Middle East

Clyde & Co Middle East is among the most dynamic of our practices. We are the largest international law firm in Dubai and have a flourishing practice in Abu Dhabi, as well as an office in Doha, Qatar.

We are looking to recruit a small number of talented and ambitious trainee solicitors to complete the first 12 months of their training contract in the UK and the second 12 months in the Middle East. These trainees will qualify as registered solicitors in England and Wales and will continue to develop their career in the Middle East on qualification.

Regional expertise

The firm has a particularly strong reputation in corporate and M&A, dispute resolution, telecoms and IT, insurance, real estate and construction, shipping and intellectual property, and provides a full range of services to national and international clients in the Middle East, Gulf States and the Indian subcontinent. Independent legal analysts including Legal 500, Chambers Global PLC and Which Lawyer? endorse Clyde & Co in the Middle East as a leading and highly regarded firm in these areas.

Given the regional focus of the firm and the services of over 90 lawyers, some of whom have been operating across the region for more than 20 years, we have exceptional local knowledge and know-how. We have also invested heavily in client and internal services such as our in-house translation team, library and information services, and continuing legal and professional training.

What we look for

We are looking for candidates with a strong academic record and at least a 2.1 Honours degree or equivalent. All our trainee solicitors need to be able to show strong commercial awareness, attention to detail, problem-solving capabilities and excellent communication skills. Arabic language skills are a definite advantage and we'll also be looking for evidence of your interest and commitment to working in the region.

What to expect

Trainees will complete the first 12 months of their contract in either the London or Guildford office along with their UK counterparts.

After transferring to the Middle East for the second half of their contract, trainees will find themselves working at one or more of our offices in Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai.

As one of a select number of trainee solicitors working in our small teams, you'll benefit from exposure to a wide variety of work and you'll get plenty of opportunity to take on early responsibility. You'll also continue working towards the completion of your Professional Skills Course with the same degree of support and supervision as your peers in the UK.

Upon qualifying as a solicitor, we would expect you to continue to develop your experience and progress your business career with Clyde & Co in the Middle East.

Recent work

  • Advising on the listing of Lamprell PLC on alternative investment markets in London, valuing the company at £229.5 million, at the time the third-largest AIM listing ever
  • Acting for Emirates on its joint venture arrangement with a UK plc for the development and operation of a branded hotel chain comprising up to 26 hotels throughout the Gulf, Middle East, Africa and the Indian subcontinent
  • Acting for the Government of Yemen on an USD 18 billion dispute regarding the termination and transfer of operatorship rights relating to a major oil field - the largest arbitration at the International Chamber of Commerce and the second largest in the world
  • Advising on the ground-breaking Abu Dhabi expat health insurance regulations
  • Advising on the largest acquisition of the USD 2.4 billion Dubai Pearl, the largest standalone private sector project in Dubai
  • Advising a number of banks including HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland, Mashreq bank and Abu Dhabi Commercial bank on the syndicated financing of the shares in a UAE company's (Leighton Holidays) acquisition of a 45% stake in Al Habtoor

Apply

Applications for training contracts should be made via the apply pages of this website.

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