Pinsent Masons appoints Martin Hayward as new technology partner in Dubai

Martin is a market-leading TMT expert with wide-ranging experience, including transformation transactions, telecoms, e-commerce, privacy, data protection, and technology with a focus on the financial services and telecommunications sectors.

Martin will lead Pinsent Masons’ TMT offering in the Middle East region, further building out the firm’s top tier multinational technology and data capabilities.

Martin joins from Al Tamimi & Company where he led the TMT practice, heading one of the largest and leading regional Middle East TMT teams.

Head of Pinsent Masons Middle East, Catherine Workman, said: “Over the last 15 years, Pinsent Masons has been involved in some of the most high-profile and prolific projects across the Middle East and globally. Our landscape here in the Middle East is constantly changing, with the digital future of the Middle East playing a key role. This includes Dubai leading the journey to re-emerging itself as pivotal hub for designing the future of the globalised digital economy as well as digital transformation playing a key role in Saudi Vision 2030. In response to these emerging trends, our TMT offering in the Middle East is a key component of our global approach as clients seek to transform their businesses to response to the digital age. Martin’s technical expertise and commerciality will add significant strength to our team, opening new opportunities for us and help shape the digital transformation across the region.”

Pinsent Masons says Martin’s recruitment follows significant developments for tech innovation in the Middle East as the region goes through a digital transformation and where burgeoning tech markets begin to gather pace on AI, cloud computing and 5G connectivity, with Saudi Vision 2030 being a great example of the transformative changes happening in the market.

Commenting on his appointment, Martin added: “It is an incredibly exciting time to join the market-leading global TMT team at Pinsent Masons in Dubai, bringing together the very best in global expertise and regional experience. Setting up the firm’s TMT team in the region is a great mission to embark on as the region gives continued strategic focus to its technology and data-focused economy and global businesses increasingly prioritise Middle East growth and opportunities. I look forward to supporting the continued growth of the Pinsent Masons Middle East business and contributing to the wider success of such an innovative and highly regarded firm.”

Having launched in Dubai in 2004, Pinsent Masons now has a total headcount of 82 based in the region advising multinational clients across its core sectors, real estate, energy, financial services, infrastructure and technology, science and industry.