Leading global law firm Baker McKenzie continues its success at the region’s premier legal awards, winning the “Real Estate Team of the Year” award for the second consecutive year at the Middle East Legal Awards 2021, hosted by Legal Week in Dubai on 10 June 2021.
The latest award recognized Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla’s role in advising Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) on one of the largest real estate transactions in the Middle East in 2020 as it signed a long-term lease agreement worth USD 5.5 billion (AED 20.2 billion) with Apollo Global Management, one of the world’s largest alternative investment managers. Law.com International cited: “Judges were impressed by the winning firm’s leadership on a…complex deal that was well managed and clearly laid out how the various challenges were dealt with.”
Commenting on this notable win, Steven Henderson, Head of the Real Estate & Hospitality practice of Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla said: “The past year has been very challenging and we have focused all of our efforts on supporting our clients and colleagues across the UAE and the Middle East. We are very excited and proud to be awarded the “Real Estate Team of the Year” award which recognised the teams' outstanding work on the innovative and ground breaking ADNOC transaction but is also an endorsement of the breadth and quality of our real estate team across the Middle East. On behalf of the entire team at Baker McKenzie Habib Al Mulla, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Legal Week for this recognition and congratulate all the winners.”
The Firm was also shortlisted for Arbitration Team of the Year, Litigation Team of the Year, Banking, Finance & Restructuring Team of the Year and Innovation through Technology – Private Practice awards.
The annual awards celebrate excellence, outstanding achievement and innovation within the legal industry in the Middle East and are voted by an independent panel comprising the most senior and innovative individuals in the region. The event returned to Dubai on June 10 and was held in-person, having been cancelled in 2020 due to the global pandemic.