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William L. Nash III

Partner

Bill Nash, managing partner of the firm’s Abu Dhabi office, co-leader of the firm’s Middle East practice, and member of the firm’s international leadership team, has been resident in Abu Dhabi since 2008 and previously lived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Bill advises regional and global clients on a variety of corporate and business law matters, focusing on the formation of and investments in private investment funds, international transactions and joint ventures, and general corporate counseling. He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and New York.

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"
Bill Nash is simply phenomenal. With a wealth of knowledge and a commercial approach, he achieves the perfect balance from a client perspective.
The Legal 500 EMEA
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Advice is timely, to the point and tailored beautifully to exact needs and requirements of the client and the landscape in which the client operates.
The Legal 500 EMEA
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Bill is our go-to lawyer for any investment transaction involving an international element. Clients like his outside-the-box solutions.
Chambers Global
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Bill and the UAE investment funds team are leaders in their field, with extensive knowledge and experience.
Chambers Global
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Bill represents institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds, corporate groups, and family offices, in connection with their global investment activities, including establishing and maintaining customized investment platforms, reviewing and negotiating investments in private investment funds, and drafting and negotiating investment management and other commercial agreements. Bill also represents investment managers in connection with their formation and regulatory and operational matters and in respect of the structuring, formation, governance, and regulation of private investment funds, with a current particular focus on the Abu Dhabi Global Market.

Bill also advises Middle East financial institutions on compliance and regulatory matters including the application of US anti-money laundering, sanctions, and know-your-customer laws and regulations.

Bill is a regular speaker on investing in the Middle East and in the United States and an active member of the US-UAE Business Council and the American Chamber of Commerce in Abu Dhabi. Bill formerly taught international investment law and acted as a thesis advisor as part of the International Business Law Master’s Degree Program at the Paris-Sorbonne University in Abu Dhabi and he was a founding member of UNHCR’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Sustainability Board.

Before joining Morgan Lewis, Bill was the coordinator of the MENA practice and the managing partner of the Abu Dhabi office of another global law firm. He previously practiced law in the asset management group of another global law firm, focusing on advising private investment fund sponsors on the structuring and offering of US and offshore investment funds and fund regulatory, trading, and operational matters.

Before practicing law, Bill served as an emergency management specialist with a US consulting firm, where he was responsible for designing and facilitating training exercises to prepare US federal and state emergency responders for natural disasters and other crisis situations.

  • The George Washington University Law School, 2000, J.D., with high honors, Order of the Coif
  • George Washington University, Elliot School of International Affairs, 2000, M.A., National Security Studies
  • Vanderbilt University, 1994, B.A., Political Science
  • District of Columbia
  • New York

Ranked, Investment Funds, Middle East-wide, Chambers Global (2021–2024)

Recommended, Investment Fund Formation and Management, United Arab Emirates, The Legal 500 EMEA (2020, 2023, 2024)

Founding member, UNHCR’s MENA Sustainability Board

Firm Liaison, US-UAE Business Council

Member, American Chamber of Commerce in Abu Dhabi

Firm Liaison, Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute