Return to Aus for DLA's Abu Dhabi Managing Partner
17 December 2010
The Managing Partner at  DLA Piper's Abu Dhabi office, Stephen Webb, has upped sticks and returned to Brisbane as a partner at DLA Philips Fox.

Webb is currently working on mining and power projects in Australia, Singapore and New Caledonia, and so it's understandable that DLA Phillips Fox is dressing the move as a boost “to the firm’s growing finance and projects practice”. Which might be the case. But it's very difficult to overlook the fact that Webb only launched the DLA Piper Abu Dhabi office in 2008 - leaving his previous role as a consultant at Mallesons to do so.

It's not been a particularly fun time for DLA in the Middle East after its aggressive expansion in the region. It was rumoured last year that the firm's Dubai and Abu Dhabi offices were losing a whopping $1 million a month. And more recently a lack of work forced the firm to start shipping partners back down under to DLA Phillips Fox. So with DLA Phillips Fox confirming that Webb has been “transitioning back to Brisbane during the course of the year”, it seems that DLA’s Middle East woes continue.

Wheels falling off yesterday

Middle East managing partner Abdul Aziz Al-Yaqout who according to the firm’s website is based in Kuwait, is reported to be the last man standing overseeing the Abu Dhabi office.

DLA Piper declined to comment on the transfer.