Managing Partner's Foreword

Painting by Temidayo Odutokun

Welcome to this
month’s Law Update

Welcome to this special double edition Law Update. Throughout the following pages we bring you commentary on the latest legal themes and developments across two vital areas for our firm and clients.

The first focus section spotlights Africa, the continent plays a large part in our long-term strategy and growing our expertise and footprint here is high on the firm’s agenda. We have three offices currently in the continent, two in Egypt and the third in Morocco, and they play an important role in realizing our ambitious strategy. We also continue to develop our network of local law firms across African jurisdictions, and we are proud to work alongside our ‘best friend’ firms across the continent. For us, expansion into a well-developed market and the opportunity to support clients across a variety of territories is vital, and this makes Africa one of our focal points.

The second focus we bring you provides insights on Transport and Logistics. This sector form’s an integral part of the business and consumer supply chain across the Middle East and North Africa, and it has stood as fundamental economic pillar for the region. Today, more so than ever, the sector is cementing its place as a global transport hub, and it will continue to be pivotal for our region in the coming years. Our focus on Transport and Logistics ensures your finger is firmly on the pulse of this dynamic area and provides unique commentary into the most trending themes.

This edition is full of articles that explore several pertinent themes that impact doing business in the Middle East and Africa. Within the pages of this this Law Update our Africa focus explores a number of topics including – Renewable energy in Africa, e-commerce, cross border trade, infrastructure developments through PPP, and we share regulatory updates on several jurisdictions.

Similarly, our focus on transport provides updates on a variety of jurisdictions and topics, such as the Recent Update to Laws Governing Autonomous Vehicles and Drones in the UAE, Legislations to the International Trade in Gold and Diamonds, we provide A Guideline to Purchasing an Aircraft, and an Overview of the new Maritime law. Our lawyers have made sure you have all the latest details relating to this sector that I am sure you will find insightful and useful.

Outside the focus pages we have articles covering important updates that investigate a variety of areas, such as construction disputes in Oman, UAE petroleum trading regulations, and employee dismissal practices. As always, in our final section we continue to share with you real life judgements that provide context to the legal landscape in the region.

I hope that you enjoy this Law Update, and should you have any comments or questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or any of the lawyers that have contributed.