Richard Catling

Richard Catling is a Partner experienced in many aspects of corporate work, including domestic and international mergers and acquisitions across various industries, including health care, education, logistics, food and beverage, and retail, as well as reorganisations and joint ventures. His primary practice area is Mergers and Acquisitions.

He also specialises in regional private equity and venture capital funding, with particular expertise in advising on investments in technology and media.

He has advised on many UAE and regional M&A and joint venture transactions, including advising international companies on structuring options available to them that allow them to carry on business in Dubai and in the UAE.

He also specialises in advising regional high-net-worth individuals and family businesses on restructuring and, in particular, trust structuring, acting for some of the largest family companies in the Middle East and the wider MENA region on their deal and governance structures.

He has been recognised as a Leading Individual in the fields of Corporate and M&A by Legal 500. Additionally, he is featured in the 2024 Legal 500 M&A Powerlist for Private Practice in the Middle East.

His recent experience includes representing Gulf Medical Projects Company on the sale of the Al Zahra Hospital Group in Sharjah and the Northern Emirates of the UAE for USD 572 million; representing a major multinational beverage company in a cross-border acquisition of Aujan Industries Company in ten jurisdictions, with a transaction value of USD 980 million; advising Empower District Cooling (Dubai government entity) on its USD 500 million acquisition of the Palm District Cooling business to form the largest district cooling operation in the world; representing a GCC banking institution in the purchase of the Movenpick Hotel at Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai Marina; acting for the investment arm of MBC Group in various separate instructions relating to MBC's equity investments in early-stage companies in the media and technology industries in the MENA region; and representing the lead investor in connection with the establishment of an investment company in the DIFC with a group of investors to raise USD 160 million in investment in Middle Eastern food businesses.

He holds a Legal Practice Course from London College of Law (2002), a Post Graduate Diploma from London College of Law (2001) and a BA (Hons) in Classics from the University of Manchester (2000). He was admitted as a Solicitor in England & Wales in 2005 and speaks English.