PwC Middle East has announced the acquisition of HLP Consulting, a company specialising in the provision of claims preparation and analysis, dispute resolution, expert witness, contract management and commercial management services to the construction industry and energy sector.
The consultancy is active in a number of countries across the region, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait, as well as other international locations.
PwC said the acquisition will improve its existing capabilities in the region, enabling it to better serve the needs of its clients.
John Wilkinson, PwC Deals Leader Middle East Region and Senior Partner Forensic Services said: “This combination expands PwC’s Middle East capabilities to provide specialist services, in relation to construction disputes and claims.
“It also helps build on our significant forensic capabilities in the region. With falling oil prices, we are likely to see an increase in construction-related disputes and with this acquisition we seek to better serve and equip our clients.”
Chris Scudamore, PwC Capital Projects Services Leader Middle East Region said: “An increasing number of our clients are looking to work with firms able to provide services across the whole capital project lifecycle, from strategy to execution.
“The combination of skillsets of the existing PwC Capital Projects team and the HLP team, across all major markets in the Middle East region, will help create a differentiated, end to end offering for our clients.”
Mike Harding, Principal Director of HLP Consulting Limited added: “Joining PwC is strategically the right choice. We wanted to join a firm with an established growth track record and with aspirations and values that matched our own.
“HLP as a business has grown significantly over the past few years and now is the right time to join PwC to access the wider PwC international network and investment that will enable us to develop the business further.”