Latham & Watkins capital markets partner Najla Al-Gadi is due to join Gibson Dunn in Riyadh, Law Middle East can exclusively reveal.
A Latham & Watkins lifer, Al-Gadi trained and qualified at the firm, and was promoted to partner in January 2025, telling Law Middle East of her pride to be a part of Saudi Arabia’s evolving legal landscape.
Al-Gadi is due to join Gibson Dunn in early September, according to sources familiar with the matter.
It is understood that no other Latham & Watkins lawyers will be moving with her to Gibson Dunn.
Dual-qualified in Saudi Arabia and New York, Al-Gadi will bring a wealth of experience advising clients on capital markets transactions across a range of industries. Her practice spans initial public offerings (IPOs), secondary equity offerings, public company representation, mergers & acquisitions (M&A), and corporate governance matters.
She advises issuers, investment banks, boards of directors, and capital markets institutions on a range of securities transactions and regulatory matters. She has represented clients across sectors including financial services, healthcare, IT, oil & gas, real estate, and telecoms.
She has played a leading role in many of the Kingdom’s most significant market transactions, including most recently the IPOs of flynas, Umm Al Qura, and Almoosa Health Company. She has also played a key role in the IPOs for Rasan, Miahona, and Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest IPO to date.
“Najla’s arrival marks a major milestone in the continued expansion of our capital markets platform in the region,” said Ibrahim Soumrany, a capital markets partner in the Dubai and Riyadh offices of Gibson Dunn. “Her deep transactional experience, strong market relationships, and reputation for excellence make her an exceptional addition to our team.”
“Najla’s presence will further enhance our ability to serve clients in Saudi Arabia and across the broader Europe, Middle East, and Africa region,” he said. “We look forward to welcoming Najla to Gibson Dunn.”
Gibson Dunn has been in the Middle East for more than 40 years, representing many of the region’s largest companies and financial institutions, including prominent government-affiliated entities. In November 2023, the firm opened its Riyadh office, marking an expansion of its Middle East presence, which includes offices in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, established in January 2023 and October 2022, respectively.
In the years since the firm has grown to more than 60 lawyers in the region, with nearly half of the team based in Riyadh, revealed Marwan Elaraby, partner in charge of Gibson Dunn’s Dubai office and Law Middle East’s February 2025 cover star, in a recent interview.
In addition to partners Soumrany and soon Al-Gadi, Gibson Dunn lists four associates in its Riyadh capital markets team on its website.
Latham & Watkins’ capital markets team remains one of the largest in Riyadh, with three partners and eight associates led by regional managing partner and Saudi Arabia practice chair Salman Al-Sudairi.
A spokesperson for Latham & Watkins told Law Middle East: “We wish Najla all the best in her future endeavours.”
