Reed Smith is one of the first international law firms to be established in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), opening up in Abu Dhabi in 1978. We also have a strong and growing presence in Dubai, opening our office in the Dubai International Financial Centre in September 2006. Together, our UAE offices have international lawyers that include Arabic speakers, offering extensive experience across a wide range of practice areas such as finance, corporate and commercial, and litigation. Our long history in the region translates to strong relationships with some of the most significant entities in the public and private sectors, as well as a lengthy period of active community service and pro bono work.

The UAE is the hub of the firm's practice in the Middle East, South Asia and Africa. Elsewhere in the region, the firm has longstanding relationships with correspondent firms of excellence in all the principal geographical areas. We have acted for clients located in or with operations across the MENA region, Turkey, Africa, and South and Central Asia. Our knowledge of these markets and our strong history in the Middle East, coupled with the firm’s global footprint, enables us to fully serve clients from our Middle East platform.

At the epicentre of our growth in the region has been a focus on developing those skills and practice areas of most need to our clients. These clients include multinational companies in all industry sectors, such as construction, real estate, manufacturing, services, utilities, transportation and defence, banks, inward investors and trading houses, and other local and international interests across the region.

In Chambers Global, we were praised for our “fine team of lawyers,” and clients are quoted as saying “you do actually get the service you are promised and from lawyers of an appropriate seniority.”