Reed Smith Middle East corporate head joins DLA in the region

DLA Piper has recruited the founder of Reed Smith's Dubai office to head its Middle East finance and projects team.

Sean Angle is set to join DLA Piper's Dubai office as a partner in mid-April after around five years with Reed Smith and legacy merger partner Richards Butler.

He founded legacy Richards Butler's Dubai office in 2006 and served as managing partner of the office until 2009, when he became head of Reed Smith's Middle East corporate practice. Before joining Reed Smith he spent around 15 years in Oman at Trowers & Hamlins, including six years as managing partner of the Muscat office.

A specialist in major infrastructure and industrial projects, Angle will head a team of four partners and more than a dozen other fee-earners.

DLA Piper regional managing partner Abdul Aziz Al-Yaqout (pictured) said: "Having worked in the region for 20 years Sean has very strong local knowledge and a strong client base. He also has huge management experience."

Reed Smith has not yet replaced Angle, whose appointment comes as DLA Piper looks to consolidate its Middle East practice after a turbulent period in which the firm has seen a number of redundancies and departures.

Dubai managing partner and local finance head Tony Holland left at the beginning of 2010 to take up a new role as chief executive of the firm's Australian partner DLA Phillips Fox, while in 2009 the firm made a number of associate redundancies and put others on sabbatical in response to the difficult economic conditions.

Al-Yaqout added: "We've restructured the firm like everyone everywhere else has had to. It's paying off slowly and we're growing again. Things are definitely looking up in the region, irrespective of political turmoil. We have a very strong regional footprint which has helped, and we've got a very strong team of Arab lawyers, which we've managed to grow from 18% employed in the region to 35%."