Recognition
Latham Wins Five Awards at IFLR Middle East Awards 2026
October 12, 2026
IFLR
Salman Al-Sudairi named Lawyer of the Year, Mustafa Darwich named Rising Star, and the firm honored with Loan Team of the Year and two Deals of the Year.
Latham & Watkins won five accolades at the IFLR Middle East Awards 2026, reflecting the firm’s market-leading presence in the region.
The annual awards program, which celebrates legal innovation and collaboration across the Middle East, recognized the firm with the following awards:
- Saudi Arabia Lawyer of the Year: Salman Al-Sudairi — Salman, Chair of Latham’s Saudi Arabia Practice and Office Managing Partner for the Middle East & North Africa, was honored for his work advising government entities, local and international companies, and private equity funds in complex commercial transactions across industries.
- Rising Star – International: Mustafa Darwich — An associate in Latham’s Dubai office, Mustafa was recognized for his work advising leading international investment and commercial banks, financial sponsors, and large corporates on a variety of conventional and Islamic banking and finance transactions worldwide.
- Loan Team of the Year — The firm’s Banking & Private Credit Practice in the Middle East was recognized for advising on a number of standout loan transactions.
- Loan Deal of the Year: Silkhaus Venture Debt Financing — Latham advised Stride Ventures the real estate tech company’s venture debt financing, which resulted in the creation of a multi-layered capital structure rarely seen in the region.
- Project Finance Deal of the Year: ACWA Power / Badeel / SAPCO 15GW renewable portfolio — Latham advised the Water and Electricity Holding Company on power purchase agreements for a renewable energy portfolio that has been cited as the largest single phase of renewable energy capacity signed globally at one time.