The role
The work
Our work spans the whole of the MENA region and beyond. We work on a broad variety of matters under both English and UAE law including:
- Lending – we advise on the full range of banking transactions including secured and unsecured bilateral and syndicated loans, leveraged and acquisition finance, private credit, fund finance, rescheduling and restructuring, loan transfers, participations and loan portfolio acquisitions and disposals. Working with banks, coprorates, SWFs, private capital investors (including private credit providers) and other sponsors.
- Recent awards include:
- Chambers Middle East 2025
- Band 1 Banking and Finance practice
- The Legal 500 Middle East and North Africa Awards 2024
- Banking and Finance Law Firm of the Year
- IFLR Middle East Awards 2024
- National Law Firm of the Year
- IFN Law Awards 2024
- Kuwait Deal of the Year 2024
- Most Innovative Deal of the Year 2024
- Sukuk Deal of the Year 2024
- Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Middle East Awards 2024
- Power Finance Deal of the Year
- Acquisition Finance Deal of the Year
- IFLR Middle East Awards 2024
- Equity Deal of the Year
- Loan Deal of the Year
- IFN Law Awards 2023
- Best Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year 2023
Key Attractions
We are the world's leading global finance practice. You will work on ground-breaking deals for top tier clients and across the asset classes.
"Clifford Chance has an impressive team with robust offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi that continue to lead the market in providing professional legal services in banking and finance. The firm advises on a broad spectrum of finance matters and possesses complementary expertise in capital markets and corporate/M&A. The team is also noted for its dedicated Islamic finance practice and extensive experience in aviation finance, where it often works in conjunction with the firm's highly rated asset finance practice in London."
- Chambers 2025
The range, calibre and international scope of our deal flow is unique - and makes us stand out from our competitors. Recent deal highlights include:
- the arrangers on an Islamic and conventional financing to GEMS Global (Cayman) Limited as part of the acquisition by CVC Capital Partner of a stake of GEM's Menasa business
- the arrangers and lender group on Brookfield’s public to private US$2.8 billion acquisition of Network International
- M42, a subsidiary of G42 Healthcare and Mubadala Health, in connection with the financing for the acquisition of the entire share capital of Diaverum AB from Bridgepoint Group in a transaction that would make M42 the largest healthcare company in the Middle East
- the lenders on the financing of BlackRock-led consortium's US$15.5 billion acquisition of stake in Aramco Oil Pipelines Company
- a UAE based private credit platform in connection with a NAV facility obtained with respect to its partnership with a US credit fund to invest in mid-market European leveraged finance transactions
- a US private credit fund on secured direct lending facilities made available to a technology group operating in the UAE, including a bespoke multi-jurisdiction security package
- We are proud of our reputation for being a very informal, supportive, meritocratic and diverse group and reinforce this with regular social events - both ad hoc and organised
- We are based in one of the most prestigious business developments in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
- We run a sophisticated internal training programme that is unmatched in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, including local courses run by The Academy plus annual residential training courses in Amsterdam or London
- Our remuneration package is one of the most attractive in the market
Key Responsibilities
- Lawyers are given the chance to handle a tremendous variety of work and the partners actively work towards ensuring individual lawyers receive their preferred mix of work.
- You will be given responsibility for running transactions and working closely with clients. This means that you should have already developed outstanding transaction management and organisational skills as well as superb technical abilities.
- This role has strong career progression possibilities for the right candidate.