Addleshaw Goddard has followed up recent hires in the Middle East in Finance, M&A, Technology and Investment Management & Funds with the arrival of Banking and Finance partner Sandeep Puri from the Dubai office of Baker & McKenzie, where he led the UAE banking team. Sandeep joins with two associates, Sabina Passi and Niharika Sahni. He will lead AGs UAE banking practice. 

Sandeep is the seventh new partner to join AGs Middle East business in recent months as the firm looks to target growing market share, including through a new office in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (the fourth in the region alongside Dubai, Oman and Qatar) and build on the 43% income growth delivered in the year ending 30 April 2023.

Sandeep has operated in the UAE for over two decades and brings extensive experience advising on all aspects of banking, finance and capital market matters, both lender and sponsor side. He has worked on a number of large and complex conventional and Islamic finance transactions across various asset classes, including project finance, corporate finance, asset finance, real estate and capital markets (including sukuk). Prior to joining Baker & McKenzie, Sandeep trained and practiced at Clifford Chance.

Welcoming Sandeep Puri, Andrew Johnston, Head of Middle East and Asia, Addleshaw Goddard said:

"We are well represented across the main bank panels and the ongoing investment in our finance team shows a determination to give these clients even more reasons to choose AG. Sandeep has operated across the region including in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and North Africa which complements our existing practice and we are delighted he has chosen to join AG." 

Sandeep Puri added:

"AG shares my ambition to build out a market leading finance practice and I look forward to working with fellow partners Robin Hickman and Victoria Mesquita in presenting our combined expertise to clients. Together, we will have one of the largest banking practices in the UAE and wider region and a compelling offering to support our large regional sponsor and financial institution clients, including in my focus areas of real estate finance, leveraged finance, trade finance and secured corporate lending."

Sandeep's arrival brings the total number of AG partners in the Middle East to 24. Recent arrivals have included:

• Philip Dowsett (from Dechert) to spearhead the launch of an Investment Management and Funds practice servicing clients operating to and from the Middle East. 
• Kellie Blythe (from Baker & McKenzie) who is an information technology, data protection, privacy and telecoms specialist advising multinational and regional clients on their MENA technology and data heavy projects. 
• And four new partners ahead of the firm's planned launch in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
  • M&A partner Christian Both from Clifford Chance LLP and its KSA joint venture AS&H Clifford Chance, Banking & Finance partner Amar Meher formerly at Latham & Watkins, Ibrahim Siddiki who joined from Bracewell in Dubai, where he led the KSA corporate M&A practice, and Homam Khoshaim, an M&A expert formerly at Latham & Watkins.