Doha – Global law firm K&L Gates LLP has received two awards from Islamic Finance News (IFN) in the publication’s annual Deals of the Year recognitions: M&A, Equity & IPO Deal of the Year and Qatar Deal of the Year. 

The awards both recognize the firm’s work representing Qatari bank Masraf Al Rayan on the $US2.2 billion merger with Al Khaliji Commercial Bank, which has led to the creation of one of the largest Islamic banks globally. The transaction is also one of five shortlisted for the publication’s overall Deal of the Year award, the winner of which be announced in the coming weeks.

The K&L Gates team that advised on the matter was led by Doha partner Amjad Hussain and supported by corporate, financial services, and regulatory teams across the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and France, with input from partners Richard Dollimore, Sean Crosky, and Philip Morgan as well as assistance from of counsel Simon Chan and associates Jaime Oon, Roberto Lusardi, Zaid Abu-Shattal, Samuel Boccara, Oscar Saporito, and paralegal Reine Haider.

Hussain commented: “We are delighted to have supported Masraf Al Rayan on this landmark transaction and pleased that our hard work has been recognized by IFN through both of these awards and the deal’s shortlisting for Overall Deal of the Year.”

Lawyers in K&L Gates’ global Islamic finance practice deal with Sharia’h-compliant transactions and structures across the lifecycle of Islamic finance matters and the entire industry. Consisting of lawyers across the U.S., Europe, Middle East, and Far East, the firm’s global Islamic finance group provides comprehensive locally tailored solutions for complicated Islamic finance issues.

The publication’s Deals of the Year awards highlight top deals from more than 20 regions and categories.