Ben Ward
Partner
Dubai
Ben Ward
Partner
Dubai
Contact details
Ben has significant experience in a wide range of corporate transactions, including public takeover bids, private acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures, equity issuances and private equity, and on general corporate advisory matters.
He frequently acts for clients on major complex cross-border deals. Ben has worked in the London and Dubai offices of Allen & Overy LLP.
Ben has spent time on secondment as a senior legal counsel in the M&A team of a FTSE 100 client.
In the 2023 Legal 500 rankings, Ben is recognised as a "Next Generation Partner". In the 2023 IFLR1000 rankings, Ben is recognised as a "Rising Star Partner".
Office
Dubai
11th Floor, Burj Daman Building, Al Mustaqbal Street, Dubai International Financial Centre
Dubai
PO Box 506678
Qualifications
Professional
Admitted as solicitor, England and Wales, 2007
Academic
BA, University of Cardiff, 2001
Related articles
Publications: 23 November 2023
Private capital’s moment in the Middle East’s energy transition
Ambitious plans for renewable energy projects will create long-term opportunities for private funds and sovereign investors in the region, say Ben Ward and Kamar Jaffer. They explore the trends in…
News: 23 August 2023
A&O advises Aljazira Capital as anchor investor on Axiom Space’s USD350m Series C investment round
Publications: 06 July 2023
Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds reshape global M&A terms
Experience highlights
Advising a multinational insurance company on its GBP5.6bn acquisition of Friends Life Group.
Advising Virgin Money on the acquisition of a GBP1.3bn credit card portfolio from MBNA Europe Bank and its related sale of Virgin Money Cards to MBNA for GBP210m.
Advising a multinational financial institution on the sale of its majority stake in NSGB, its Egyptian bank, to Qatar National Bank for USD2.5bn.
Advising The Royal Bank of Scotland on the USD17.2bn merger of Alawwal Bank and the Saudi British Bank.
Office
Dubai
11th Floor, Burj Daman Building, Al Mustaqbal Street, Dubai International Financial Centre
Dubai
PO Box 506678
Qualifications
Professional
Admitted as solicitor, England and Wales, 2007
Academic
BA, University of Cardiff, 2001
Other noteworthy experience
Advising:
- GEMS Education in connection with the acquisition by a consortium led by CVC Capital Partners of a significant minority stake in GEMS MENASA Holdings Limited.
- 888 Holdings on its contested GBP3.6bn combination with The Rank Group plc and William Hill plc and its proposed GBP898.3m cash and share offer for bwin.party digital entertainment plc.
- A leading UK consumer business on the GBP700m recapitalisation and restructuring of the business.
- A global financial institution on the separation, or ring-fencing, of its UK retail banking business into a new UK bank.
- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. on its acquisition of the global aviation insurance business of Jardine Lloyd Thompson plc.
- Saudi International Petrochemical Company on its USD5.9bn merger with Sahara Petrochemicals Company.
- A global financial institution on various transactions, including the disposal of its global trust solutions business to The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited, the disposal of its global corporate services business to the Vistra Group and the sale of its banking and custody business in the Channel Islands and Cayman Islands to The Bank of N.T. Butterfield & Son Limited.
- A multinational insurance company on the disposal of its USD1.4bn Asia Pacific real estate fund management business to J.P. Morgan Asset Management.
- A global financial institution on the sale of its international trust and wealth structuring business with USD6.5bn of assets under administration to JTC Group Limited.
- A global financial institution on the disposal of its fully-owned subsidiary in Egypt to Emirates NBD for EUR500m and the disposal of its UK wealth management business to Evolution plc (now part of Investec).
Recognition
Next Generation Partner
Legal 500 UAE 2023 (Corporate and M&A)
Rising Star Partner
IFLR1000 UAE 2023 (M&A)
Awards
2019 Middle East domestic deal of the year
Ben co-led the A&O team advising NatWest Markets plc on the USD17.2bn first-of-its-kind merger of Alawwal Bank and Saudi British Bank which won IFLR’s 2019 Middle East domestic deal of the year.
