RIYADH: An international law firm has expanded its operations to Saudi Arabia after it was given clearance by the Kingdom’s Ministry of Justice.
London-based Addleshaw Goddard was granted a foreign law firm license to work in Riyadh following its announcement last year of plans to launch an office in the Saudi capital, its fourth in the Middle East and North Africa region.
The branch will offer expertise in corporate mergers and acquisitions, banking and finance, and energy, as well as oil and gas, renewables, and infrastructure.
The firm’s revenue growth in the Middle East has doubled over the last decade, and its presence in Saudi Arabia will boost its income by 40 percent in the next five years.
Andrew Johnston, AG’s global managing partner and head of Middle East and Asia, said: “The market reaction, the clients we have already secured and deals we are working on in the short time since we announced our intention to launch in KSA has been really encouraging and is a testament to the quality of the team who are all well regarded in the Saudi market.”
He added: “It is an essential next step for our business in the Middle East and will form a central plank of our growth trajectory in the region in coming years.”
The business has over 350 partners and nearly 1,392 lawyers and fee-earners worldwide. In the Middle East, 24 partners and nearly 60 fee-earners are based full-time.
