Baker Botts latest to close Middle East office
Closure of firm's Abu Dhabi base follows Latham & Watkins' move to shut two offices in the region
May 27, 2015 at 07:03 PM
2 minute read
Baker Botts has become the latest firm to close offices in the Middle East this year, Legal Week has learned.
The firm has closed its Abu Dhabi base, leaving two offices in the region in Dubai and Riyadh.
All lawyers and staff from the Abu Dhabi base relocated to the firm's remaining outposts in the Gulf when the office closed in January.
In a statement the firm told Legal Week that the "consolidation reflects a more efficient management of our operations in the Middle East".
The statement went on to say that client service would not be affected by the decision.
Baker Botts' move follows Latham & Watkins' announcement in March that it planned to close its doors in Doha and Abu Dhabi by the end of the year, consolidating its presence in the region to its Dubai and Riyadh offices.
All 13 lawyers across Latham's two bases have been invited to move to its Dubai office, and the firm said there would be no lawyer redundancies as a result of the closures.
Since Baker Botts closed its Abu Dhabi office is has added two partners in the region, with the firm hiring Trowers & Hamlins' United Arab Emirates head, Abdullah Mutawi, and its international disputes chief, Lucas Pitts.
Latham and Baker Botts' moves come after US rival Holland & Knight announced plans last summer to pull out of the Middle East and instead concentrate on the Americas.
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