Newcastle lawyers to help establish new office in the Emirate as Eversheds is licensed in Abu Dhabi

Submitted by on Tue, 8.07.08

In a move that reflects the international growth of the firm, Eversheds LLP has been awarded a licence to operate in Abu Dhabi, effective 01 May 2008. Chris Jobson, previously of the Newcastle office will now become Eversheds’ managing partner for the Middle East. Jobson has been in the Gulf region for several years but he will be joined by Mark Lisgo who is moving from Eversheds’ Newcastle office in the next few days to help open the wholly-owned office in Abu Dhabi.

After growing up in Newcastle and going on to study law at Newcastle University, Mark Lisgo, has been an associate in the banking team at Eversheds’ Newcastle office since 2002. From Eversheds’ Newcastle office, Lisgo has been working closely with Eversheds’ offices in Qatar office and London, for both banks and borrowers based in the Middle East, including Qatar National Bank. He has regularly worked with Chris Jobson on international transactions over the past couple of years. 

Originally from the North East, Chris Jobson has been heading up the Eversheds Qatari business since 2004. His experience includes project managing international financial and commercial transactions together with advising clients on contracts governing the international transportation of goods, as well as on related matters such as insurance, conflicts of law, enforcement of judgments/arbitral awards, and on contracts relating to the international supply of goods and services. 

 “We are thrilled to get the licence. The Middle East is one of the most exciting areas in the world at the moment, with current economic strength, combined with huge potential for growth over the next 10 years,” says Chris Jobson. 

Mark Lisgo says: “An increasing number of companies from the North East of England are looking to do business out in the Middle East and we will be able to offer direct access through Eversheds, which none of our competitors can offer. Because we have people on the ground there, we can provide advice - not just legal but on all kinds of business and cultural issues, to companies based in the North East who are looking to do business out in the Gulf.

“This is a hugely exciting opportunity for me to support Chris Jobson and for me to experience a new challenge, and indeed a new culture, and to continue to grow Eversheds as a business. Whilst we will be thousands of miles away from Newcastle, we will continue to work closely with our office here in Orchard Street, especially with North East based clients that also operate on an international scale.”

Mark concludes: “We are a high profile firm in terms of the local market place, but then add that to the national network and then the international network and it shows the unique offer that we have for employees and clients.” 

The licence is a significant milestone for the firm as it expands its Middle East practice, which already works with an impressive client list including HSBC, Qatar Gas, Citibank, Shell and the National Bank of Abu Dhabi. The Emirate is currently engaged in a major re-gearing of its economy to diversify out of oil and has become a major international gateway into India. 

In the last 12 months, Eversheds International opened offices in South Africa, Switzerland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Prague and Bratislava.