Ashurst LLP has a concentrated focus on the oil and gas sector, working with a variety of Middle East petrochemical companies on substantial, cross-border M&A, PE and joint venture transactions. Outside of this space, the firm has also overseen notable deals in the healthcare sector, as well as a strong track record in public M&A. Simon Rahimzada helms the practice and is highly reputed for his proficiency in M&A and PE transactions. Stuart James acts as the key client relationship manager to ADNOC, advising the group across a broad range of mandates. Vasi Papadopoulos joined from White & Case LLP in March 2024 and provides further cross-border M&A capabilities. Zaid Al-Rizzo also comes recommended.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘They are one of our key firms in the oil and gas space.’
‘Stuart James is a first-class lawyer and one of our key advisors assisting us on our key strategic and most critical projects.’
‘The corporate, commercial and M&A team at Ashurst has an extensive knowledge, experience and understanding of business dynamics and provide high-quality legal services and products. They have strong negotiation skills and are very responsive. ’
‘The lawyers we work with at Ashurst stand out due to their deep legal expertise with a strong understanding of different industries, allowing them to provide tailored solutions to each situation. More particularly, Simon Rahimzada, partner, and Johnny Farhart, associate, have been instrumental in navigating complex transactions with clarity and precision. Overall, their professionalism and dedication have contributed to the positive outcome of the deals on which we collaborated.’
Key clients
- ADNOC
- Pure Health
- G42 and Presight
- M42
- Arcapita
- Gulf Capital
- Cerberus Capital
- Abu Dhabi IPO Fund
- Dubai Taxi
- Gulf Investment Corporation
- Transmed Holding Limited
- ADES Investments Holdings Ltd
- Saudi Telecom
- Abu Dhabi Pension Fund
- Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners
Work highlights
- Advised Pure Health on its US$1.2bn acquisition of Circle Health from Centene Corporation.
- Advised (and is continuing to advise) ADNOC on its acquisition from Galp of the entire share capital of Galp Rovuma B.V., which holds a 10% interest in the Area 4 concession of the Rovuma Basin in Mozambique.
- Advised Newberry Global Holdings on e& Enterprise Cloud's investment into its Bespin Global business and the formation of an ADGM domiciled joint venture.
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Simon Rahimzada