Simmons & Simmons Enhances Middle East M&A Team with Rizwan Butt Joining as Partner
The leading global law firm, Simmons & Simmons, has further expanded its Middle East corporate offering with the appointment of Rizwan Butt as Partner in the UAE.
Joining Simmons from Clifford Chance, where he spent time on the ground in both the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and the UAE, Rizwan brings extensive experience across private and public M&A, with a strong track record of advising on high-profile domestic and cross-border transactions and joint ventures.
Rizwan focuses on supporting sovereign institutional investors, private equity funds, and large corporates across the GCC, particularly in Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia. His transactional experience spans multiple sectors including energy, natural resources, infrastructure, healthcare, life sciences, and financial institutions, and includes advising on the first-ever statutory merger and takeover under the Kingdom’s M&A regulations.
At Simmons, Rizwan will work closely with James Coleman (Head of Corporate and Commercial) and Noor Al Heialy (Partner), serving clients across the wider Middle East region. The firm recently opened its Riyadh office in June 2025 and announced plans for a new office in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) this summer, furthering its strategic growth in the region.
The firm continues to strengthen its regional team, recently welcoming Partner Raminder Singh in Riyadh and Banking Partner Umera Ali, who works across Dubai and Riyadh. Additionally, Counsel Rida Jamal has joined the Riyadh office from the same firm as Rizwan, bringing further depth in M&A advisory across multiple sectors.
“I am delighted to join Simmons & Simmons as Partner at a time of significant growth and opportunity for the firm in the Middle East. I look forward to working with the firm’s integrated teams to support clients in the UAE, KSA, and the wider region on their most business-critical transactions.”
– Rizwan Butt, Partner, Simmons & Simmons
“We are pleased to welcome Rizwan to the team. He is a first-rate corporate transactional lawyer, and his arrival will further enhance our ability to execute strategic transactional mandates both domestically and internationally in our sectors of choice.”
– James Coleman, Partner and Head of Corporate and Commercial, Middle East
Simmons & Simmons is an international law firm with its headquarters in London, UK. Founded in 1896, the firm provides a full range of legal services with a focus on specific highly regulated sectors.
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