Holman Fenwick Willan has broadened its reach in the Middle East by establishing alliances in both Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia. In Abu Dhabi, the firm has formed a ‘best-friends’ association with Salem Al Maddfa Advocates, while in Saudi Arabia it has linked up with Allazzam Law Office.

Holman’s commercial director James Huckle did not say whether the alliance in Abu Dhabi, where an association is not needed to form a presence, would be a precursor to a permanent office base. “As a firm, we’ve been working in the Middle East region for many years and similarly [with] partners in our Dubai office,” he said.

“We’ve worked in Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia for a long time and have the experience of a number of lawyers in those jurisdictions. In working with Allazzam and Salem Al Maddfa, we are able to work with firms that are a good fit for us in terms of our experience in the region and our business development objectives.”

To further pursue its Gulf strategy HFW gained a third Dubai partner in construction litigation lawyer Paul Suckling, from Ince & Co. This is in keeping with the firm’s history of building up its offices by recruiting talent from rival firms.

The Dubai office was launched in February 2006 after subsuming the local office of shipping boutique firm Hill Taylor Dickinson. And in Australia late last year Holman Fenwick launched a second office in Sydney, hiring Blake Dawson partner Alex Baykitch to head up the operation.