BDO adds legal practice to UAE business through deal
Global accounting and advisory firm BDO has boosted its legal capabilities in the UAE with the addition of Baker Tilly JFC Law, which has now rebranded as BDO Legal.
The Baker Tilly JFC Law team brings over 100+ years of cumulative professional experience in UAE Law. All lawyers are qualified from renowned universities in UK, the Middle East, and India, and many of them hold full rights of advocacy before various Courts.
Initially operating as Goodwins Law Corporation, the practice rebranded a few years ago to Baker Tilly JFC Law after it affiliated with Baker Tilly JFC. Today, the team has around two dozen members working from offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
At BDO, the team becomes part of the Legal division, which comprises over 800 staff across more than 70 countries. The firm’s lawyers provide standalone legal services to clients in areas such as corporate and commercial law, employment, dispute resolution, and compliance, and collaborate with other BDO lines of business for integrated offerings such as intellectual property, mergers & acquisitions, real estate, and restructuring.
“The introduction of BDO Legal in the UAE enables us to deliver a complete suite of legal consultancy services, while also allowing our clients to access legal, tax, legal due-diligence, business structuring and private client services through a unified platform benefiting from the broader range of BDO services and solutions,” stated Sheheen P.V., Managing Partner of BDO Legal in the UAE.
Commenting on the bolt-on, Shivendra J., Partner and Head of Advisory in the UAE, said: “We are truly delighted to welcome BDO Legal into the firm. We are excited to collaborate with our new colleagues and, together deliver enhanced value and broader opportunities for our clients in the UAE and across international markets.”
“With the combined strength of our more than 800 lawyers across our network, we are uniquely positioned to deliver a truly comprehensive suite of services to meet the complex, multi-disciplinary needs of our clients, both in the UAE and internationally. From legal and tax to business structuring and private client solutions, we now offer fully integrated advisory services under one roof, ensuring seamless support across every stage of our clients’ business journey.”
Carve-out
The carve-out of Baker Tilly JFC Law was completed shortly after JFC Group’s announcement that it would switch international networks from Baker Tilly to Moore. The prior then was relatively quick to rebuild through the hire of a 50-person team from Crowe.
