Chambers Review
Provided by Chambers
Corporate/Commercial - Saudi Arabia
What the Team is Known For
In 2023, Latham & Watkins became one of the first international law firms to formalise its presence in the Kingdom, having maintained a successful cooperation agreement with the Law Office of Salman Al-Sudairi for many years. Its Riyadh corporate team is known for its strong focus on the representation of government bodies. It is frequently called upon to oversee major M&A transactions, as well as assisting with development projects. The firm has equally extensive experience advising on the formation of Saudi Arabian joint ventures. Clients benefit from the firm's ability to work with other offices in Latham's global network on multi-jurisdictional transactions.
Strengths
"They know the ins and outs of the regulatory issues and they're very good at navigating the process."
Work Highlights
Latham & Watkins acted for Jadwa Investment on its purchase of a 70% interest in e-commerce company Dabdoob Holdings.
Notable practitioners
Salman Al-Sudairi is a strong Riyadh-based lawyer who is well known for his extensive experience advising on major Saudi M&A transactions, with his wider practice encompassing infrastructure investment, joint venture agreements and privatisation mandates.
"Salman is an outstanding lawyer."
Leen Zaza has an increasingly prominent position in the Saudi market, assisting with joint venture agreements, acquisitions and strategic venture capital investments. She often acts on matters in the technology and natural resources sectors.
"She is excellent and is very active in the market."
"A very good technical lawyer."
Ahmed el-Gaili has broad-ranging transactional experience relating to sectors as diverse as telecoms, pharma, construction and energy. He is regularly mandated on very high-value transactions and garners considerable praise from the market.
"Ahmed is very good at finding practical solutions."
Brian Meenagh is a respected TMT lawyer who has experience advising on a broad array of matters, including procurement and outsourcing agreements as well as data protection and cybersecurity issues. In 2023 he relocated to Riyadh, having most recently led the firm's market-leading TMT group in the UAE.
"Brian is very business-savvy, with strong negotiation skills and an impressive ability to manage multi-jurisdictional teams when handling complex technology transactions."
