Awards host Shadia Bseiso (left) and Natalie Hill, key account manager, Legal Week (far right); with the Al Tamimi team

Finalists: BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates (Highly Commended); Hadef & Partners.

Dubai-based Al Tamimi & Company triumphed as the region's best large law firm, reflecting its recent office openings in Bahrain, Oman, Cairo, Jeddah and Al Khobar.

The firm has been building on its specialist practice areas such as intellectual property, TMT, construction and shipping by adding new areas within the UAE, notably private equity, tax and education. The firm has also stepped up its focus on China and South Korea as it seeks to capture inbound investment from Asia into the Middle East by forming relationships with local partners in those countries.

In addition, Al Tamimi has embarked on a push to improve operational efficiency and quality in areas such as knowledge management, learning and development, and IT; the latter by introducing remote access and investing heavily in cybersecurity. Given its broad regional insights and presence (it has 17 offices spread across nine countries), the firm has added more than 1,400 new clients during the past 12 months.

"Al Tamimi have honed their strategy to focus on key growth areas for legal services in the region… An impressive number of new client introductions over the past year cements Al Tamimi's position as the 'go-to' firm for wide-ranging Middle East expertise," one judge said.

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