Global law firm White & Case LLP is operating directly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia following the grant of a Foreign Law Licence by the country's Ministry of Justice in line with new regulations for foreign law firms operating in the Kingdom.
"White & Case has been advising on Saudi matters since the 1950s and is the only international law firm with a seven-decade track record of support for Saudi Arabia," said Waad Alkurini, White & Case Office Executive Partner in Riyadh. "Establishing a direct presence in Saudi Arabia opens a new chapter in our Firm's enduring relationship with the Kingdom. Our lawyers in Riyadh, the wider Middle East and throughout our global network will continue to advise leading international and domestic clients on their most important, complex, multijurisdictional and local deals and disputes involving Saudi Arabia."
The White & Case office in Riyadh has more than 30 lawyers, including five partners and a breadth of experience practicing across Saudi, English and US law. The team provides full-service international and local law advice to leading international and domestic corporates, financial institutions, government entities and government-related enterprises on many of the most innovative and complex transactions and high-stakes disputes in Saudi Arabia. The Firm's broad Saudi capabilities include antitrust and competition law, banking and finance matters including Islamic finance, debt and equity capital markets, joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions, disputes, foreign investment and project development and finance.
The Riyadh team was strengthened further by the recent addition of partner Anwaar Alshammari, previously a Senior Adviser at the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA). A former White & Case associate, Anwaar rejoined the Firm's Global Project Development and Finance Practice. Prior to her role at MISA, she was General Counsel and Board Secretary at Saudi Venture Capital Company.
"We are very excited to be operating directly in Saudi Arabia, extending seven decades of service in the Kingdom during which we have forged strong relationships with major public and private companies as well as government entities," said Anwaar. "Our legal teams will continue to be hands-on and partner-led, focused on providing the full 360-degree support our clients expect and delivering pragmatic, commercial solutions which help ensure they achieve their key Saudi-related business goals."
White & Case established its on-the-ground presence in Riyadh in 1993, and the grant of a Foreign Law Licence by the Ministry of Justice of Saudi Arabia coincides with the Firm's 30th anniversary in the Saudi capital. The Firm is moving into a state-of-the-art new office in Riyadh during 2024, located in the Tadawul Tower – centrepiece of the King Abdullah Financial District – which will also host the Saudi Stock Exchange and a number of major banks and financial institutions.
White & Case has also obtained a Regional Headquarters (RHQ) licence from MISA. The role of the RHQ, which will be based in Riyadh, is to provide strategic support and management of the Firm's wider activities in the MENA region.
White & Case has been active in the Middle East for around 70 years, with an on-the-ground presence since 1989. It currently has six offices in the region: Egypt (Cairo), Oman (Muscat), Qatar (Doha), Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) and the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi; Dubai).
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