He has been based in Dubai since he joined us in 2012, and is part of our Funds and Corporate Group.Tom regularly works for leading sovereign wealth funds, financial institutions, asset managers and private equity firms on structuring and forming funds. He also has significant corporate and commercial experience, including advising on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and preference share issues.

Can you share your career trajectory and the key milestones that paved the way for your progression into a leadership position within the legal profession? 

I originally worked at Freehills (now Herbert Smith Freehills) in Australia. I moved to Dubai in January 2012 and joined Walkers. I have been in Dubai at Walkers ever since! When I started at Walkers in Dubai, we had a small office with only a handful of fee earners. We have now grown significantly and have more than 60 employees. As the office grew, I focused more and more on investment funds work and this resulted in me becoming a partner in 2017 and later on heading up the investment funds practice for our Dubai office.



What initially attracted your career, and what has kept you motivated and engaged throughout your professional journey? 

I was initially interested in pursuing a legal career as it seemed like a good fit for my skillset and since I had various family members who had also worked in the legal profession. But over time it has really been the colleagues and clients that I work with that have kept me engaged and motivated.

Throughout your career, what obstacles or setbacks have you encountered, and how did you navigate these challenges to continue progressing and achieving your goals? 

I think a career in the legal profession always comes with challenges, given the uncertainty that lawyers have to grapple with. Various obstacles include being an expat (without the same family network/support that one would receive at home), navigating COVID and, more recently, tackling the regional conflict in the Middle East. With all of these, I think the key has been to remain flexible and open-minded and to work together as a team with colleagues and clients.

The Middle East has experienced significant economic growth and transformation over the past two decades. How have you seen the legal landscape evolve during your career, and what developments have been most significant? 

I have witnessed the material growth and development in the Middle East during my time here, and the positivity and ambition underpinning the Middle Eastern approach have really been shown to pay dividends. I think the Middle East's embrace of technology has been a huge part of its success, along with its diversity and its embrace of people from all different cultures and ethnicities. With the AI revolution underway, I think the technology-positive mindset of the Middle East will hold it in good stead going forward.

How do you envision technology shaping the future of the legal profession in the Middle East? Are there any innovations that you believe will have the greatest impact on legal services and client expectations? 

I think technology in general, and AI in particular, will reshape how lawyers are utilised. I believe there will always be a need for commercial and insightful lawyers, but there is likely to be a fundamental change to the "legal product" - what this entails and how it is delivered.

What unique challenges and opportunities do lawyers face in the Middle East compared to other major legal markets around the world? 

There are undoubtedly unique challenges faced in this region, but I think the biggest one is the tension between the grand ambitions of the region (which is a major positive) and the desire to achieve the relevant goals in a very short space of time (especially considering that the region is still growing and developing).

As a successful leader, what motivates you and what do you believe has been key to your success? 

Seeing the development of junior lawyers who I've helped along the way is very satisfying. I think the key to succeeding is to be a trusted ally – both for clients and for my colleagues. Someone who can be counted on to help, whether the situation is good or bad.

How do you see the role of women in the legal profession evolving across the Middle East, and what support can male counterparts provide to help foster greater diversity and inclusion? 

I think the role of women in the legal profession in the Middle East has evolved in recent years and I think this will continue to occur. Many of the leading lawyers I deal with are female and they are inspiring other women to follow in their footsteps. I think men can assist in ensuring there is sufficient flexibility for women and ensuring that they have the same opportunities as their male counterparts at each stage of their professional journey.

What advice would you offer to aspiring lawyers who are looking to build a successful career in the Middle East and progress into leadership positions? 

I would say focus on the short-term and gain expertise/experience in a particular area of law that has relevance to the Middle East. If you do that, then you will always be valuable and you can build on this over the medium to long term.

How do you see the legal industry in the Middle East evolving over the next five years? 

I think we will see more market entrants as the Middle East becomes an increasing important financial hub. That said, I think the nature of the work done will be altered by the AI revolution and clients will increasingly want the "best of both worlds" - the human touch from a trusted advisor but one who harnesses the advantages and benefits of the technological tools which are at their disposal.