Law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has announced that its new office in Abu Dhabi is open for business. Partner John Sipling, an expert in the hotel and hospitality sector, heads the office and will be assisted by a team of four associates.
BLP already has a number of existing clients in the Middle East including Aldar Properties, Delta Oil, the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia, Oman Water and Power Procurement Company, and Saraya Holdings. 
Opening the office will enable the firm to serve these clients more effectively, as well as helping it to build stronger relationships across the region, BLP said.
The Abu Dhabi office is part of the company’s strategy in emerging markets that includes the recent opening of Goltsblat BLP, the first Russian international law firm created after BLP joined forces with leading Russian lawyer Andrey Goltsblat and a team of over 70 lawyers.
BLP also serves clients around the world through a panel of over 100 preferred firms - leading independent firms with whom the firm has strong, non-exclusive relationships. This dual approach provides clients with access to the best legal advice around the world in a flexible way that reflects both the circumstances in each individual market and the specific legal requirements for each transaction.
Sipling said: “The office opening is the result of months of hard work and I am pleased that we are now able to offer clients the locally-based support they require. Abu Dhabi is a key location for commerce in the Middle East and is growing in importance. We believe Abu Dhabi is the best place to launch our Middle East practice as it is a strategically important market in its own right and also a platform from which we can serve clients across the region.”
As well as Abu Dhabi the firm has offices in London, Brussels, Moscow, Paris and Singapore.
In both 2007 and 2008 the firm was ranked as the UK’s top legal employer by Sweet & Maxwell and in 2008 was included as one of the Sunday Times Best 100 Companies to Work For.