Simmons & Simmons closes down Abu Dhabi office

Simmons & Simmons is closing its Abu Dhabi office and ~~retreating to~~ consolidating in Dubai.

The firm launched in Abu Dhabi in 1994, but had to cull members of staff in 2012 owing to difficult market conditions. The office will now close down completely following "a detailed review" which may have just been made up of press clippings of other international firms to pull out of the UAE capital recently. Herbert Smith Freehills, Latham & Watkins and Baker Botts all closed their doors in Abu Dhabi last year and backpedaled to Dubai. Hogan Lovells also shut down its Abu Dhabi office in 2012 to make Dubai its hub for the region.

When Latham made the move, Chairman Bill Voge admitted that the firm had mistakenly opened in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, originally believing there to be two distinct markets, when there was just one.

A spokeswoman for Simmons & Simmons told RollOnFriday that the Abu Dhabi partners and associates would be relocated to other offices, but that only "some" other staff had been offered the opportunity to relocate. Which presumably means the rest are being left in the desert.

"The partners are coming back for us! Wait, it's just a mirage."

"Thank God."

Allen & Overy, Ashurst, Clyde & Co and Trowers & Hamlins still have offices in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Place your bets on whose office closes next.

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Comments

Errr. Clifford Chance , Linklaters, Norton Rose, Freshfields and many others also still have offices in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

There are enormous cultural differences between the two. No better example exists as is found within the market for imported American cartoons. Simply put, the people of Dubai have no discernible appetite for The Flintsontes, whereas the people of Abu Dhabi do.

Not much of a story here - most international firms were hoodwinked into setting up in Abu Dhabi a few years back, on the promise of vast amounts of AD government work. Such work never materialised, and many firms have realised there really is no need for an AD office and are keen to get out of the expensive leases they took up. HSF, Lathams etc. will not be the last to shut down there.

The issue was firms coming in on the promise/ expectation of big ticket government work which dried up fairly quickly. Only the more established firms will maintain a presence in Abu Dhabi as they have proper relationships with more than just the AD Government.