Reed Smith has hired corporate partner Anders Nilsson from Bird & Bird to strengthen its three-office Middle East practice.
Nilsson, who previously headed Bird & Bird’s Middle East region, will be based in Abu Dhabi but will also work across its Dubai and newly opened Riyadh offices.
Nilsson leaves Bird & Bird after 21 years, having previously worked at Skadden Arps and as an in-house legal advisor at Nordic tech company Eniro. He moved to the Middle East 12 years ago.
A highly experienced corporate and M&A specialist, he advises multinational clients on both public and private M&A, including joint ventures and strategic investments or collaborations.
Mike Young, Reed Smith’s regional head of corporate, said Nilsson had “an outstanding reputation in the market with a wealth of experience that will benefit our clients and build on the work that we are doing throughout the Middle East and Europe”.
Sachin Kerur, Reed Smith’s Middle East offices managing partner, praised Nilsson’s “impressive track record” both across the Gulf States and in Africa, particularly in the aviation industry. Nilsson added he was impressed by the firm’s history in the Middle East, as well as its “clear growth strategy”, enabling him to grow his practice further.
Nilsson has a particular focus on Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and African cross-border transactions, as well as the aviation, aerospace and defence sectors, where his experience extends throughout the Middle East, Europe and Africa. He also advises some of the leading global players within the area of future mobility and transport, including autonomous vehicles, drone technology and urban air taxis.
Nilsson has advised many leading companies on their international operations, as well as government entities in the GCC on sector-related corporate matters. He also advises international companies on UAE government contracting and associated regulatory programmes.
Nilsson’s move follows just five months after Bird & Bird’s own decision in May to open in Saudi Arabia. Nilsson led that launch alongside three partners – Raya Alkhatib, Nick O’Connell and Simon Shooter – as part of an ambitious five-year growth strategy which will see it aim to raise turnover by nearly 60% over the next four years to hit a €1bn target.
Bird & Bird also relocated Australian disputes partner Bill Smith to Dubai in September, where he will lead that practice.
Nilsson is not the only leadership figure to leave the firm this month; Bird & Bird’s former France co-head Benjamine Fiedler decamped to Eversheds with a six-lawyer team last week. The firm was approached for comment.
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