Peter Koh joins Bird & Bird as senior legal consultant in Saudi Arabia

Building on its admission to Tier 1 in the Legal 500 for TMT and Media in Saudi Arabia, achieved in the first six months of the office being open, Bird & Bird has expanded its corporate practice in the Kingdom with the appointment of Peter Koh as senior legal consultant. Recognised for his expertise in cross-border transactions, Koh is based in our Riyadh office, joining partners Raya AlKhatib, Nick O’Connell and Simon Shooter.

Koh brings more than 30 years’ experience advising clients on cross-border joint ventures, M&A, private equity, financing and commercial matters across Asia, the Middle East and the United States. He has a particular focus on complex cross-border transactions involving Asian investors and counterparties, especially in technology-driven and advanced manufacturing sectors.

Koh has previously advised clients navigating Saudi Arabia’s evolving regulatory environment, including personal data protection, cybersecurity, e-commerce, financial services and capital markets compliance. His practice increasingly focuses on the intersection of technology, regulation and investment, particularly as Saudi Arabia advances its digital infrastructure and technology-enabled industrial capabilities under Vision 2030.  He has experience acting for both international and Saudi-based clients on joint ventures, distributorship arrangements, service agreements and a wide range of other business matters in the Kingdom. He has also been extensively involved in advising on market entry strategies and cross-border investments involving Chinese and Korean companies, including transactions with state-owned enterprises and strategic investors.

Prior to joining Bird & Bird, Koh practised with leading international law firms in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai and Beijing. The breadth of Koh’s cross-border experience complements the firm’s positioning as a truly international law firm.

Koh has commented, “I’m delighted to have joined Bird & Bird in Riyadh at a time when Saudi Arabia is rapidly strengthening its position as a regional hub for both digital infrastructure and advanced manufacturing. As the Kingdom continues to localise industrial capabilities and build supply chain resilience, we are seeing increasing cross-border investment into sectors where technology and manufacturing converge.  The firm’s truly international reach and deep expertise across sectors aligns perfectly with my expertise in cross-border transactions. I look forward to working alongside Bird & Bird’s global TMT and corporate teams to support clients in structuring and executing these investments in Saudi Arabia and across the wider region.”

Simon Shooter, managing partner for Bird & Bird – KSA, “We are very happy to welcome Peter to Bird & Bird KSA. Peter brings an exceptional depth of knowledge, drawn from more than 30 years of experience working across multiple jurisdictions. His experience significantly strengthens our corporate practice in the Kingdom. His broad transactional expertise and strong grasp of Saudi Arabia’s evolving regulatory landscape make him a real asset to our team. Peter’s arrival reflects our mission to offer the best available expertise to our clients and our determination to build a truly world-class offering. Peter will also be a cornerstone in our commitment to train the very best next generation of Saudi lawyers.”