at Middle East Legal Awards 2020

DLA Piper has been named Energy & Infrastructure Team of the Year at the Middle East Legal Awards 2020, hosted by Legal Week, highlighting the firm's continued strength in the region's energy and infrastructure sectors.

Underpinning the award was the team's work advising Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) on the Rabigh 3 Independent Water Producer (IWP) project. The USD750 million project was the first new stand-alone desalinated water project to be project financed in Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030.

Head of Projects in the Middle East, Trevor Butcher, commented: "We are proud to be at the forefront of the projects that are shaping the region's energy and infrastructure landscape. The sector continues to evolve at pace with the Rabigh 3 IWP, one of a number of high-profile, landmark infrastructure projects our team has recently advised on. The award is testament to the deep relationships we have built with the industry's lenders, sponsors, government bodies and consultants and our relentless commitment to delivering cutting-edge legal solutions that deliver on our client's strategic objectives."

The awards also saw Litigation and Arbitration associate, Rawan El Osmani, named as Most Promising Newcomer for her work on two separate disputes with a combined value of circa USD 3 billion, and for her contribution to the wider community through University training programmes and the facilitation of an internship for an Emirati female lawyer.

Regional Managing Partner in the Middle East, Peter Somekh, commented: "Rawan is most deserving of this award. She is a dedicated lawyer who possesses both the technical and professional skills required to excel in this profession. She takes initiative and is always one step ahead. Her commercial approach; commitment to client service and resilience under pressure, belies her 3 years post-qualified experience."