“It’s tangible, it’s real, it’s sensitive, it’s serious and it doesn’t look like it’s going to go away any time soon,” says one law firm partner of the diplomatic crisis currently roiling the Middle East.

The decision by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt to suspend diplomatic relations with Qatar on 5 June has caused shockwaves through the region, leaving law firm partners scrambling to assess the implications for their offices in Qatar and their clients.