We are widely regarded as having one of the leading corporate transactional and advisory practices in the world and we continue to act on some of the most prestigious and complex international deals. This is also true in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, where our corporate practice covers M&A (particularly cross border), joint ventures, securities and capital market transactions, regulatory, restructurings and reorganisations as well as more general corporate advisory work.
We act for a variety of organisations including sovereign wealth funds and government investment vehicles, leading regional and international corporates, international and regional banks, some of the most successful regional and international private equity houses, supporting them with their most complex and strategically important transactions.
Our core sectors include financial institutions, energy (especially oil & gas) and utilities, healthcare, retail and consumer and telecommunications within which we advise on outbound investments across the globe as well mandates throughout the region including in the GCC, wider Middle East and North Africa.
Our practice is ranked Band 1 across the Middle East by all of the leading legal research directories.
Our combined Saudi team, based in Riyadh (with two further LFSH branch offices in Jeddah and Al Khobar) comprises of lawyers who are supported by the Freshfields offices in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as the other offices across our international network. We work together on local and international transactions on a daily basis, providing clients with a seamless service across all aspects of Saudi law.
Our Corporate Practice is Freshfields MENA’s largest practice with over 25 lawyers throughout the region, including 4 partners.
Role summary
We have advised clients in the MENA region for over 30 years and have been building a presence in Saudi Arabia for the past 15 years. During this time we have established the firm as a leader in the legal market, acting on many of the best deals and winning over key regional clients.
After another strong year, the MENA Global Transactions (Corporate) practice has a solid pipeline of work for the most high profile and highly sophisticated clients in the region. As a result, we are looking to recruit an Associate (junior to mid-level) to join the Global Transactions (Corporate) practice in Riyadh. The successful candidate is a national of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), has obtained legal qualifications in KSA and holds a practising license with the Saudi Ministry of Justice (registered with the Saudi Bar Association as practising lawyer). They will work on a broad mix of transactions, with primary focus on private and public M&A work and joint ventures. Most of the work will have a significant international dimension (bringing with it real visibility across our network), and will range from some of the largest and most complex transactions to smaller deals which provide greater responsibility.
Key responsibilities and deliverables
Working on a wide variety of transactions for a range of clients
Working on full scale worldwide acquisitions of existing businesses, new ventures and a variety of joint ventures
Involvement in the highest profile transactions in the market, regionally and globally
Contributing to developing and deepening relationships with existing key clients
Key requirements
KSA national
Obtained legal qualifications in KSA and holds a practising license with the Saudi Ministry of Justice (registered with the Saudi Bar Association as practising lawyer)
1 – 5 years PQE in KSA terms
Strong academic record and qualifications
Strong technical and commercial background
Excellent communications in English (oral and written)
Good organisational skills and attention to detail
Able to work effectively as part of a team
Confident, self-motivated and committed to providing excellent client service
Able to manage a high degree of responsibility of work demands
Enthusiastic participant in business development activities, including networking, organising and delivering seminars, attending conferences and publishing as well as proactive involvement in knowledge management
Our lawyers in Riyadh work closely with colleagues in other offices and are responsible for transactions throughout the MENA region. The candidate must be willing and able to travel across the MENA region and further afield as and when required
اطلب مساعدة الخبراء لكتابة سيرة ذاتية مميزة.