Pinsent Masons appoints Catherine Workman as Head of Middle East region

Catherine has been with the firm for over 15 years and is a member of the firm's executive Board. She relocated to the UAE in May 2019 to facilitate the continued development of Pinsent Masons’ Middle East business including its association with Saudi law firm AlSabhan & AlAjaji.

Catherine is highly experienced in the infrastructure sector across the Middle East, Europe and Asia. She has acted for Government bodies, consortia, operators and lenders on major infrastructure schemes and Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects in relation to airports, ports, hospitals, schools, roads, waste and real estate redevelopment.

Catherine is a strong advocate of gender diversity and acts as a role model for female progression. Catherine is also a regular participant in the firm's Middle East Female Future Forums, a series of networking events for female professionals to promote diversity and inclusion in the region.

The appointment comes following a significant period of growth for Pinsent Masons in the Middle East. In the past 12 months the firm has acted on a number of significant matters including advising:

• the National Center for Privatisation (NCP) in Saudi Arabia on regulatory matters relating to the Kingdom’s Privatisation & PPP program;
• a contractor in relation to the USD 4.3 billion 950MW Noor Energy 1 hybrid project in Dubai - the world's largest standalone CSP plant; and
• National Energy Services Reunited Corp on its USD 1.1 billion acquisition of the entire share capital of National Petroleum Services.

John Cleland, Managing Partner at Pinsent Masons said: “Catherine is the natural choice to represent Pinsent Masons in the region. Her global expertise allied to the deep pool of local knowledge across our Middle East network will ensure we are well-placed to respond to demand in those sectors and markets where we see significant potential for growth."

Catherine Workman, Partner and Head of Middle East, commented: “Pinsent Masons has a strong track record in the Middle East and I look forward to building on that success, bringing all that the firm has to offer both globally and regionally to the market. Our regional experience, combined with our global recognition as an innovator in the provision of legal services and a leader in diversity and inclusion, puts us in a unique position to apply a range of skillsets and expertise to our clients' challenges.

"As I move into this role, I look forward to deepening those client relationships and continuing to offer the collaborative culture and deep sector expertise that Pinsent Masons is known for."