Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) has expanded to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the next step in its growth strategy across the Middle East, where it has been established for nearly 20 years.
The firm plans to open two offices in Riyadh and Al Khobar with a team of four partners.
Othman Alshmry and Sam Eversman have joined the firm as partners to lead its operations in Saudi Arabia. Othman will also take up the role of managing partner for BCLP’s offices in the Kingdom.
Alshmry’s practice has a strong focus on litigation, dispute resolution, and arbitration. He brings more than 20 years of experience litigating cases in the commercial and Shariah courts, the Board of Grievances, and various other judicial and quasi-judicial bodies in Saudi Arabia.
Eversman was formerly a partner at legacy Bryan Cave, and brings over three decades of expertise in Saudi regulatory and commercial advisory work within the Kingdom. He assists clients across the entire business lifecycle, offering insights on market entry, structuring, establishment, and operations in both private and public sector procurement in sectors including energy, defence, architecture and engineering services.
BCLP partners Farida Sadiq and Richard Dupay will lead the transition into the jurisdiction alongside Dubai and Abu Dhabi managing partner, Richard Davies, who has more than 20 years of Middle East construction projects experience in both transactions and disputes.
BCLP CEO Steven M. Baumer said: “Othman and Sam are excellent additions to the partnership, and they will bring deep knowledge of the region to their leadership roles as well as bolster our client offering. We have been working successfully with both Othman and Sam for many years, and we are pleased to now have a roster of four accomplished partners leading our offices in Saudi Arabia. Growing in KSA is a crucial part of the firm’s growth strategy.”
The two offices will offer services across multiple sectors, including lawyers fully qualified to practise Saudi Arabian law. BCLP is also among the few international law firms to open an office in the port city of Al Khobar, underscoring its commitment to infrastructure projects in the region.
BCLP head of strategic growth Chris de Pury added:Â “This is a huge opportunity for BCLP to gain a distinct, competitive advantage internationally given its strong track record in leading real estate, construction, and infrastructure projects across the full spectrum of legal services.”
