King & Spalding new partner in Riyadh

King & Spalding has announced that Haifa Bahaian, former chief legal officer of the Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC), has joined the firm as a partner. She joins the firm’s Real Estate and Funds practice group and is based in the Riyadh office.

Bahaian’s practice covers funds, private equity, corporate and regulatory work, with a strong emphasis on matters involving the Middle East and Saudi Arabia. She was most recently the Chief Legal Officer at SVC, where she also served as the secretary of the General Assembly, the Board of Directors and the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.

“Haifa brings a strong blend of experience in private practice, in-house and within a major Saudi financial institution, as well as an excellent reputation with her extensive governmental and business contacts in the region,” said Nabil Issa, managing partner of King & Spalding’s Middle East offices. “The opportunities for both inbound and outbound interest in Saudi Arabia as it continues its Vision 2030 reforms are vast, and Haifa’s experience in investment funds, M&A and transactional regulatory matters will help our clients take advantage of those opportunities and the firm to continue to expand its footprint here.”

Bahaian’s hire follows the announcement in September 2023 that King & Spalding had been granted a foreign law license by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Justice, allowing the firm to officially operate in the country.

Prior to her post at SVC, Bahaian served as senior legal counsel at Olayan Saudi Holding Company and practiced at Latham & Watkins and Baker McKenzie. She received her undergraduate degree from Prince Sultan University and her LLM from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law.

“King & Spalding has a long and impressive history in the Middle East, and being able to join the firm as part of its continued expansion in the region is an exciting opportunity,” Bahaian said. “I’ve been fortunate to know and work with several of my new partners before and look forward to collaborating with all the other exceptional lawyers and clients the firm has across the region and around the world, as well.”