Destination West Asia for Indian legal firms

New Avenues

- JYOTSNA BHATNAGAR

EVEN AS THE Indian legal market continues to be plagued by squabbles over entry of foreign law firms, the UAE and Saudi Arabia are emerging as a dynamic legal hub in the South Asian region. In the wake of recent changes in the Kingdom's business laws serving as an enabler, top legal firms and lawyers are queuing up along with top recruitment firms from India to set up branches to service the estimated $15.6-billion legal services market.

"From DIFC-based investment platforms to Vision 2030-linked giga projects, organisations are investing in professionals who bring not just technical depth, but the ability to drive governance, transformation and cross-border growth," says Rishabh Chopra, director and partner, Vahura MEA LLC in Dubai, a sister concern of Vahura, a legal and governance recruitment firm. "We took a call to enter West Asia in May this year as we thought the time is right for Indian professionals to take on more prominent roles in the region," he said.