Baker McKenzie granted RHQ License in KSA

 Baker McKenzie announced that the firm has acquired a majority interest in its longstanding associated firm Legal Advisors, Abdulaziz Alajlan & Partners, which will now be known as Baker McKenzie Law Firm. In addition, the Firm has been granted a Regional Headquarter (RHQ) License by the Ministry for Investment of Saudi Arabia. Baker McKenzie has been active in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region since the 1970s, either directly or in cooperation with local law firms. Baker McKenzie now has a total of eight offices in the region, including two Saudi offices in Riyadh and Jeddah.

The Firm’s RHQ will be based in Riyadh and will be managed by Karim Nassar.

“We are delighted to be newly operating as Baker McKenzie in the Saudi market through our majority shareholding and to have received our Regional Headquarter License. This is a positive milestone in the year we celebrate more than 45 years of supporting clients with their business dealings in and with Saudi Arabia,” said Milton Cheng, global chair of Baker McKenzie. “Both developments demonstrate our commitment to this fast-growing economic hub and are further evidence of our continued investment in the MENA region more broadly.”

Saudi Arabia managing partner Karim Nassar added, “Our regional headquarter in Riyadh entrenches our long-established and market-leading presence in Saudi Arabia and the MENA region. We look forward to continuing to advise our clients on their most complex cross-border matters, including in the context of Vision 2030 and the diversification of the Saudi economy. We are also thrilled to have acquired an equity interest in Legal Advisors, after so many years of seamless collaboration with them, and to begin operating in the Kingdom under the Baker McKenzie brand.”

Riyadh-based partner Abdulrahman AlAjlan further commented, “We are pleased with the long and close collaboration with Baker McKenzie, which has culminated today with their direct acquisition of a majority stake in our law firm. The acquisition will undoubtedly contribute to the transfer of international legal knowledge and expertise to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the region.”

Legal Advisors, Abdulaziz Alajlan & Partners, now known as Baker McKenzie Law Firm, has long provided clients with a full-service offering around cross-border matters, including multinational mergers and acquisitions, international finance and complex litigation. Lawyers in the Firm’s Riyadh and Jeddah offices regularly collaborate with international legal experts from more than 70 Baker McKenzie offices and affiliated firms around the world to help Saudi Arabian businesses, multinationals and financial institutions achieve their business objectives in the MENA region and internationally.