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Catherine Martinez

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Catherine is a New York qualified lawyer in the firm’s Doha office. She has extensive international experience in banking, finance, and capital markets. Catherine represents corporations, financial institutions, and government entities in complex financial matters. Additionally, she routinely acts for international corporations that have a presence in the Middle East, Turkey, and Europe.

Catherine’s focus in financial services is on advising clients on secured lending, Islamic finance, EMTN issuances, FinTech, investment funds and other financial products. Having in-depth knowledge of the Qatari legal market, Catherine is proficient at handling complex matters and providing clients with comprehensive legal support.

Catherine previously worked in London as a senior associate in the U.S. capital markets team at a leading Magic Circle law firm. In 2018, Catherine relocated to Doha and worked at Commercial Bank as a transactional lawyer within the bank’s in-house corporate legal team. At Commercial Bank, Catherine primarily managed cross-border transactions and advised on general corporate matters and issues of corporate governance.

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The Board of Directors of the Qatar Financial Markets Authority (QFMA) has issued Decision No. 3 of 2026, introducing the Instructions for the International License to Practice Certain Activities in International Financial Markets (the Instructions).

The Instructions create a regulatory framework under which QFMA-licensed financial services firms may, with prior QFMA approval, conduct specified activities in international financial markets. The new regime forms part of Qatar’s broader effort to develop its capital markets and expand access to international investment opportunities while maintaining regulatory oversight and investor protection.

Continue Reading QFMA Introduces International Licensing Regime for Financial Services Firms