Claire

Claire Neil

Corporate / M&A Counsel, Dubai

"I advise regional and international clients on corporate transactions in the United Arab Emirates and the wider Middle East, specialising in complex cross-border private M&A and joint ventures, with a particular focus on sovereign wealth funds and financial sponsors."

Overview

Professional experience

Education and qualifications

Overview

Claire is a corporate / M&A counsel based in the Middle East, who advises on a wide range of corporate transactions. She has extensive experience advising regional and international clients, including the region’s most well-known sovereign wealth funds, government-owned institutions, corporates and financial sponsors, on their strategic investments in the Middle East and internationally.

Prior to her relocation to the Middle East, Claire was based in the firm’s London office. She has also gained global expertise across the firm’s network, including working in the Tokyo and Madrid offices.

Claire has been seconded to an Abu Dhabi-based sovereign wealth fund, where she advised on various real estate and infrastructure investments across Europe and Asia.

Claire has been recognised for her work through various awards – in 2023, she won the Lexis Nexis Middle East Women in Law “Corporate Lawyer of the Year” award. She has also been listed as a “Rising Star” by Chambers Global in 2024.

Work highlights
  • Citibank on the disposal of its retail banking businesses across Asia and the Middle East.
  • Hassana Investment Company on its US$2.4bn strategic investment in DP World's flagship UAE assets – Jebel Ali Free Port, Jebel Ali Free Zone and the National Industries Park.
  • Nestle on the buy-back of its Nespresso business in Saudi Arabia.
  • DP World on various transactions, including the acquisitions of P&O Ferries / P&O Ferrymasters, Dubai Maritime City and DryDocks World.
  • Advising a consortium of Middle Eastern government-owned investors on their acquisition of a majority stake in a leading video streaming platform in the Middle East and North Africa.
  • Tasheel on its disposal to VFS Global of its Middle Eastern visa facility management business and its 50% interest in VFS Tasheel, the outsourced visa services partners of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Professional experience

Claire is actively engaged in various diversity and inclusion activities, and is a member of the Middle East’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee.

Claire continues to offer pro bono advice to Camfed, an international, non-profit organisation dedicated to eradicating poverty in Africa through girls’ education.

Education and qualifications

Claire studied Spanish at the University of Edinburgh.

She speaks English and Spanish.