Crowell & Moring’s Doha office is fully integrated with the firm’s offices around the globe to advance the international goals of our clients. Our Qatar office will serve as the regional office of Crowell & Moring, and Doha being our Middle East capital. We advise both companies and individuals on their business and legal engagements in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region while also representing MENA-based companies with their interests in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia.
Our Doha office builds on the strengths of the firm’s government contracts, international dispute resolution, and project development capabilities to support our clients in their endeavors in the infrastructure, finance, defense, aviation, technology, tourism/hospitality, education, and energy sectors. We possess a sophisticated understanding of cultural and political issues in the region, handling matters in English, Arabic, and other languages.
Drawing from the firm’s deep overall transactional, regulatory, and litigation experience, we counsel clients with Qatari interests across diverse industry sectors to comply with local and regional laws and regulations, resolve litigation and international disputes, navigate international investigations, and structure, negotiate, and close domestic and cross-border transactions.
Core Services
- Infrastructure: We counsel on diverse infrastructure projects in Qatar and internationally, guiding clients through large projects from inception through completion, including the controversies and arbitrations that often result. Our lawyers have served as counsel to governments, private companies, developers, lenders, borrowers, design professionals, general contractors, and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors on matters in the Middle East, West Africa, Europe, Asia, and the United States. We have represented the Government of the State of Qatar on one of the largest infrastructure projects in the world and have provided support on projects involving airport and aviation facilities, highways, railways and rail corridors, energy infrastructure, and telecommunications, among many other areas.
- Corporate: Our team advises clients on issues arising in corporate law and transactions, including U.S. and non-U.S. government contracts, corporate formation and associated needs, Shariah-compliant finance and banking practices, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, joint ventures, divestitures, debt and equity financing, and other strategic investments. In cooperation with leading local law firms based in the region, we work side-by-side with corporations, government entities, and high-net-worth individuals as they navigate the opportunities and challenges unique to entities doing business in the region, and across borders.
- Real Estate and Hospitality: Our support to clients in the real estate and hospitality sector covers the breadth of transactional and regulatory challenges and disputes that face those entities operating in the space. We regularly represent landlords and tenants in commercial leasing transactions spanning a spectrum of facilities and industries, including commercial office buildings, retail shopping centers, restaurant, manufacturing, warehouse, energy, TMT, aerospace, medical, laboratory, and research and development facilities. We have advised on the development, sale, and management of mega-construction projects, drafted and negotiated master lease agreement, handled sublease agreements and retail lease agreements, acted as lead counsel matters involving prominent real estate investment trusts (REITs), and assisted with franchising agreements, among many other undertakings. Our support to dozens of hospitality industry clients covers not only traditional corporate issues such as residential and retail leases, but also litigation and international arbitration, cybersecurity and privacy, intellectual property, labor and employment, tax, antitrust, and bankruptcy.
- International Dispute Resolution (IDR): Our IDR team is active in administrative forums, in arbitrations, in U.S. state and federal courts, and in IDR proceedings all over the world. With dozens of lawyers, we represent clients from a wide range of industries and geographic regions in disputes under international and bilateral trade agreements and treaties, including arbitrations before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the American Arbitration Association/International Centre for Dispute Resolution (AAA/ICDR), and many other venues. In the often constantly evolving MENA region in particular, we have helped clients with disputes involving heavy infrastructure projects, and have handled matters before handling matters before the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), the Abu Dhabi Commercial Conciliation & Arbitration Centre (ADCCAC), the Gulf Co-operation Council Commercial Arbitration Centre (GCCAC), and the DIFC-LCIA Arbitration Centre.
- Government Affairs: Led by the former counsel to the current Senate minority leader, with support from the former Finance Director of the current Senate majority leader, our bipartisan Government Affairs Group assists clients with a range of public policy issues, including representing both entities in the MENA region interested in engaging with officials in Washington, D.C. and U.S. businesses seeking to operate in Qatar. We provide high-level advocacy and policy development services to firm clients seeking government relations, crisis management, media relations, and related assistance before Congress, the White House, and agencies of the executive branch, with professionals who have served on Capitol Hill and in these agencies. Our team has been especially effective in the areas of health care, energy, and financial services.
- Institutional Investors: With corporate attorneys in offices worldwide, we support clients serving as institutional investors on a variety of investment types. We have served as principal outside global counsel to banks and Sovereign Wealth Funds, represented investment funds in FinTech investments in both emerging and established companies, and counseled investment vehicles, among other matters.