Gowling WLG expands into Saudi Arabia with AlGhazzawi & Partners

Gowling WLG is pleased to announce the opening of its new office in Saudi Arabia, established through a joint venture with Talal Al Ghazzawi and a continuance of the firm’s association with AlGhazzawi & Partners. This strategic expansion reinforces the firm’s commitment to providing comprehensive legal services across the Middle East.

The new office, located in Riyadh, will offer a full range of legal services with an initial focus on Intellectual Property, Technology, and Energy & Infrastructure, building on the firm’s market leading regional expertise in these sectors. This milestone marks an important step in Gowling WLG’s efforts to meet the growing demand for legal expertise in the region and to support the economic development of Saudi Arabia.

David Fennell, CEO of Gowling WLG (UK) LLP, said, “This significant milestone marks an essential regional step in the growth of our international platform. By expanding our presence in Saudi Arabia, we are reinforcing our commitment to delivering exceptional value and innovative solutions to our clients worldwide. We look forward to contributing to the dynamic and rapidly evolving market in the region.”

Tim Casben, partner at Gowling WLG and Head of Middle East, added, “The opening of our new office in Saudi Arabia is a direct response to our clients’ needs and represents a significant opportunity for growth and innovation. The region is experiencing rapid development across various sectors, and we are excited to be a part of this dynamic transformation. We are honoured to be partnering with such a prestigious firm and look forward to working closely with AlGhazzawi & Partners to provide our clients with unparalleled legal support and to contribute to the region’s ongoing success.”

The partnership with AlGhazzawi & Partners, a leading law firm in Saudi Arabia, will combine the international expertise of Gowling WLG with the local knowledge and experience of AlGhazzawi & Partners, ensuring clients receive tailored and effective legal solutions.  The office will be led by Bachir Chakra and Imran Mufti.

Commenting on the new venture, Dr. Belal Talal Ghazzawi, senior managing partner at AlGhazzawi & Partners, added, “Our relationship with Gowling WLG has gone from strength-to-strength and this new venture is the natural next step in developing the partnership further to support our respective clients to navigate the global marketplace together.”

Hussam Talal Ghazzawi, managing partner at AlGhazzawi & Partners stated that,”the forming of our joint venture is a culmination of efforts exerted by the teams of both firms and it will strengthen our ability to provide seamless services to clients. The JV will also help to attract and nurture local talent.”

AlGhazzawi & Partners is a renowned full-service law firm carrying strong regional and international credentials, which it has developed during its five decades of practice. The firm was founded in 1968 by Dr. Talal Amin Al-Ghazzawi, the current chairman, and is spread across offices in Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam.

Gowling WLG’s established Middle East team focuses on core practice areas of technology, intellectual property, corporate, commercial, disputes, and energy transition and infrastructure projects, from offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The new joint venture strengthens the relationship between Gowling WLG and AlGhazzawi & Partners, following on from the cooperation agreement established between the two firms in 2021.

Over the last four years the two firms have worked closely together to support clients across multiple sectors and services including: government advisory, intellectual property, technology media and telecoms (TMT), corporate and mergers and acquisitions, energy and infrastructure, mining, project development and finance, construction disputes, and international arbitration.

The office will be supported by partners in the region including Tim Casben, Jonathan Brufal who is Gowling WLG’s co-head of Energy and Infrastructure, Alex Brazeau who is the firm’s co-head of Technology, and Jon Parker who heads  the IP practice in the region.

In the photograph (left to right): Bachir Chakra (partner), Imran Mufti (partner) and Tim Casben (managing partner)