Leading global law firm Baker McKenzie continued its success at The Middle East Legal Awards (MELA) 2024, winning the “Corporate Team of the Year” award in the latest round of the region's premier legal awards. The Firm was also shortlisted for "Employment Team of the Year" and "Real Estate Team of the Year". Now on its 12th year, the annual awards were held in Dubai on 25 April 2024.
The latest award recognized Baker McKenzie’s leading role in advising Aster DM Healthcare, one of the largest private healthcare service providers operating in the GCC and India, on the landmark USD 1.01 billion sale of its GCC healthcare business.
Abeer Jarrar, Corporate M&A Partner and the lead counsel on this transaction, expressed immense pride in the Firm's achievement, stating: “Winning the “Corporate Team of the Year” award is a testament to our team's dedication, transactional expertise and industry knowledge to support with cross-border transactions of this nature and scale. This recognition reinforces our market profile as a transactional powerhouse in the Middle East region. On behalf of the entire team at Baker McKenzie, I would like to take this opportunity to thank MELA and the panel of judges and to congratulate all the other winners at the awards.”
This year Baker McKenzie was also a category sponsor at the awards and co-presented the "Rising Star: In-House" award to Yousra Gad, Senior Legal Counsel at PepsiCo International.
We have had a successful track record with the MELA awards over the last few years, winning "Banking & Finance Team of the Year" in 2022 and "Real Estate Team of the Year" in 2021. We last won the "Corporate Team of the Year" award in back-to-back years in 2020 and 2019.
Hosted by Law.com International in partnership with the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) MENA, the annual awards recognize the outstanding achievements, innovation and excellence within the legal community. Winners are selected by an independent panel of judges comprising many of the region's industry leaders.