Gowling WLG is delighted to welcome Bachir A Chakra as a partner, and David Aylen as a consultant to its leading global IP and tech groups in the Middle East.

Bachir will be based in Riyadh and will lead the firm's IP and Tech practice in Saudi Arabia, working closely with Al Ghazzawi & Partners, Gowling WLG's strategic partner firm in Saudi Arabia. Having previously worked at top law firms and in-house roles in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Singapore and Canada, Bachir's deep regional and international experience will add significant strength to what is already one of the largest full-service dedicated IP teams within an international law firm in the region.

David, a longstanding member of Gowling WLG's global IP group, will join the Dubai office as a consultant from the Toronto office. David will support the growing patent and trademark practices in the UAE as well as having a focus on developing international clients, particularly from the US. Regarded internationally as a leading IP lawyer, David has been recognised by the leading IP publications for over 10 years.

Jon Parker, head of Gowling WLG's MENA IP practice said: "I am delighted to welcome Bachir to Gowling WLG and to welcome David to Dubai. As one of the preeminent IP lawyers globally, David is someone I have known and worked with for many years. For us to be joined by someone who is a global name in the world of IP is a huge boost for our practice. David's vast experience will be invaluable for us, at a time when the UAE is fast-tracking its innovation landscape.

"Bachir and I first met in the late 2000s when he was in the UAE. His experience of practicing in a number of countries in the Gulf region, supplemented by his recent role in a global tech company out of Canada, will be the perfect experience for our IP and TMT launch in Saudi Arabia, a country he knows well from his time there. Their arrivals provide further strength to our growing award-winning IP team in the MENA region."

Tim Casben, head of Gowling WLG's offices in the Middle East commented: "We are delighted to be welcoming David to the region and Bachir back to the region. Bachir's background is extremely complimentary to a number of our core areas of focus in the region and we will benefit from his experience in the KSA market in IP, Media, and Tech. We have known David well for several years and we will all benefit from the experience that he will bring to our regional practice, particularly in assisting to develop our patent business where we have the benefit of over 70 patent attorneys across our platform."

Continued growth for the IP and tech practice and Gowling WLG in the region is expected throughout 2024, alongside exciting developments which support the firm's other core practice areas of corporate, energy, and infrastructure.