SNR Denton has advised Qatar on its successful bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The firm's team, which included a raft of lawyers from its sports, intellectual property and corporate groups, was led by Doha-based partner Leigh Hall, alongside Dallas partner Darren Collins and London consultant Adrian Barr-Smith.

The process has also seen Doha senior associate Romi Nayef seconded as head of legal for the bid committee over the last 19 months, with Qatar now set to become the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup.

Nayef commented: "The journey that SNR Denton has been on with the Qatari bid committee is one that we will never forget – we made history.

"We worked with the bid committee to face the many challenges including developing innovative ways to cool the stadiums, building the infrastructures to support the event and advising on FIFA regulations. Through it all, the committee showed FIFA its imagination, ingenuity and its drive to win."

Meanwhile, Latham & Watkins advised the USA team on its unsuccessful bid, fielding a team led by partners Paul Tosetti and Russ Sauer in Los Angeles and associate Michael Kuh in New York.

The 2022 competition will be held in 12 venues across seven Qatar cities, with the country signing up to build three new stadiums and renovate nine. New stadiums include the proposed 86,000-capacity Lusail Stadium that will host the opening and final matches and is expected to be completed by 2019.

Legacy Denton Wilde Sapte, which formed SNR Denton through its September merger with US firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal, opened in Qatar in 2007. The firm's office now has around 20 lawyers.