Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman has joined a growing roster of global law firms planning to open an office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The firm has filed a request with the Saudi Ministry of Justice for a licence, which is pending approval.
Upon approval, the firm plans to partner with AlArfaj & Partners to establish a presence in the Kingdom. It will be known as Pillsbury AlArfaj.
AlArfaj & Partners’ managing partner Khalid AlArfaj was formerly with Pillsbury and is expected to join the firm as a partner at that time.
“Pillsbury has been involved in a wide range of work in the Kingdom over several decades, and the demands for in-country legal support are growing,” said the firm’s chair David Dekker. “We’re hearing this from clients in all the US, European and Asian financial and technology centers in which we operate, and from within Saudi Arabia itself. Against that backdrop, the time is right to expand our commitment to the Saudi Arabia market and the wider Middle East region.”
“Through my experience working with Pillsbury in the United States, and our continued cooperation since I returned to Saudi Arabia, I have developed a deep appreciation for Pillsbury’s longstanding relationship with the Kingdom,” added AlArfaj. “In recent decades, the firm has been an important partner in the country’s development. Together, we can achieve great success for our clients and for the Kingdom as a whole.”
AlArfaj advises on M&A, joint ventures, corporate structuring, restructuring and governance. He also advises on initial public offerings (IPOs), rights offerings in Saudi Arabia’s capital markets, and private equity and venture capital transactions.
He is regarded for his experience in energy and contributed to reviewing the Saudi Nuclear Law draft as well as the country’s international nuclear agreements.
Prior to founding AlArfaj & Partners, he worked at several international law firms in the US and Saudi Arabia, including Pillsbury.
Recent Pillsbury engagements relating to Saudi Arabia include representing notable companies and individuals including Snap Inc. in connection with the opening of an office in Riyadh as well as His Royal Highness Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, a well-known entrepreneur and investor, on investments both in Saudi Arabia and various other countries. The firm also represented the Saudi bid committee, as a sub-contractor, on matters involving its 2034 FIFA World Cup bid submission.
Pillsbury’s broader Middle East practice consists of more than 40 practitioners across the globe.
Nadia Barazi, a London-based Pillsbury partner who leads the firmwide Middle East practice, said: “A Riyadh presence benefits all our clients with business interests in the region, whether they are based in the Kingdom or elsewhere. As Saudi Arabia’s economy continues its rapid ascent—with particular attention on the energy, technology, financial, real estate & construction and life sciences sectors—the opportunities available to companies and investors there are multiplying just as quickly. Pillsbury has a leading reputation in those industries and more.”
