SEDCO Holding Chairs Riyadh Legal Risk and Compliance Conference

Nicholas Polley, Chief Legal Officer at the SEDCO Holding Group, was appointed as the distinguished chairperson of the Legal Risk and Compliance Conference, held at the Riyadh Marriott Hotel on October 10th and 11th.

Analysing and mitigating business risk in a fluctuating regulatory environment through systematic compliance methodologies to attain high rewards in a volatile economy has been on major organizations’ agendas in Saudi Arabia.  This is the case for the SEDCO Holding Group, a leading Shariah-compliant wealth management group that invests in real estate and other thriving, highly rewarding sectors, whose legal team was named by Legal500 as one of the best 100 in-house legal teams in the Middle East.

In addition to chairing the conference, Nicholas Polley moderated various panel discussions including the spotlight panel discussions on pro-active approaches to be adopted by organisations for implementing pending changes in legislation, and the optimal approaches for organisations in dispute resolution management. These sessions utilized panels of experts to discuss framework considerations for organisations to make the right decisions.  Particularly in arbritation strategies, to avoid expensive litigation, on exploring better options to resolve disputes than litigation, on tailoring dispute clauses to suit a given organisation’s needs, and, if and when it becomes unavoidable, making the most out of arbitration and mediation.

“Just as the SEDCO Holding Group takes pride in its status as a major player in the the Kingdom’s journey towards Vision 2030, I am proud and honored to be chairing this vital conference in an ever evolving regulatory landscape, ” said Mr. Polley. “The Group looks forward to being at the forefront of the national efforts to ensure that the Kingdom’s legal landscape is in full readiness for the Saudi Vision 2030 and it sustains a true culture of compliance.”

At the conference, legal professionals from around the GCC provided insights on how corporations are growing more and more conscious as to the risks and liabilities of doing business in the evolving legal landscape of the Saudi economy. The recent amendments to corporate laws, and the creation of a court order execution department, among many others, not only bring new challenges to the legal departments of corporations, but also will necessitate a realignment of business processes to ensure diligent, cost effective compliance.  Ultimately this is with the view to supporting orgnanisations in contributing toward the 2030 vision and to maximize its outcome for KSA.  An initiative we are all extremely proud to be part of. 

Having joined SEDCO in 2013, Mr. Polley enjoys 18 years’ worth of professional experience in international finance, and dispute resolution. At SEDCO, he manages and advises on all types of transactions, and supervises local and international legal matters. He holds a BSc in Developmental Economics and International Politics with honors (including law) from the University of Bristol, UK. He has been a qualified solicitor since 2000, and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitration (CIArb). In 2015, he was ranked as one of the top 100 legal counsels in the Middle East by The Legal 500.