Norton Rose Fulbright grows Middle East team with senior corporate hire

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has expanded its Middle East practice with the hire of partner Zubair Mir in Dubai.

Zubair joins the firm from Herbert Smith Freehills where he was the Middle East Managing Partner, Head of Middle East Corporate and part of the Dubai office since its launch in 2007. Prior to Herbert Smith Freehills, Zubair was one of the founding partners of the Dubai office of Norton Rose Fulbright.

Zubair’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and asset management across the Middle East, North Africa and South Asian regions. He specialises in advising global private equity houses and sovereign wealth funds on their strategic cross-border investments. All major legal directories recognise Zubair as one the leading lawyers in the Middle East region for investment fund transactions.

Mohammed Paracha, head of Middle East at Norton Rose Fulbright, commented: “Zubair is a highly respected practitioner who shares our vision and will work seamlessly with our existing team. His addition enhances our ability to provide clients with robust, multi-disciplinary advice to help them navigate an increasingly complex business environment as a number of regional governments seek to diversify the economy and increase foreign direct investment.”

Zubair commented: “Norton Rose Fulbright has a long history in the Middle East and remains committed to the region. I’m excited to return to the firm and play a critical role in the further development of the practice. The firm’s in-depth understanding of the regional markets and industries provides me with a great platform to meet clients’ growing needs.”

Norton Rose Fulbright has grown significantly in the Middle East over the past 18 months with several lateral hires including Nicholas Kramer, Nicholas Robinson and Kayaan Unwalla in Dubai and Zayd Alathari in Riyadh. The firm promoted Angela Croker to partner in Dubai in January of this year.

Norton Rose Fulbright’s Dubai office has won a string of Law.com Middle East Legal Awards over the past two years, including “Crisis Management Team of the Year” for its cyber risk work and “Diversity Initiative of the Year” in 2021 and “Litigation Team of the Year” in 2020.