The small country of Qatar, once a string of pearl and fishing villages, is emerging as a modern gem in the Persian Gulf. Kirkandrae Durrant '04, a construction law attorney in Patton Boggs' Doha, Qatar, office, is at the heart of this transformation.

"It's fantastic to actually see the changes that you are a part of every day," says Durrant, who left the construction practice group of McCarter & English LLP in Hartford to join Patton Boggs LLC's office in Qatar in November 2008.

While most countries are in an economic slump, Qatar only slightly larger than Connecticut and a leading global provider of liquid natural gas, is flourishing. Its large modernization projects are proof of its financial strength. Durrant is one of the lawyers keeping these development projects on track, working on projects involving the Qatar government and multinational contractors and subcontractors.

"Much of what I'm doing," says Durrant, "is preparing, reviewing and revising contracts on behalf of the government on each of these projects. In some cases, however, we are inheriting disputes; we'll be called on to do damage control, and that may involve litigation."

Patton Boggs, which was invited by the Qatar government to open an office in Doha in 2003, is one of only two foreign law firms to be granted local status in Qatar, which allows Patton Boggs' attorneys to advise its clients on Qatar law and practice locally without a local partner or sponsor.

It's interesting for Durrant to be in a country where lines are clearly and deeply drawn between people based on class, national origin and gender. He tries to keep an open mind and is becoming familiar with the customs of a Muslim society. "From the moment I get out of bed, 70 percent of the things I do today are different from the way I would do them in the United States; not bad, better or worse-just different."

He is enjoying his new home. Doha, the capital of Qatar, is an exciting place to be, he says. As a modern city, it has great food, culture and entertainment.

"Qataris see us as instrumental in their economic growth and value the support that we are able to give them," he says. "It genuinely feels great to be able to contribute to and be a part of something this big."