Clifford Chance and AS&H announce Joint Venture in Saudi Arabia to create AS&H Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance and Abuhimed Alsheikh Alhagbani Law Firm (AS&H) are pleased to

announce their agreement to enter into a 50:50 Joint Venture (JV) in Saudi Arabia. The JV

will be known as AS&H Clifford Chance. The restructuring of Clifford Chance's business in

Saudi Arabia has the full support of the Clifford Chance global partnership.

Clifford Chance is one of the first international law firms to receive a license from the

Ministry of Justice to practice law in Saudi Arabia through the joint venture with AS&H.

Delivering for our clients through AS&H Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance is one of the world's pre-eminent law firms, with significant depth and range

of resources across five continents and a strong client base which includes leading

corporates, financial investors, governments, regulators, trade bodies and not-for-profit

organisations. Clifford Chance has had an on-the-ground presence in Saudi Arabia for many

decades in a variety of forms and has operated in cooperation with AS&H since November

2016. The cooperation has been highly successful and a key part of Clifford Chance's

market-leading Middle East practice.

AS&H is the leading law firm in Saudi Arabia and has a deep bench of 64 Saudi nationals and

internationally qualified lawyers who are specialists across a range of practice areas

including Corporate, Banking & Finance, Debt and Equity Capital Markets, Antitrust,

Regulatory, Public Policy, Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Real Estate, Construction and

Public Private Partnerships. In conjunction with Clifford Chance, AS&H has amassed a wealth

of experience in Saudi Arabia and has led the market in developing many of the features of

existing market practice. The team regularly advises key Saudi Ministries and government-

owned entities as well as a wide range of government owned, privately and publicly held

Saudi and international businesses, listed companies and financial institutions. The firm has

a strong track record of advising on some of the most innovative and ground-breaking

transactions in Saudi Arabia.

With effect from 1 May 2023, the existing cooperation arrangement between Clifford

Chance and AS&H will be restructured into a JV. This new JV structure will enhance Clifford

Chance's leading position in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East and its ability in supporting

regional and international clients. It will also allow all current AS&H lawyers and business

staff access to Clifford Chance’s Academy programme which offers a wide range of

classroom and online legal and business skills training to lawyers and business professionals,

helping them to develop their legal, business and commercial skills.

Collaborative leadership

A&SH Clifford Chance will continue to benefit from strong and collaborative leadership with

Dr Fahad Abuhimed, the existing AS&H Managing Partner, remaining the JV’s Managing

Partner. Majid Al-Sheikh, Mansoor Alhagbani and Yasser Al-Hussain will retain their practice

area leadership roles and continue to be supported by the existing contingent of Clifford

Chance partners, Omar Rashid, Daniel Royle and Sahel Mughal who are all based in Riyadh.

Alwaleed Albazaie and Hanan Hassanain will also be partners in the JV.

Guy Norman will be the Senior Clifford Chance Partner within the new structure. Guy was

previously Clifford Chance’s Global Head of Corporate and prior to that spent a number of

years as Head of Corporate in the Middle East. He will now relocate to the region and help

integrate the JV into the global firm with the existing Clifford Chance partners based in

Riyadh, including alignment of global processes and policies. He will take a leading role

alongside the other JV partners in client development in Saudi Arabia and help deliver the

full potential of the opportunities which the region offers for the Firm.

Dr Fahad Abuhimed, AS&H Clifford Chance Managing Partner, comments: "This exciting

new joint venture further cements the unique relationship that Clifford Chance and AS&H

have enjoyed for the last six years in the Kingdom, and which has created an unrivalled legal

powerhouse in Saudi Arabia. "

Charles Adams, Clifford Chance Global Managing Partner comments: “We are delighted to

be creating an even stronger and more integrated Saudi offering through our new joint

venture arrangement with AS&H. We look forward to working together in continuing to

provide our local, regional and global clients with the highest-quality advice and support in

this exceptionally dynamic and fast-growing market.”

ENDS