Bedell Cristin has expanded into the Middle East with the opening of a new office in Abu Dhabi and the appointment of experienced financial services professional Faizal Bhana to lead its regional operations.
The new office establishes the firm’s first permanent presence in the Middle East and becomes its seventh global location, joining existing offices in the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Jersey, London and Singapore.
Faizal (pictured) has joined the firm as Managing Director and Head of Middle East, Africa and India. He brings extensive experience of the region, having lived and worked across Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, advising on international investment, private wealth structuring and corporate holding arrangements.
Most recently, he led market strategy and engagement across the Middle East, Africa and India for a leading international finance centre, working with institutions, intermediaries, corporates and private clients.
Co-Global Managing Partner Nancy Chien said: “This is a natural and important step in the continued growth of our global business. The Middle East is a key market for all of our jurisdictions, and in Faizal we have found the perfect individual to spearhead our efforts not just in that region, but also across Africa and India.
“We see a huge opportunity right across those regions, with the phenomenal growth of regional finance centres such as the ADGM, DIFC, Riyadh and QIFC over recent years servicing and supporting the Middle East, Africa and India as a gateway for global trade International cross-border structures are much more familiar to financial services professionals there than they were even ten years ago, and we are seeing consistent demand for our services.”
Co-Global Managing Partner Edward Drummond said the new office forms part of the firm’s wider growth plans. He said: “This new office forms part of our broader growth strategy, alongside a number of recent partner and counsel hires across our Guernsey, Jersey and London offices. We have ambitious plans for the business, and our new ADGM office, and Faizal’s key hire to head the office, is a key part of that.”
Commenting on his appointment, Faizal Bhana said: “We are pleased to be partnering with and contributing to the existing world class ecosystems and financial services centres across the region, whether in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Dubai or Qatar other hubs in the GCC. From our base in ADGM, we look forward to supporting clients across the Middle East, Africa and India, and to working closely with colleagues across the firm’s global network to deliver integrated advice. We are delighted to call the ‘Capital of Capital’ our new regional home.”
