Islamic Finance | Global

A&O Shearman offers a highly experienced Islamic finance practice that demonstrates particular expertise in sukuk issuances and project finance. Lawyers in the team offer experience acting for funders, debt issuers and underwriters on a wide variety of Islamic financing structures. The firm is a dominant presence on financing transactions throughout the Middle East, with a respected bench of practitioners spread between its offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh.

Dentons has a dynamic regional banking team with a market-leading Islamic finance practice. The firm has a number of offices throughout the Middle East and has particularly notable banking capabilities in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar. Its lawyers offer a broad coverage of Islamic finance, with specialist advisers focused on asset financing, Islamic banking regulatory issues and sukuk issuances. The team also excels in Islamic syndicated finance, project finance and debt capital markets. Clients include major international banks and regional Islamic financial institutions.

Linklaters' Islamic finance practice benefits from the firm's impressive global reach and its experience handling significant benchmark deals. Its offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi act as hubs in this region, with the team regularly advising on high-value projects throughout the Middle East. The firm also possesses considerable Islamic finance resources in London. Linklaters is strongly experienced in multi-tranche transactions that blend conventional structures with significant Islamic elements. Its Dubai-based capital markets team regularly handles major sukuk issuances.

Norton Rose Fulbright possesses a strong Islamic finance team in the Middle East which is recognised for its expertise in Shari'a-compliant financings, including syndicated facilities, structured cross-border financings and project finance. The firm has further experience advising international banks and Islamic financial institutions on matters related to investment funds and debt capital markets. It commands respect in the market for its growing finance team in Saudi Arabia, as well as its increasingly prominent practice group in the UAE.

White & Case is recommended for its expertise in structuring and negotiating highly sophisticated transactions and developing innovative Shari'a-compliant techniques. The team is particularly strong in sovereign sukuk issuances and project financing, with further experience in asset and real estate finance. Its lawyers represent a broad range of clients including both regional and national lenders, borrowers and sovereign entities. The firm has offices in Qatar and the UAE in addition to Saudi Arabia, Oman and Egypt.

DLA Piper has a strong presence in the region, with its Dubai office acting as a central hub for its Islamic finance practice alongside teams in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The firm possesses extensive knowledge of Shari'a-compliant products, such as sukuk and murabaha. Moreover, the team's lawyers are noted for their work on syndicated financing, project finance and restructuring mandates.

Latham & Watkins is often cited for its deep expertise in Saudi Arabia. The firm also has considerable regional depth, with a well-regarded office in Dubai and experience handling matters across the region. The team's clients include sovereign governments and state-owned entities, as well as major regional companies and Islamic financial institutions.

Akin's Dubai office demonstrates particular expertise in debt capital markets matters, including sukuk. It additionally offers broader capabilities in Shari'a-compliant finance, with frequent roles advising on murabaha facilities. Its expertise extends to the establishment of Shari'a-compliant investment funds.

Eversheds Sutherland offers clients a dedicated finance team with experience acting for a prominent range of international banks and financial institutions on project and acquisition finance mandates. The Dubai-based group represents clients in matters throughout the region in addition to assisting Middle Eastern clients with matters involving European and offshore jurisdictions.

Pinsent Masons maintains a commendable banking and finance practice in Dubai which is regularly active on matters with Shari'a-compliant elements. Its Islamic finance work spans restructuring and sukuk matters in addition to project finance, with the team active on behalf of lenders as well as borrowers.

Simmons & Simmons is well known for its particular strengths in Shari'a-compliant investment funds and sukuk. In the latter sphere, it is well versed in representing issuers as well as arrangers and dealers.