DAC Beachcroft will open its first office in the Middle East this summer in Dubai, the firm announced on May 7, 2026. Three partners are joining from Clyde & Co to establish the new branch in the Dubai International Financial Centre, where the practice will initially concentrate on insurance and healthcare work. The hires bring more than 40 years of combined experience in the region to what the firm described as a pivotal expansion.
Michael Morris, Mark Beswetherick and Michael Ducker will relocate to the new office from Clyde & Co, according to the announcement. Morris returns to DAC Beachcroft, where he began his legal career, after serving as litigation partner and Middle East head of insurance at his previous firm since relocating to the UAE in 2015, with a focus on commercial and professional liability claims. Beswetherick, who also previously worked at DAC Beachcroft, was head of Clyde & Co’s insurance and dispute resolution practice in Dubai and specialises in arbitration, international litigation and corporate investigations. Ducker served as co-head of Clyde & Co’s Middle East and Africa healthcare group, spanning both insurance and healthcare sectors.
Gustavo Blanco, head of international business at DAC Beachcroft, welcomed the team in the firm’s statement. «We are looking forward to welcoming Mike Morris and Mark back to DACB later this year and to have Mike Ducker joining us at what will be such a pivotal moment in our growth,» Blanco said. «They are an established, cohesive team with an exceptional reputation in the Middle East market. Their arrival will give us immediate scale and credibility in the region and create a powerful platform for further expansion.» With their deep sector knowledge and regional insight, the firm will be well placed to support clients’ most complex and high-value matters, he added.
The launch aligns with long-standing strategic priorities for the firm, managing partner Helen Faulkner stated. «Opening in the Middle East has long been a strategic priority for the firm,» Faulkner said. «Dubai is a gateway to the region and a global centre not only for insurance, but also for healthcare and our other advisory practices.» Clients can expect the same market-leading expertise, seamless cross-border capability and collaborative culture from the new base as they receive across the firm’s international network, she noted.
DAC Beachcroft has pursued rapid international growth in recent years. The firm opened in Miami in February following offices in New York and Los Angeles the prior year, according to its announcements. It established offices in Hong Kong and Lima in 2024 and associations with law firms in Australia and Ecuador in 2025, building on its core UK network of 11 offices and existing operations across Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific.
The timing coincides with strong expansion in DIFC’s insurance sector. DIFC Authority data places gross written premiums at 4.2 billion dollars in 2025, a 20 percent rise from the previous year and double the 2022 level. The authority authorised 28 new insurance and reinsurance firms during 2025 and the first quarter of 2026.
The office will be based in DIFC Square, a new development within the Dubai International Financial Centre that is home to other international law firms including Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer. Initial operations will target the insurance and healthcare sectors that have driven much of the hub’s recent growth in financial services.
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