RPC welcomes new Construction and Engineering Partner to its growing Real Estate and Construction team within its market-leading Commercial group

• The move is driven by growing client demand, in particular from the retail and tech sectors, to support their increased construction needs.
• RPC has now hired 7 Partners in 2022, in addition to promoting 10 new Partners at the beginning of May across its four offices.

International law firm RPC has hired Arash Rajai as a new Partner in its Real Estate and Construction team. He will be based in London and starts on the 8 August 2022.

Arash's arrival comes shortly after the firm hired six new Partners in the last seven months across its Commercial and Insurance Groups: 

• Reshma Raja (General Counsel & Partner), 
• Shai Wade (Head of International Arbitration), 
• Tania Williams (Technology), 
• Mike Newham (Insurance / D&O), 
• Rathi Thiagamoorthy (Commercial Disputes),
• Peter Kwon (Head of Korea Desk)

as well as promoting 10 new Partners to the Partnership in May. RPC now has 125 Partners across its four offices (London, Bristol, Hong Kong and Singapore).

Arash is a non-contentious construction and engineering lawyer with over 12 years of experience in real estate development and energy projects advising developers, institutional investors, contractors, insurers and professionals. Arash has a versatile skill set having worked in the UK, UAE and Qatar as well as invaluable in-house experience at a leading engineering company.

He joins RPC from Hebert Smith Freehills, where he provided transactional advice for a number of developers and institutional investors on major construction projects. Prior to HSF, Arash spent five years at King & Wood Mallesons' Construction & Engineering team. 

Arash will be joined by Claire Wilmann (Senior Associate) who also joins RPC's Real Estate and Construction team from Herbert Smith Freehills, where she advised investment banks, logistics developers, sports and entertainment groups and airport operators on all kinds of construction (re)-development projects. She also spent four and half years at Reed Smith.

Commenting on Arash's arrival, RPC's Head of Real Estate Elizabeth Alibhai said: "Arash's specialist experience of non-contentious construction and engineering work fits well with our wider multidisciplinary Real Estate and Construction offering. We are continuing to see an uptick in our clients' construction needs and Arash will bring valuable experience on larger projects and also play a pivotal role in expanding our client base."

RPC's Managing Partner James Miller added: "Arash is a great fit to our growing Real Estate and Construction team and will work seamlessly across our market-leading Commercial and Insurance Groups to bring our best-in-class client service to new levels."  

Arash said: "I am excited to join RPC, which has an excellent reputation in the market, with a brilliant, people-focused, collaborative mindset. The firm has ambitious growth plans and I look forward to contributing to its long-term success."