The office will be in Tripoli Tower, and will be the firm’s fifth in the Middle East and North Africa region, Clyde & Co said yesterday.
The Financial Times reported that it it was issued a licence to operate in the country on Tuesday, “the first such licence issued by Libya to a foreign law firm in 40 years”.
Clyde & Co said Libyan lawyer Albudery Shariha will head up the office, coming to the firm from the Libyan Investment Authority, where he was general counsel. He had been an “early defector” from the Gaddafi regime, the FT noted.
Shariha will be joined by four associates on 1 August “and, given the level of enquiries received, Clyde & Co will be actively recruiting both Libyan and international lawyers in the coming months”, Clyde & Co, which is based in London, said.
It added that its Tripoli-based team “will be supported by dedicated multilingual Libya desks in London”.
The law firm’s opening of a Tripoli office comes as votes are still being counted in Libya’s first parliamentary election in 50 years.
