About

One of the most exciting and high-profile development in the last twelve months of the Middle Eastern business timeline was the successful merger of First Gulf Bank and National Bank of Abu Dhabi, which was completed in April 2017. This momentous endeavour combines the resources of two of the most prominent banks in the region to create the largest bank in the United Arab Emirates, putting the bank in an excellent position for the future. Samer Abdelhaq now leads the combined legal function for the new banking giant as group general counsel, having previously been in charge of National Bank of Abu Dhabi’s legal operations. He is proud of the significant role he played in the merger. ‘Advising NBAD, and later on FAB, on the merger with FGB’, he explains, ‘has been the highlight of my career and an experience like no other. We had to use our best judgment within a challenging timeline; I’m proud of what was done and even prouder of the team who supported me throughout the process’, Abdelhaq concludes. Indeed, he speaks extremely positively of his team for their technical expertise and conscientious attitude towards their role in the success of the bank. ‘They are professionally qualified with globally recognized law societies and syndicates,’ he states, ‘and are all committed to the journey and strategy of our institution and enjoy working for FAB in Abu Dhabi’. The effectiveness of the team both individually and collectively is due in no small part to Abdelhaq’s role in building and focusing it during his tenure, as he explains: ‘I have developed the legal department of NBAD, now FAB, from a small team of professional lawyers into specialized teams of globally qualified lawyers who specialize in the various areas of FAB’s specific areas of expertise’. Prior to moving in-house in 2008, Abdelhaq had a successful private practice career with Simmons & Simmons and Allen & Overy, and he recalls that taking the decision to move in-house was a significant one. He relates that ‘moving in house was a big decision for me; I wanted to be closer to the decision making process and be involved in the strategic development of my clients’. With these personal goals in mind, it is clear that Abdelhaq’s career as an in-house lawyer has been an unqualified success so far.