Sophie Richards is of counsel in our Corporate and International practices. Sophie has advised many international companies, particularly in the oil and gas industry, on structuring options available to them that allow them to carry on business in Abu Dhabi and in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Consequently, Sophie has advised on many mergers and acquisitions transactions and joint venture arrangements between foreign and Emirati individuals and entities as well as advising on agency and franchising arrangements entered into between foreign entities and Emirati agents and franchisees. In particular Sophie has advised both principals and agents on the impact of the UAE Commercial Agencies Law including the impact of changes made to that law in 2006.

Before joining our firm in 2007, Sophie spent 3 years as in-house counsel at Qatargas (Qatar), a global supplier of liquefied natural gas. Sophie also spent 7 years as a corporate and energy associate in the Houston and Abu Dhabi offices of Vinson & Elkins LLP.

Representative Transactions

• Advised Fairfax, an international investment bank, on its $208.6 million acquisition of Gulf Insurance Company K.S.C. (Gulf Insurance), from KIPCO Projects (Holding) Company.
• Advised Praxair Inc. as U.S. counsel, on its acquisition of Refrigeration Oxygen Limited Company WLL in Kuwait and its subsidiary Qatari Oxygen Company WLL in Qatar.
• Advised KEPCO in its successful bid for the nuclear power plant projects in Abu Dhabi.
• Advised a global steel company in its bid to purchase an Abu Dhabi based steel company.
• Advised a large Malaysian publicly traded company in its bid to purchase an Abu Dhabi based industrial conglomerate.
• Advised Greif Inc. (U.S. publicly traded) in a global joint venture with Dabbagh Group Holding Company.
• Advised Chemtura Corporation, a US publicly traded specialty chemicals company, in a joint venture with Al-Zamil Group.
• Advised Al-Saggaf Medical, the largest Saudi Arabian pharmacy chain, in the aborted sale of a contracting interest to a Dubai-based private equity firm.
• Advised a US-based oil and gas services company in its bid for certain assets in Abu Dhabi.
• Advised ValleyCrest Company, a large US-based theme park developer, in a joint venture in the United Arab Emirates with the Al-Ain Zoo Authority.

Admissions

• Texas
• New York

Education

• Duke University School of Law
  J.D., 1996, summa cum lunde
• University of Texas
  B.S. Geography, 1993, summa cum laude
  

Languages

Conversational French.