Harsha Kumar
Image of Harsha Kumar

Harsha Kumar

Counsel

Email

Harsha.Kumar@aoshearman.com

Phone

+971 2 4180 452

Offices

Dubai

V-CARD
Harsha leads the firm's regional ECM practice in the GCC region and has extensive experience in a wide range of transactions acting for issuers, shareholders and investment banks on a multitude of capital raisings, including initial public offerings (IPOs) and secondary offerings in the UAE and the wider GCC.
He also regularly advises on public and private acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures and strategic investments for listed and unlisted companies and provides general corporate and listing regulatory advice to market participants.

Harsha's expertise also includes corporate governance matters, including compliance with listing rules and other securities laws, directors' duties and corporate reporting. He regularly works with listed companies, investment banks and other shareholders and investors across multiple sectors.

Expertise

Experience

Representative matters

  • IPOs and listings – Harsha advises issuers and underwriters on IPOs and listings of companies on the DFM, ADX and other stock exchanges in the META region, London Stock Exchange and other international exchanges.Recent experience includes advising on the UAE IPOs of Dubai Taxi Company, Abu Dhabi National Hotels Catering, ADNOC Gas, ADNOC L&S, Empower, TECOM and the UK IPOs of Softline, Ibstock, Clydesdale Bank, Funding Circle SME Fund and more.
  • Secondary offers and follow-ons – Harsha also advises listed companies, underwriters and selling shareholders across the globe on rights issues, accelerated bookbuilds and other strategic equity-related and corporate finance transactions. Recent examples include advising G42 on its selldown of Presight AI (by way of ABB), ADNOC Gas’ fully marketed offering, ADNOC on its selldown of shares in ADNOC Drilling (by way of ABB) and others.
  • Public and Private M&A – Harsha has extensive experience acting on public and private M&A transactions both in the META region and internationally. Recent experience includes advising Engie on its disposal of power and water assets in Bahrain and Kuwait to ACWA Power, CDPQ on its USD5bn investment in in three of DP World’s flagship UAE assets and ADNOC on its USD3.3bn acquisition of a 51% interest in Fertigloble from OCI N.V.

Pro bono

  • Harsha is a keen advocate of the firm’s pro bono and community support work, in particular working with charitable organisations on their corporate structuring and funding requirements. Most recently, he advised Street Child on a review of its legal structure.
  • Harsha has also mentored young people through A&O Shearman’s award winning Smart Start programme.

Qualifications

Admissions

Admitted as a solicitor in England & Wales

Appears on the SRA register as Krishnakumar

Academic

Master of Laws, London School of Economics, 2019

Bachelor of Laws (Honours), University of New South Wales, 2009

Bachelor of Science, University of New South Wales, 2007

Languages

English
Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.