Law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP has bolstered its Middle East construction practice with the relocation of partner Ron Nobbs from London, with further plans to grow the team over the next five years.

Ron has more than three decades of experience working for clients on construction infrastructure and engineering projects around the world, including more than ten years working with clients in the Middle East. From civil, power, waste, and oil and gas projects, to roads, rail, airport, commercial, sports and leisure, and residential schemes, Ron has worked on some of the world's largest projects.

"We are thrilled to be welcoming Ron to Dubai," said Rania Tadros, Dubai office managing partner, Stephenson Harwood. "Ron's arrival, bringing a wealth of experience, is a milestone in the development of our construction practice. We've set an ambitious target to grow our contentious and non-contentious construction offering over the next five years, with the aim of it becoming a multi-partner practice with a number of additional associate hires too.

"The construction and projects market is booming in the GCC, with contract awards for related work hitting a record of US$209 billion in 2023. The GCC alone has a projects pipeline in excess of US$2.7 trillion. There's never been a more important time to invest in our capabilities in this area, and Ron's extensive expertise will be key in our ability to help our clients capitalise on these opportunities."

"It's an exciting time to be involved in construction in the GCC, with activity increasing year on year," said Ron. "We're seeing an increase in foreign investors into the region, which in turn is helping to boost the construction market. The projects involved are often vast and hugely complex, and that's where we can add real value by bringing experience honed over decades of practice, and genuine insight into the region and industry. We have ambitious plans to grow our construction capabilities in the region so that we can support more clients on bigger projects and disputes."

The Stephenson Harwood construction and engineering team provides specialist advice on related projects and disputes around the world. It acts for a diverse client base of contractors, government bodies, public authorities, private developers, funders and other stakeholders involved in high value construction and engineering work. The team advises on matters including commercial, industrial, retail, hotel and leisure, energy, utilities and other major projects such as large engineering schemes and infrastructure projects.