Recruiters watch this market daily; almost nobody writes it down in one place. This page does. If a move is missing or wrong, tell us and it will be corrected — nigel@legal-route.com.
In-house moves are the quiet half of this market. This column lists only what has been publicly reported — the desk tracks far more than it prints.
Two threads stand out this month. The first is the continuing flow of talent from regulators and government bodies into private practice and industry, with Peter Loo moving from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority to Bybit and Amal Alotaibi leaving Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Investment for Pillsbury, a pattern that reflects how firms and clients value officials who understand the region's newer regulatory frameworks from the inside. The second is sustained investment in arbitration and disputes capability, seen in Amir Ghaffari's appointment as global co-head of international arbitration at Simmons Simmons and the addition of Kadry Zaghawa at Quinn Emanuel. Alongside these, the lateral partner activity across Linklaters, Reed Smith and K L Gates indicates that the established firms remain focused on their Dubai and Doha platforms.
About this tracker. Published monthly by Legal Route, the Gulf-only legal search firm — the same desk that publishes the free Gulf Legal Salary Guide 2026 and the Gulf legal market Q&A. In-house leadership moves are tracked as well as private practice; sensitive moves are only listed once publicly reported.
Get it monthly with the market read behind it: The Gulf Legal Brief — subscribe free