Trowers & Hamlins relocates Benjamin O’Brien-McQueenie to expand team in Oman

Trowers & Hamlins relocates Benjamin O’Brien-McQueenie to expand team in Oman

The international law firm has also announced the moving of Li Ying Teng from Kuala Lumpur and the re-joining of Aida Al Jahdhami

Trowers & Hamlins is reaffirming its commitment to Oman and the regional market through strategic internal relocations and by adding partner Benjamin O’Brien-McQueenie to its corporate practice.

O’Brien-McQueenie, who has made the move to Muscat from the firm’s Bahrain office, will focus on corporate transactions and provide legal advisory services within the MENA region.

He has an impressive track record in handling corporate transactions across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. His expertise lies in advising international and regional clients with interests in or from the Middle East. He also offers guidance to banking institutions, private equity investors, and sovereign wealth funds.

O’Brien-McQueenie has a strong background in assisting clients with fund structuring, both locally and offshore, involving GCC assets and investors. He is a go-to expert for matters related to digital services and data protection.

Complementing Benjamin’s expertise is the addition of associate Li Ying Teng, a skilled attorney from Trowers & Hamlins’ international corporate department.

Previously based in the firm’s Kuala Lumpur office, she has a wide range of experience in advising clients from Malaysia and the GCC region on cross-border corporate and commercial matters. Her areas of focus include mergers and acquisitions, corporate advisory and regulatory issues, private equity transactions, negotiation of international commercial contracts, and equity capital markets.

The team’s expansion also includes the re-joining of Aida Al Jahdhami, who, in 2016, interned at Trowers & Hamlins. She was serving at Al Tamimi and Co.

Thomas Wigley, the resident managing partner for the Oman office stated, “The investment in our corporate team will strengthen our capacity to provide top-tier corporate transactional support. We are confident that this will allow us to better serve the Oman market and to continue to deliver exceptional service to our clients.”

The strategic moves align with the ongoing efforts of the Sultanate of Oman to diversify its economy, with investments in non-oil-related and sustainable initiatives. Recently, the country launched a three-year fiscal stability program to accelerate its economic recovery from the pandemic-induced slowdown and support the growth of the country’s financial sector. Oman also entered into agreements with its GCC neighbors to stimulate economic growth and job creation.

Trowers & Hamlins is well-positioned to support and contribute to Oman’s economic development with its strengthened team in Muscat.

Commenting on the changes, Benjamin O’Brien-McQueenie said, “Oman is in a very exciting space right now, with its economic diversification bringing about highly innovative and promising projects and investment. I am delighted to be based here and work with clients as these massive changes unfold. Apart from important local work, our Muscat office plays a pivotal role in the firm’s broader international strategy and it’s right that we continue to invest in our presence here.”

He added, “I’m delighted to be working with Li Ying Teng and welcome back Aida Al Jahdhami, whose excellent legal and local knowledge are a real boon to our team. Together with our other colleagues across the region, we are excellently placed to deliver for clients in Oman and across the GCC, as it works to meet the new economic challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”