Ehab Elsonbaty joins DLA Piper's Corporate practice in New York

DLA Piper announced today that Dr. Ehab Elsonbaty (Ph.D.) has joined the firm’s Corporate practice as a partner in New York.

Elsonbaty joins from the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, where he served as senior legal counsel and head of corporate governance and government affairs and senior advisor to the general counsel on special projects. In addition, he served as a member of many of QIA’s management committees, including the investment committee and the business continuity committee. He previously served as senior legal counsel to the Amiri Diwan, the office of the Amir of Qatar at the Royal Court. During this time, Elsonbaty was also a member of many policy and legal committees, including the Permanent Legislative Committee and the Committee for Review of Legislation of the Council of Ministers, as well as a member of the National Committee to Review Commercial Laws of the Ministry of Economy and Trade.

He was also previously an appellate judge for the Cairo Court of Appeals, and he served as chief of the Civil, Criminal and Commercial Panel of the Damanhur Court in Egypt and as a judge for the Civil, Criminal and Commercial Panel of the South Sinai Court. Before this, he served in various districts as a public prosecutor (district attorney) in the Egyptian prosecution, including west Cairo prosecution. He was also seconded to the Minister of Justice Office for International Cooperation and Human Rights.

“Ehab has been closely involved in some of the most significant investments that the QIA and the Royal Family have made in domestic and international markets, and his public service experience, deep understanding of the Qatar economy and longstanding relationships in the Middle East and GCC region will all be highly beneficial to clients,” said Kathleen Ruhland, global co-chair and US chair of DLA Piper’s Corporate practice.

“Ehab brings a strong reputation and extensive experience in international investment matters that will enable him to contribute significant value to DLA Piper’s rapidly growing presence in Qatar, GCC and throughout the Middle East,” said David Parrish, co-chair of the firm’s Investment Funds practice. “He is well positioned to continue to enhance our capabilities in advising global capital in its deployment both globally and in the US.”

Elsonbaty received his Ph.D. in law from Queen Mary University of London and Mansoura University, his master’s degree in international business, law and public policy from Bologna University in Italy, diplomas in public law and international law from Ain Shams University in Egypt, and his bachelor of law degree from the School of Law of Min. University in Egypt. Elsonbaty is licensed to practice in Egypt. He is licensed as a foreign legal consultant in New York.