Education
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George Washington University Law School, J.D., with honors, 1981
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Duke University, B.S., magna cum laude, 1974
Bar Admissions
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District of Columbia
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Doha, Qatar
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Maryland
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United States Virgin Islands
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Susan Bastress is the Managing Partner of Patton Boggs’ Doha office. Ms. Bastress advises multinational companies on cross-border, transactional business issues, providing strategic legal counsel. She leverages an extensive background in commercial transactions, real estate, infrastructure development and alternative dispute resolution in her work for architectural, hospitality and infrastructure development firms. Much of her work focuses on multinational companies seeking advice and counsel on achieving success in the Middle East region. Her understanding of the political climate in the Middle East, derived from her work on behalf of other sovereign clients of the firm, significantly augments her ability to provide sound advice and counsel to such clients. In particular, Ms. Bastress has advised multinational development companies focused on hotel and other hospitality projects.
Representative clients have included the embassies of foreign governments, an international media company, a national retail chain, the institutional investment arm of a foreign government, and the housing finance authority of a U.S. territory. Ms. Bastress offers substantial experience in alternative dispute resolution, and founded the Virgin Islands Mediation Service (VIMS), personally mediating more than 150 civil cases involving environmental tort liability, hurricane-related claims in construction disputes, and personal injury. Ms. Bastress has also served on the panels of the American Arbitration Association and JAMS, in which capacity she has arbitrated and mediated complex construction disputes.
In 2003, Ms. Bastress established Patton Boggs’ Doha office, serving as its initial managing partner. Ms. Bastress also has the distinction of being the first non-Qatari attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Qatar.
Representative Matters
- Prepared mixed-use development documentation in connection with a $5.5 billion, 8,600-acre community in Qatar.
- Represented an international airline in the launch of flight operations into the United States.
- Mediated an architectural design dispute involving a major development project in the Middle East.
- Represented the Discovery Channel in leasing more than 250 retail outlets.
- Represented owners in the development of 5-star hotels both internationally and in the United States.
- Represented the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority in connection with a program to develop affordable housing.
- As counsel to an affiliate of the National Cooperative Bank, coordinated with the Federal National Mortgage Association to create a secondary market for housing cooperative share loans.
Professional Affiliations:
- Board member, Middle East Institute (MEI)
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