Corporate/Commercial | Global

Clifford Chance operates in the Kingdom via a joint venture with its former association partner (AS&H) which maintains a top-tier corporate practice with a considerable bench of respected lawyers. It is known for its deep knowledge of the fast-evolving Saudi market and its impressive track record of roles on numerous high-profile transactions. The team is often seen on very high-value M&A transactions and major joint venture agreements, with significant experience advising on cross-border mandates. Its clients include investment funds, international banks and major energy companies.

Baker McKenzie has a considerable track record in Saudi, representing clients in a host of M&A transactions. Its well-established presence and extensive experience in the Kingdom make it a go-to law firm both for cross-border and purely domestic matters. The team adeptly advises on the establishment of new entities, as well as corporate restructuring and regulatory compliance matters, often acting for clients from the financial services and tech sectors.

Khoshaim & Associates is a pre-eminent independent law firm with established depth in Saudi Arabia, maintaining offices in Riyadh and Jeddah as well as Abu Dhabi. The team is well equipped to advise on market entry mandates, including by way of joint venture agreements. Its lawyers also handle M&A transactions. It acts for major international and regional clients, including government entities and heavyweight energy clients. The firm is further adept at assisting with commercial regulatory issues and is notable for its expanding venture capital practice.

Latham & Watkins has a growing team in Riyadh which is composed of several prominent and highly respected individuals. It regularly assists international clients operating in the petrochemicals, retail and pharmaceutical industries with their corporate needs in Saudi Arabia, including with regard to market entry. The corporate department advises on a range of acquisitions, strategic investments and the establishment of joint venture structures. Lawyers in the team have further experience assisting local clients with M&A matters.

Clyde & Co has a prominent corporate team in Saudi Arabia that is frequently engaged to assist with M&A transactions, joint ventures and group restructurings. The firm has further expertise in franchising and distribution agreements as well as other commercial contracts. Of late it has also advised a number of prominent international clients on the establishment of their regional headquarters in Riyadh.

In 2025 Freshfields established a standalone office in Riyadh, while also maintaining close links with local practice, the Law Firm of Salah Al-Hejailan. It fields a highly experienced group of lawyers in Saudi Arabia, which has recently been bolstered by inter-office moves. The team is able to advise on a wide range of M&A, joint venture and commercial restructuring matters. The team frequently acts on private equity investments in the healthcare and TMT sectors. Clients benefit from the Riyadh team's very close working relationship with Freshfields' Dubai office.

White & Case is well noted in the Saudi market for its lawyers' vast experience acting on behalf of government entities and major regional companies. The firm regularly provides advice on high-profile M&A and real estate transactions. Its lawyers also adeptly advise on joint venture agreements and privatisations.

Al Tamimi & Company operates a strong regional corporate and commercial practice with extensive experience in Saudi Arabia. The firm provides guidance on acquisitions, divestments and joint venture agreements, often acting alongside international law firms on multi-jurisdictional matters. It offers broad market coverage, with offices in Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province. The firm has considerable experience advising on matters under Saudi Arabia's regional headquarters programme.

Baker Botts fields an astute corporate and commercial team noted for its impressive capabilities in Saudi Arabia. The firm's extensive experience includes assisting multinationals with Saudi market entry issues, as well as advising on M&A. Its Riyadh-based lawyers regularly act for clients on corporate structuring issues, as well as a variety of commercial contract mandates and joint venture agreements.

Dentons operates a full-service practice in Saudi Arabia covering a wide array of commercial and corporate matters. This includes contract negotiations and corporate governance mandates, with its strengths further extending to M&A transactions and joint venture agreements. The department regularly handles mandates on behalf of clients from the energy, real estate and transportation sectors.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher opened in Riyadh at the end of 2023, and has quickly established itself as a major player in the transactional space, acting for numerous big-name clients. The corporate group has a strong reputation for representing public bodies and their affiliated companies in joint ventures and M&A mandates. The team in Saudi Arabia has amassed extensive experience handling deals across a variety of industries.

Hammad & Al-Mehdar Law Firm is a respected independent practice with headquarters in Jeddah as well as additional offices in Riyadh and across the Middle East. The team is especially active on joint ventures and strategic partnerships, including in relation to market expansion, and has further expertise in group restructuring.

Kirkland & Ellis entered the Saudi market to much fanfare in 2023. In this short space of time it has built an impressive Riyadh team which is especially active in the private equity arena, leveraging Kirkland's global strength in this field. The team assists with the acquisition and sale of majority and minority stakes, in addition to strategic investments, joint ventures and group reorganisations.

Linklaters has an experienced team of lawyers in Riyadh which is capable of advising international and local companies on a wide array of M&A matters. The team frequently represents investment funds and clients from the technology industry. It is often sought out to assist foreign multinationals with their entry into the Saudi market through a franchise agreement or the establishment of a joint venture.

ZH Partners with association with Hourani & Partners has a dynamic corporate team with well-established strengths in joint venture agreements and M&A. It also has extensive experience advising clients on corporate governance and group structuring, in addition an array of commercial regulatory concerns. The team advises a number of major Saudi and international players, leveraging its bench within Saudi Arabia as well as its strong capabilities in Dubai.

A&O Shearman fields a compact team with a wealth of transactional experience in the Kingdom. Its lawyers are able to provide clients with advice on corporate structuring and joint ventures as well as private equity investments and divestments. The team has deep expertise in a host of transactional mandates, and is regularly to be seen acting for clients from the natural resources and financial services industries.

Addleshaw Goddard is a recent entrant to the Saudi market but has quickly established itself as a strong adviser for transactional work. The Riyadh-based corporate team assists clients with a wide range of corporate matters in the Kingdom, acting on the acquisition and sale of assets, and frequently advising shareholders.

Ashurst offers an experienced group of lawyers advising on a range of governance and commercial contract mandates, as well as acting on M&A transactions. It regularly assists with the formation of joint ventures, and is also active in company structuring matters and privatisation mandates. The firm's Saudi operations encompass offices in both Riyadh and Jeddah.

BLK Partners has experience advising on the full gamut of corporate and commercial issues in Saudi Arabia, covering mergers, joint venture agreements, acquisitions and divestments. The firm acts for a client base hailing from a range of sectors and it offers a significant understanding of corporate governance and structuring matters.

Squire Patton Boggs acts for a broad range of industrial, technology and professional services clients on the full gamut of mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. Its Riyadh office is home to a compact but well-regarded domestic team which works alongside colleagues based in Dubai on a number of matters.

Al Akeel and Partners acts for clients across the healthcare, luxury goods and construction industries on a variety of incorporation and entity formation matters. It also assists clients with obtaining regional headquarters licences from the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Investment.

BSA LAW is a regional Middle Eastern law firm with a well-established presence in Saudi Arabia. It regularly advises on the incorporation of local subsidiaries and the formation of joint ventures, as well as providing guidance on licensing and agency agreements. The compact corporate team in Riyadh works on a number of matters alongside its colleagues based in Dubai.

Feras Al Sawaf Law Firm is a well-established independent practice which frequently acts as Saudi local counsel alongside international law firms with no presence of their own in the Kingdom. It is well-versed in commercial contract negotiations, including those relating to distribution agreements, and also has extensive experience aiding international clients to set up their operations in the Saudi market.

Khalid Nassar & Partners (KNP) is notable for its considerable experience advising on the formation and launch of investment funds, including real estate funds. Its work has a strong focus on the real estate sector more broadly, offering advice on strategic acquisitions and the structuring of major development projects. The remit of the corporate team also encompasses corporate governance as well as M&A.

Mahassni & Co is a well-established law firm with a long history in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its current generation of partners assists with corporate governance and restructuring issues as well as commercial agreements. The team acts on matters in the energy and financial services sectors and also offers experience assisting public companies.

Mohammed AlDhabaan & Partners Eversheds Sutherland maintains a comprehensive corporate practice which is a dominant presence in midmarket M&A. It is frequently turned to for advice on the acquisition of minority stakes and is equally well applauded for its work handling joint ventures.

Omar Alrasheed Law Firm acts for investors and corporate clients on investments into Saudi Arabia. The firm has experience advising on matters taking place in the construction and technology industries. Further areas of work include representing clients in the negotiation of franchise and commercial agency agreements.

Suhail Partners is a recently formed independent Saudi law firm which is regularly mandated on commercial contracts and corporate governance work. It is well versed in the negotiation of management and distribution agreements, as well as their termination. The firm offers additional expertise relating to departmental restructuring, as well as M&A and joint venture arrangements.

Thamer Althobaity & Dafer Alsubaie Law Firm is a compact practice with a strong track record in M&A and commercial contracts. It acts for a mix of domestic Saudi clients and well-recognised global names, including luxury brands, with notable experience providing guidance to international clients on their entry into the Saudi market and general corporate governance concerns.

Zamakhchary & Co is a respected independent law firm which is active on an array of transactional and commercial advisory work. It frequently provides counsel on the formation and restructuring of joint venture arrangements, as well as providing guidance on distribution agreements and day-to-day operational compliance.