Dechert’s Dubai Office Bolsters Offering with Capital Markets/Corporate Finance Partner Louise Roman
Global specialist law firm Dechert LLP has announced that partner Louise Roman has relocated to Dechert’s Dubai office to spearhead further growth in the firm’s capital markets and corporate finance practice in the region.
Roman has more than two decades of experience advising issuers and underwriters on debt and equity issuances in emerging markets, including in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as in Central Asia, the CIS and Eastern Europe. Her international capital markets and corporate finance practice encompasses a broad range of securities, corporate finance and M&A transactions.
“Louise’s move shows our dedication to our clients in the region and to the firm’s goal to further develop our finance and capital markets practice in the Middle East,” said Camille Abousleiman, the head of Dechert’s international capital markets group and the head of the firm’s Middle East and Africa practice. “Our team has a significant history in the emerging markets, with a focus on the Middle East and North Africa, where we have been instrumental in the development of the capital markets.”
Abousleiman and Roman have worked together for more than 20 years, including the last two years at Dechert. The team executes complex, market-leading, cross-border financial transactions and regularly represents sovereign, quasi-sovereign and corporate issuers, underwriters, trustees and fiscal agents, financial sponsors, investors and selling shareholders in public and private debt, equity, equity-linked and other securities offerings. The team also has experience advising on a wide range of corporate finance and M&A transactions, which will complement the existing practice in the region.
Notably, the team has advised on many transactions in the region that were the firsts of their kind, including: the then-largest international IPO out of the Middle East and winner of the TelecomFinance IPO of the Year award; the first and second listings on NASDAQ Dubai and the first public takeover of a listed company in Dubai; the first medium-term notes program and the first voluntary debt exchange offer by a sovereign issuer in the Middle East; and the first equity listing of a Middle Eastern company on the London Stock Exchange, as well as the first Eurobond issuances by a private company and by a bank in the Middle East.
In addition, the team has advised in connection with more than 100 sovereign debt issuances, including inaugural and follow-on Eurobond issuances for Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco and Tunisia, as well as Barbados and Georgia.
“We are pleased to welcome Louise to Dubai and expect that her capital markets and corporate finance expertise will enhance our client offering in the region,” said Chris Sioufi and Gavin Watson, co-managing partners of Dechert’s Dubai office.
“This is an exciting opportunity for me and the firm. The move to Dubai will allow me to continue our important work in Central Asia, the CIS and Eastern Europe, while also more efficiently addressing the needs of our clients in the Middle East and North Africa,” said Roman. “I look forward to building on our historically strong ties in this region and am committed to helping Dechert continue to bring added value to this important financial market.”
Click here to read the news release in Arabic (PDF).
About Dechert
Dechert is a global specialist law firm focused on sectors with the greatest complexities and highest regulator demands. We deliver practical commercial insight and judgment to our clients’ most important matters.
