Taylor Wessing is to merge with its long-standing
Dubai ally, Key & Dixon.
The practice is scheduled to re-launch as Taylor Wessing (Middle East) by the end of the year, with founding partner Chrisopher Dixon heading up the office.
Dixon, whose experience covers corporate, banking and arbitration matters, will continue to work with current Key & Dixon partners Osama Hassan, Jerry Parks and Pier Terblanche. A full team of associates and support staff will also come under the banner of the top 30 UK law firm, as will consultants Jeremy Key and Peter Shaw.
London finance partner and Islamic finance chief Hamid Yunis, who helped lead the merger talks for Taylor Wessing alongside Hamburg-based intellectual property partner Andreas Meissner, will be responsible for overseeing the development of the firm’s Middle East offering.
The merger comes five years after the firms first set up their exclusive relationship, when Key & Dixon in 2002 ended its relationship with mid-tier City firm Nabarro in order to link up with Taylor Wessing.
Last year Legal Week reported that Taylor Wessing was looking to tighten its links with Key & Dixon after reviewing its options in the Middle East.
Commenting on the merger, Dixon said: “We are delighted to be merging with Taylor Wessing, with whom we have enjoyed an excellent relationship for the last five years. There are many synergies between our firms and a merger presents a number of opportunities to forge cross-firm teams and to grow.
“Our new structure as Taylor Wessing Middle East will undoubtedly help us maximise the many opportunities that this dynamic region offers.”
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