Allen & Overy (A&O) further expands its Middle East presence by launching its own office in Riyadh. The firm has received its license to operate in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and has opened its own office in the Kingdom, ahead of its merger with Shearman & Sterling to become A&O Shearman, which is on track for May 1.
A&O’s physical presence in Riyadh will strengthen and expand existing relationships with leading Saudi Arabian clients, as well as support international clients looking to invest in the region, by linking the firm’s client base – and A&O Shearman’s future combined clients – and quality brand with a presence on the ground.
A&O’s team on the ground includes partners Hosam Ibn Ghaith and Haris Meyer Hanif, both of whom have experience working on some of the largest, most complex and unique transactions in the region for a variety of high-profile clients.
Following the completion of A&O’s merger with Shearman, they will be joined by Shearman’s strong team in Riyadh, led by Dr. Sultan Almasoud, who has headed the firm’s presence in the Kingdom for nearly a decade, and includes partner Mohsin Suleman.
“We are thrilled to announce the opening of our office in Riyadh, as we look forward to supporting the Kingdom further on its ambitious diversification programme as part of Vision 2030. A&O has had a strong presence in the Middle East since 1978 and, as A&O Shearman, we look forward to continuing to combine the best of global and local to offer our domestic and international clients a full-service offering, bringing a breadth and depth of resource that we believe is unmatched,” commented Khalid Garousha, A&O regional managing partner for the Middle East and Turkey and interim global managing partner.