Middle East & Islamic Finance & Investment

We advise financial institutions, investors, and companies on sophisticated Shari’ah‑compliant and conventional investment and financing transactions spanning the Middle East, Europe, and the United States. With lawyers based in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh as well as in the U.S. and UK, we deliver practical, market‑aware counsel on complex cross‑border matters shaped by the region’s legal, regulatory, and commercial realities. 

For decades, clients have relied on our deep regional experience to navigate the intersection of Islamic finance principles and global capital markets. Since 1995, our lawyers have structured and executed innovative and frequently first‑of‑their‑kind transactions for Islamic and conventional financial institutions, merchant and investment banks, venture capital and private equity funds, fund sponsors, and family investment companies, as well as companies across multiple industries. 

A core strength of our practice is our close and longstanding collaboration with leading Shari’ah scholars. These relationships allow our team to develop investment and financing structures that are compliant with Shari’ah principles while remaining commercially workable and efficient for clients investing and deploying capital across jurisdictions. 

We advise across the full range of Shari’ah‑compliant investments and financings, including: 

  • Shari’ah‑compliant property funds  
  • Private equity funds  
  • Shari’ah‑compliant “sidecar” fund arrangements 
  • Acquisition, financing, and development of real estate assets in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East 
  • Shari’ah‑compliant leveraged private equity acquisitions across multiple jurisdictions 
  • Landmark sukuk transactions and inaugural Shari’ah‑compliant financing structures 
  • Shari’ah‑compliant project financings in energy, desalination, residential, and commercial developments 
  • Restructuring of existing Shari’ah‑compliant investments 
  • Formation of Shari’ah‑compliant equities funds

Our leadership in the Middle East & Islamic Finance & Investment field has been widely recognized for executing pioneering transactions and for advising leading financial institutions and corporates across the full range of Shari’ah‑compliant investment, financing, and debt capital markets activity. We were named Euromoney’s “Best Legal Advisors in Islamic Finance,” the first such distinction awarded by any publication or organization, and are consistently ranked among the best in the field by Chambers and Legal 500.

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