Indian law firm ANB Legal has announced the opening of its first international office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as part of its strategic expansion into the Gulf region.

The firm has appointed Santanu Ghosh, a seasoned legal expert with over 25 years of experience in litigation, international arbitration, and corporate law across India and the UAE, to lead the new office.

ANB Legal's Dubai office, located at RAKEZ Business Zone-FZ, RAK, will offer a range of services including private equity and venture capital funding, mergers and acquisitions, corporate commercial contracts, maritime and shipping law, private client practice, intellectual property, and commercial disputes and arbitration.

"After having our offices in six Indian cities, we are excited to charter the international waters," said Payal Parikh, a partner of ANB Legal, in a statement. "We foresee a prolific partnership ahead."

The move comes amid increasing interest from Indian law firms in the UAE market. At least five Indian firms set up offices in Dubai in 2023, including AKS Partners, Goswami & Nigam, Singularity Legal, Vidhisastras Advocates & Solicitors, and Parin Legal. More recently, one of India's largest firms, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, opened an office in Abu Dhabi.

Ghosh joins ANB as a partner, but will also be managing partner of Lex Ensemble FZ, a UAE boutique law firm that he founded. He previously had stints at UAE firms Shamsa AlBedwawi Advocates & Legal Consultants, Ibrahim Albanna Advocates and Legal Consultants, Khalifa Bin Huwaidan Advocates & Legal Consultants, as well as in-house roles at companies in India like Tata Capital, Mumbai International Airport Limited, Standard Chartered, and ICICI Bank.

Founded in 2013, ANB Legal recently launched a maritime practice in Mumbai after hiring Apurva Mehta as a partner to lead it.