Shahrzad Atai

Spear’s Review

Shahrzad Atai is a partner and head of international clients at Child & Child. She initially joined the firm in 2015, where she founded and headed the Middle East desk and worked for several HNW and UHNW families.

Her geographical focus includes the Middle East and Europe. She specialises in cross-border transactions, property finance, structuring, private wealth and foreign investment in the UK.

When she spoke to Spear’s, Atai explained how she acts like an in-house or general legal counsel for most of her clients, using her own expertise as well as finding appropriate specialists.  She said: ‘I manage the relationship. I distinguish the needs and diagnose what needs to be done case by case, a little bit like an investment or private banker but for the client’s legal needs.’

She is proficient in several languages, including French, Italian, Turkish and Persian. In addition to her legal work, she lectures at the University of Orleans and the University of Tours.