Mark Vorsatz, Andersen Global CEO

Andersen Global has entered into a collaboration agreement with a law firm based in Ramallah, the Palestinian city in the West Bank, as the San Francisco-based tax and legal adviser continues its ambitious global expansion.

The agreement with Sharp & Beyond brings four partners and eight legal and investment professionals. The firm specializes in the corporate, labor, investment and real estate sectors, among others.

Speaking to Law.com International, Andersen chairman Mark Vorsatz said that entering Ramallah is important, as there are only 35 businesses in Palestine, and Sharp & Beyond has significant relationships with most of them.

Vorsatz admits that it will likely take five-to-ten years to build a significant business in the Middle East, but said he would "rather be early than late."

"If we're early, like we were in Africa, then we'll have a substantial business and take a market share by the time the market gets going," he continues. "Palestine will develop over a long period, but think of it like a 50-story building. We have built the first floor, and we're going to build it up."

The professional services giant already has a total of 19 offices in the Middle East, present in eight countries, with a total headcount of around 375.

It intends to further its presence in the next two years, with Vorsatz pointing to plans to expand headcount in the Middle East, having recently added a tax practice in Abu Dhabi.

"Our clients do business everywhere, we want to be everywhere our clients are," Vorsatz said. "It's the difference between a transaction view and a relationship view. If we get the relationships, I believe we will get the transactions."

Andersen is now in more than 70 countries, with legal services in 61, as it undertakes an aggressive global expansion, including in countries rife with political tension.

Last year, Vorsatz outlined further European growth, saying that he hopes to "add another five countries in Europe" in 2020.