Greenberg Traurig Expands Middle East Sports, Media and Entertainment Team With Two New Lawyers

variety.com:

Peter Caranicas Deputy Editor Global law firm Greenberg Traurig now boasts the largest sports, media and entertainment team in the Middle East with the addition of two new attorneys: shareholder David Bintliff and senior associate Lewis Calder, who will be based in the United Arab Emirates office.

Both were previously with Bird & Bird. The move reflects the Middle East’s growing prominence in the worldwide sports arena.

Greenberg Traurig clients in the region include high-tech racing track Yas Marina Circuit, host venue of Abu Dhabi’s annual Formula One race; and RCS Sports, promoter of the UAE Tour, the seven-stage cycling race sanctioned by UCI. “Our business model is about going where growth, innovation, and wealth are going and finding excellent, culturally consistent, and entrepreneurial lawyers in each location,” said Greenberg Traurig executive chairman Richard A.

Rosenbaum. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE perfectly fit our model, today and going forward.” Rosenbaum added that the move is part of the firm’s strategy to meet the needs of the region’s fast-growing business and government sectors: “As major investments flow into and from the UAE and the Kingdom, we are building strong teams in the real estate and hospitality industry, the financial sector, including private equity, private credit, banking, M&A, and capital markets, as well as sports, entertainment and media.” “We are thrilled to have David and his team – leaders in the media, entertainment, and technology arena – join Steven Bainbridge and our UAE office and strengthen the firm’s already thriving practice,” said Khalid Al-Thebity, the firm’s regional chair of the Middle East.