Dubai - DLA Piper has appointed Peter Monk as its new Head of Corporatein the Middle East. Peter, a highly-experienced corporate and M&Alawyer, took up his new role in February and will build the corporateteam across the region as DLA Piper strengthens its presence in Dubaiand expands in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Oman.

Peter, who has more than 20 years' experience as a corporatelawyer, specialises in domestic and cross-border M&A, privateequity transactions and joint ventures. He represents clients operatingacross a range of sectors, including financial services, media andtelecommunications, energy and shipping and logistics. Prior to joiningDLA Piper Peter spent 18 years with leading Australian law firm, MinterEllison, the last 12 years of which as a senior corporate/M&Apartner in the firm's offices in Australia and Asia. He also played amajor role in developing the firm's Asian practice and was a member ofthe international partner selection committee.

DLA Piper has expanded rapidly in the Gulf since 2006 and now hasover 65 lawyers in the Middle East, including 16 partners. Clients areable to draw on the experience of a team comprising internationally andregionally trained lawyers with expertise in a range of legal services.This full-service offering reflects DLA Piper's commitment to lookingafter the broad needs of clients in multiple markets.

"The Gulf is an extremely important market for us and as wecontinue to build our teams we will strengthen the depth and visibilityof our experience as leading legal advisers", said David Church,Regional Managing Partner for the Middle East at DLA Piper. Davidcontinues: "Our commitment to the region and to clients, needs to besupported with strong capabilities within the corporate market, whichis why Peter's appointment is central to our long-term plans. In Peterwe have more than two decades of strong, international experience whichwill bolster our existing capabilities."

Peter's arrival represents the latest move in DLA Piper's continuedexpansion in the Gulf which will be enhanced during 2008 with thedevelopment of offices in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Oman. From its Dubaioffice DLA Piper provides a full range of legal services which includescorporate and M&A, development and construction, projects, Islamicand conventional finance, TMT and litigation. It also has one of thelargest real estate practices in the region and a dedicated regulatoryteam. In recent months DLA Piper also appointed IP lawyer, JoyciaYoung, to head the IP practice across the Middle East, South Asia andAfrica (MESA) and Anthony Ellis, a projects and finance partnerspecialising in privatisation, development, and the acquisition anddisposition of infrastructure assets.

Peter Monk said: "It is tremendously exciting to join the team atDLA Piper, one of very few international law firms with a truly globalapproach to meeting clients' needs. If you combine DLA Piper'scommitment to growing its Middle East practice with the enormoussuccess that the gulf countries have achieved in recent years, Ibelieve there is no more exciting place in the world to be right now asa corporate lawyer."

Peter's appointment was effective on 3 February 2008.