Ross Barfoot

Ross Barfoot is a Corporate Partner at Dentons in Abu Dhabi, specializing in Mergers and Acquisitions. He has more than 21 years of experience, with a focus on M&A, private equity, joint ventures, corporate advisory, and business licensing, and is widely regarded as the "go‑to" lawyer for the education sector in the Middle East.

Ross advises on some of the largest M&A and joint venture transactions in the UAE and globally, including advising Aldar on its US$1.17 billion acquisition of four commercial towers in ADGM and its AED 810 million and AED 770 million acquisitions of beachfront resorts in Ras Al Khaimah; advising Jacobs Holding AG on its £2 billion acquisition of the Cognita global private schools group; and advising on school and university projects across the region, including for Royal Grammar School Guildford, Brighton College, North London Collegiate School, and Reigate Grammar School. He also advises international education groups on market entry across the Middle East, Africa, South East Asia, and Central Asia.

He holds an LL.B from the University of Leeds (1999) and completed his Legal Practice Course at Northumbria University Newcastle (2000). He qualified as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales in 2003.

Ross has been ranked as a Leading Individual in the UAE for Commercial, Corporate and M&A by The Legal 500 (2021–2026).