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Launched in 2008, Al Tamimi & Company holds the accolade of the only foreign firm in the country. The UAE based firm is also unique on the market as it has network of offices throughout the Middle East.

The Jordan office is headed by Khaled Saqqaf and is viewed favourably by peers who feel it has made genuine inroads in to the market and accumulated a share.

On the corporate side, the firm acted for Landmark Gulf Group on it's acquisition of shares in Fitness First Middle East. The cross-border transaction, which closed in October 2010, involved acquiring parts of the gym's businesses in UAE, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

On an Islamic deal, the firm advised Al Rajhi Cement on its debut JD85 million ($119 million) sukuk (Islamic bond) in March 2011.

Since opening in November 2009 in a joint venture with Yacoub Al Munayae, Al Tamimi & Company has hit the ground running.

Former DLA Piper managing partner Alex Saleh, who heads the practice, has been active across all the firm's major transactions and notably two restructurings.

Saleh acted for the lead arrangers, National Bank of Kuwait and Ahli United Bank, on behalf of 21 international lenders on the KD145 million ($532 million) restructuring of Kuwait Finance & Investment Company conventional and shariah-compliant debt and bond issue. The second issue was the KD92 million ($337 million) debt restructuring of First Investment Company in which Saleh acted for the creditors. The debt was restructured through a sukuk al wakala (Islamic bond linked to underlying assets) structure.

A further Islamic deal saw the firm advise Ahli United Bank and Ahli United Bank in the providing KD20 million Islamic facilities murabaha (deferred sale) and ijarah (capital leasing) to Kuwait Telecommunications.

The firm also assisted the Jordan office in advising Capital Investment & Brokerage and Jordan Co as the lead managers in relation to the first ever Jordanian sukuk (Islamic bond) issuance by Al Rajhi Cement, which was valued at JD85 million ($119 million).

Advocate Mohammed Al Marri/Al Tamimi & Co has seen a high degree of staff turnover in the last 12 months. The frim expanded its presence appointing Jay Fortin, who was previously with Patton Boggs, practice head in addition to hiring partner Sami Fakhoury. The firm also promoted Stefan Jury to the partnership in January 2011. But the firm suffered a blow when partner Ahmad Anani moved to Latham & Watkins in August 2010.

Regarded favourably by the market, peers consider the firm a capable practice and a solid tier two contender and clients feel similarly. "They are decent lawyers, they have a good reputation in the market and I wouldn't hesitate to use them as and when I needed local advice," says one.

The firm had a role in the largest corporate deal in Qatar in 2010, acting as local council for Latham & Watkins on the $9 billion merger between Qatar Navigation and Qatar Shipping, which was the largest ever merger between two of the country's listed companies.

In the Islamic finance sector, the firm led by the newly made, Jury, advised Qatar Islamic Bank on structuring it's $750 million sukuk (Islamic bond) which closed in October 2010. It was the first issue of it's kind by a Qatari institution.

Reffered to as the "best local firm" in the UAE by several competitors, Al Tamimi & Company is led by the market recommended Husam Hourani, who one peer calls an "excellent lawyer with plenty of experience".

The firm has a significant regional presence with practices across the Middle East and although it regularly collaborates with international firms it is also has extensive experince in leading on deals.

In the finance sector, the firm worked with White & Case, acting as local counsel to a syndicate of lenders in relation to the restructuring of National Central Cooling Company (Tabreed) and some of its subsidiaries, which necessitated a Dh2.78 billion ($756 million) senior conventional and Islamic syndicated facility.

In the corporate arena the firm acted for the Landmark group on its $125 million acquisition of Fitness First Middle Eastern's operations in 2010. The cross-border transaction involved collaboration between the firm's offices in the UAE, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.