CMS bolsters Banking & Finance practice with partner appointment in Dubai
CMS is pleased to announce the appointment of Gabriella Savastano as a partner in its Banking & Finance practice in Dubai. Gabriella returns to CMS, where she worked as Legal Director in the United Arab Emirates between 2022-2023. She rejoins the firm from Linklaters where she was head of the financial services regulatory practice in the UAE.
Gabriella has more than a decade of experience advising international and domestic clients on the full spectrum of UAE financial regulations, including licensing, conduct of business, regulatory compliance, anti-money laundering and other regulatory matters. Her clients include leading global financial institutions as well companies in the fintech space, such as crowd-funding platforms, payment service providers and virtual asset service providers.
Gabriella has previously spent eight years working as senior legal counsel at a leading international investment bank where she was responsible for a wide variety of regulatory and commercial projects, including regulatory reform projects covering Brexit and MIFID II. This strong in-house experience has given Gabriella a deep understanding and insight into the issues that Financial Institution clients face.
Gabriella is ranked in leading legal directories, including the Chambers & Partners Global Guide 2025 for Regulatory: Financial Services and the Chambers & Partners FinTech Guide 2025 for FinTech Legal. She is also recognised in the Legal 500 EMEA 2025 Guide for Banking and Finance: Financial Services Regulation (UAE).
Adrian Bell, CMS Partner and Joint Managing Director for Asia and the Middle East, comments: “The Middle East market continues to thrive, with large financial institutions expanding across the region and hedge funds choosing to set up shop here. Gabriella’s return to the firm is timely and will help us capitalise on this growth.”
Ash Saluja, Head of Financial Services & Products at CMS, comments: “As our clients increasingly look globally for growth opportunities, it is ever more important for us to have experienced regulatory colleagues in key growth jurisdictions for financial services such as the UAE. Gabriella has fantastic experience and a strong market profile, and we’re delighted to welcome her back to the firm. Financial services regulatory matters are a high priority for all financial institutions, and her appointment bolsters our regulatory offering to clients operating across the Middle East.”
Gabriella comments: “I’m delighted to be rejoining CMS as the region reaches a pivotal moment in financial services regulation. CMS has a strong reputation across the UK and Europe for its Banking & Finance practice, and there is an exciting opportunity for me to help further develop the firm’s financial services practice in the UAE and across the GCC. I look forward to supporting our clients as they navigate regulatory complexities and seize the opportunity it presents.”
The firm’s global Banking & Finance team comprises over 650 lawyers and provides a full range of services across the Middle East, Europe, North Africa, Latin America and Asia. CMS Dubai has grown by 30% every year for the past six years and continues to actively recruit industry specialists to support its clients.
