International law firm Bird & Bird will open an office in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to support both local and international clients in key industry sectors and practices in which the firm operates. At the start the office will focus on supporting our clients’ needs in technology and intellectual property law, as well as providing transactional and general corporate advice.
The office will be led by Anders Nilsson as Head of Region for the Middle East and will have three resident expert partners Raya Alkhatib, Nick O’Connell and Simon Shooter, supported by a team of Saudi associate lawyers.
Raya is a corporate partner, advising international and local clients on matters including general corporate advice, formation of companies, mergers and acquisitions, initial public offering transactions, rights issue and real estate investment funds.
Before joining Bird & Bird, she worked as General Counsel, Governance Officer and Board Secretary at American Express Saudi Arabia. Her three roles included advising on day-to-day legal affairs, such as general corporate matters, debt collection, employment issues, finance, payments and e-commerce matters, co-branding agreements, and advising on partnerships with local banks.
“Saudi Arabia's dynamic business landscape offers exciting opportunities for both local and international clients seeking strategic corporate guidance in the Kingdom.” – Raya AlKhatib.
Nick is a tech and data expert, supporting the firm’s clients on their business needs across the Middle East. Described in Chambers & Partners as “the best Saudi-based lawyer for IT matters”, Nick has been based in Riyadh for most of the last seven years and has unrivalled experience in building and managing a successful technology, media and telecommunications practice in the Kingdom.
With extensive experience in the broader region, Nick regularly advises international and local clients on diverse matters, ranging from transactional contracting work through to regulatory advisory on technology, cloud, data, media and telecoms issues.
“The Kingdom’s strong focus on technology and innovation aligns perfectly with that of Bird & Bird as a leading technology firm.” – Nick O’Connell.
Simon is a commercial and technology partner and founder of the firm’s cybersecurity practice. He has been a partner with Bird & Bird for over 17 years. Before joining the Riyadh office he worked in the firm’s London and Dubai offices. His experience of the Kingdom stretches back to the 1990s when he was an external lawyer to the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in London and he has been engaged in legal matters across the Gulf ever since. Simon has a diverse client base ranging from hospitals and international investment banks to automotive manufacturers and airlines. A constant feature of his work is helping businesses rise to the challenge of technological change.
“With one of the world’s 20 largest economies and its Vision 2030 strategy driving a diversified and thriving economy, we are excited for this next step in the firm’s regional expansion.” – Simon Shooter.
The team will work closely with their award-winning colleagues in the UAE (winners of the International Law Firm of the Year award at this year’s Legal Era Middle East Law Awards and last year’s The Oath Middle East Legal Awards) to achieve the firm’s strategic ambition to be the leading international technology law firm in the Middle East.
Christian Bartsch, CEO of Bird & Bird says: “This new office opening continues on the momentum the firm has built following the launch of our new five-year strategy – including the launch of our Tokyo office last year. We have a strong presence across Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. Our Middle East team has gained a well-deserved reputation across the region, and this new base – led by a brilliant team - will allow us to expand our support to clients.”
Anders Nilsson, Head of the Middle East region at Bird & Bird says: “We are looking forward to opening our new office in Riyadh. We are committed to assisting both our local and international clients in this rapidly -evolving market, cementing our market-leading reputation in the Middle East for advising businesses and public bodies within key areas such as technology and digital transformation, IP and brand commercialisation, media and sports, as well as aviation and automotive.”
