DLA Piper has appointed its Middle East litigation chief to head up the Dubai office in the wake of the departure of the firm's current managing partner earlier this month.

Jim Delkousis will take on the role from 1 January 2010, while remaining head of the Middle East litigation and regulatory practice group.

He had been a partner with Australian leader Mallesons Stephen Jaques since 1999, joining DLA Piper in 2007. His practice focuses on all forms of dispute resolution, with a particular focus on major infrastructure projects in Asia, Australia and the Middle East.

As previously reported, Dubai managing partner and Middle East finance group head Tony Holland is leaving DLA in the New Year to join its Australian alliance firm DLA Phillips Fox, where he will take on the chief executive role.

DLA Piper has also named a successor in the regional finance head role, which will be taken up by Dubai-based finance and projects partner Shehzaad Sacranie on 1 February next year.

The appointments come as DLA Piper moves to regain the initiative in the Middle East after a period in which the firm has made a number of staff cutbacks and struggled to resolve payment issues with one major local client.

DLA Piper Middle East managing partner Abdul Aziz Al-Yaqout said: "I am delighted to welcome Jim and Shehzaad to their new roles. We continue to operate in a challenging environment and their regional experience and leadership skills will be key to our long term success in the market."

Al-Yauqout, who also heads DLA Piper's Kuwait office, took on the regional Middle East managing partner role on 1 October, replacing David Church.

The news comes as DLA Piper's former Kuwait managing partner, Alex Saleh, is set to head up a new Kuwait practice for Middle East law firm Al Tamimi & Co. Saleh left DLA Piper earlier this year.

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