Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF) has hired a partner from Stephenson Harwood to lead its dispute resolution team in the Middle East. 

Nick Sharratt has joined the firm in Dubai after four years as a partner at Stephenson Harwood, prior to which he was counsel at Winston & Strawn. 

He replaces NRF’s former Middle East disputes head Paul Stothard, who recently relocated to the UK and remains with the firm. 

Mohammed Paracha, head of Middle East at NRF, said: “Nick has impressive experience across a wide range of key industry sectors, and will be an invaluable addition to our team and wider regional offering.”

Sharratt has worked in the region for more than a decade, focusing primarily on litigation, international arbitration, asset recovery and multi-jurisdictional enforcement. His client base spans industry sectors including financial institutions, energy and infrastructure, construction, commodities, hospitality and transport. 

At NRF, Sharratt will lead a Middle East disputes team that houses 16 lawyers including three other partners across offices in Dubai and Riyadh. Chambers and Partners noted the team is “prominent in an array of contentious matters” throughout the region and advises clients from a range of sectors on regulatory, construction and petrochemicals cases. 

The team typically handles region-spanning disputes from the UAE, with support from its teams in London and Riyadh. In the UAE it is known for its capabilities in corporate investigations and financial crime cases, with Chambers highlighting its growing strength in insurance disputes. 

A Stephenson Harwood spokesperson commented: “We thank Nick for his contribution to the business over the years and wish him well for the future.”

Another UK firm that bolstered its disputes bench in Dubai recently was Addleshaw Goddard, which hired construction and commercial disputes specialist Arun Visweswaran from Clifford Chance last month.

And in August DWF added a pair of construction disputes partners in Dubai from local firm Horizons & Co.