Lamplighter Group has launched its Abu Dhabi operations, the firm said in a statement on Monday. The boutique advisory and intelligence company, which maintains its headquarters in London, seeks to deepen its engagement with clients across the Middle East through the new base. This development comes nine months after the group’s official launch in September 2025, when it secured significant growth capital from institutional investors to support ambitious scaling plans.
The firm was founded by a team that previously built the business intelligence practice at DGA Group, where it gained Chambers and Partners recognition in investigative due diligence and litigation support. Michael Auerbach serves as executive chairman, bringing 25 years of experience that includes roles at DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group and as founder of Subversive Capital. He is joined by partners James Birkett, Austen Josephs, Simon Watson, Miranda Alsop and Janet Younan, each contributing specialised knowledge in investigations, capital markets, political risk and multilingual due diligence.
Services offered by Lamplighter Group encompass pre-deal investigative due diligence, political and regulatory risk assessments, and sector opportunity mapping for executives, investors and legal counsel. The firm also supports ongoing client relationships with strategic intelligence, crisis response, anti-corruption enquiries and reputational risk management, its statement detailed. For disputes and post-deal matters, it provides litigation support, asset tracing, witness interviewing and diplomatic advocacy, drawing on proprietary networks, human intelligence and digital forensics.
In an announcement on its newsroom, Lamplighter Group highlighted its expertise at the intersection of politics and business, which the Abu Dhabi office will now bring directly to the Gulf region. The company, which operates under the tagline “We light the way,” aims to deliver actionable insights that help clients navigate volatile markets and shifting regulations. This expansion aligns with the firm’s strategy to broaden geographic coverage and senior appointments in the coming months.
Abu Dhabi has emerged as a preferred location for global advisory businesses, as evidenced by Capital Group’s May 2026 announcement of plans for its first Middle East office in the Abu Dhabi Global Market. The financial free zone continues to draw infrastructure and investment specialists, with Stonepeak having established its presence there in 2024, according to company statements compiled by industry publications. Public data from the Abu Dhabi Global Market shows steady growth in registered entities focused on financial services and consulting.
The Middle East advisory market is projected to experience sustained expansion amid economic diversification initiatives across the Gulf, a PwC Middle East assessment of regional business services found. Firms like Lamplighter Group are responding to demand for specialised geopolitical and regulatory guidance as businesses manage complex cross-border risks. The new Abu Dhabi presence enables the company to combine its London-based expertise with on-the-ground capabilities in a key regional hub.
