Global law firm Shearman & Sterling has bolstered its global finance practice with the addition of Gus M. Atiyah, who joins the firm as a partner in the Washington, DC office.

Mr. Atiyah began his career as an associate in Shearman & Sterling’s New York office in 1997 and left in 2003 to join the National Bank of Kuwait as General Counsel for International Affairs. Since 2007, he has been a partner at Fried Frank, where he advised private equity and debt funds, corporations and financial institutions in a wide range of industries.

“We are very excited to have Gus back with our firm,” said Creighton Condon, the firm’s Senior Partner. “He boasts a true global practice, with service to clients in the US and around the world. We see Gus’s arrival as also being a big boost in the Middle East region, where he has significant clients and relationships and we have a leading presence.”

New York-based global finance co-head Josh Thompson added, “Gus provides additional depth to what is already an outstanding US and global finance team as well as to our growing private equity offering.”

Mr. Atiyah has represented both borrowers and lenders on leveraged financing transactions, including with respect to syndicated senior facilities, second-lien facilities, leveraged buyouts, debt restructurings, recapitalizations and debt investments. In addition, he has also assisted equity and debt funds in raising financing. Consistently recognized in legal directories as a leader in “Finance: Bank Lending,” Mr. Atiyah also has extensive real estate finance experience.

“It is always good to come home again, and that is how I’ve always felt about Shearman & Sterling,” Mr. Atiyah said. “This is a great opportunity for me to introduce Shearman & Sterling’s practice offering and its partners to my clients.”