Event information
The Legal 500 is proud to announce the inaugural GC Summit Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on April 30th. The luxurious Riyadh Marriott Hotel on King Saud Road will host this pivotal legal gathering, tailored exclusively for esteemed in-house professionals.
Sponsored by leading firms from Saudi Arabia and the broader region, this event is set to shine as a beacon of legal excellence. Dive into a wealth of practical insights from distinguished speakers at the GC Summit Saudi Arabia 2024, designed to address the unique needs of GCs and senior in-house counsel.
Don’t miss the chance to be part of this essential conference.
Agenda
8.15am – 9.00am Registration and breakfast
9.00am – 9.15am Keynote
9.15am – 10.00am Unlocking Opportunities: Navigating Foreign Investment and Establishing Companies in Saudi Arabia
This panel will focus on the dynamic landscape of foreign investment in Saudi Arabia, delving into setting up companies and Regional Headquarters (RHQ). We will explore:
- Foreign Investment: The strategic framework for economic diversification in Saudi Arabia and its implications for foreign investors.
- Legal and Regulatory Landscape: The essential laws and regulations that govern foreign investment and the establishment of business entities,
- Setting Up Regional Headquarters (RHQ): The benefits, criteria, and procedural steps for foreign investors aiming to establish an RHQ in Saudi Arabia.
- Navigating Business Practices: A look at the local business culture, and operational nuances crucial for foreign investors to understand
10.00am – 10.25am Fireside Chat
10.25am – 10.40am Coffee Break
10.40am – 11.25am Harmony Amidst Complexity: Innovations in Dispute Resolution for Saudi Arabia’s Future
Join us for a dynamic panel session on the future of dispute resolution and project management, featuring insights from Monckton Chambers. Explore the evolving landscape of dispute resolution as projects progress towards completion, both locally and across borders. Gain invaluable perspectives on how mega-projects will operate in Saudi Arabia post Vision 2030, and the implications for dispute resolution.
Discover the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead as Saudi Arabia undergoes transformative changes in its business environment. Learn how business relationships will evolve and the pivotal role that in-house counsel will play in shaping the future of dispute resolution. From introversion to extroversion, delve into the shifting dynamics of dispute resolution and the crucial role of in-house counsel in propelling Saudi Arabia’s business vision forward.
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain actionable insights and strategies for navigating the future of dispute resolution in the evolving landscape of project management, both locally and globally. Join us and be part of the conversation shaping the future of business in Saudi Arabia.
- Ewan West (Moderator), KC, Monckton Chambers
- Greg Pipe, barrister, Monckton Chambers
- Drew Holiner, barrister, Monckton chambers
- Emad Salameh, partner & head of Riyadh Office, Al Tamimi & Company
- Sarah Gonem, partner, Z&Co
- Fadia M. Mubarak, secretary board of directors, Saudi Equestrian Authority
11.25am – 12.10pm The Pivotal Role of General Counsel in Crisis Management
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain insights from seasoned experts and discover the indispensable value of GCs in safeguarding organizational integrity amidst uncertainty.
- Martin Creek, partner, Z&Co
- Sarah Gonem, partner, Z&Co
- Ahmad Chit, managing director, Quantuma International
- Mohammed AlMaskati, managing director, Hanover Communications
- Kassem Younes, senior managing director, Ankura
- Christian Murad, head of legal, Middle East, Lucid Motors
12.10pm – 12.25pm Coffee Break
12.25pm – 1.15pm Unveiling the Transformative Impact: Navigating Projects in Saudi Arabia’s New Legal Landscape
Embark on a journey through the vibrant realm of project development in Saudi Arabia with Herbert Smith Freehills! Join us for a captivating exploration into the pivotal legal landscapes shaping initiatives across diverse sectors. Our esteemed team will shed light on the intricate tapestry of corporate intricacies and project finance dynamics, whilst navigating the terrain of construction claims and disputes. Delve deep into the transformative legal reforms of the past year, uncovering how each stage of project execution has been profoundly influenced. Don’t miss this golden opportunity to gain invaluable insights and strategic perspectives on navigating the Saudi Arabian legal terrain!
- Moderator: Joza AlRasheed, managing partner, Herbert Smith Freehills (Riyadh)
- Alexander Currie, partner, Herbert Smith Freehills (Riyadh)
- Nick Oury, partner, Herbert Smith Freehills (Riyadh)
1.15pm – 1.20pm Closing Remarks
1.20pm – 2.30pm Lunch and Networking
Speakers
Ewan West, KC, Monckton chambers
Ewan West has a high-profile practice spanning all kinds of commercial disputes, with particular expertise and experience in the field of Government contracting, acting for both private companies and public bodies. Prior to coming to the English Bar he was a senior civil servant in the UK Department for Transport. As well as dealing with the full run of matters relating to contractual formation and performance, his practice also covers the areas of public procurement, competition, state subsidy and trade disputes, including under the new post-Brexit regime. He also acts for and against regulatory bodies, including regulators in the utilities sector, as well as providing a full range of related advisory services. He holds an MBA from Cranfield University and is CEDR-accredited mediator.
Greg Pipe, barrister, Monckton chambers
Gregory Pipe is a very experienced commercial barrister. He has successfully litigated a full spectrum of technology disputes in the civil and military fields including international telecomms, power generation stations, oil refineries, chemical manufacturing, formula 1 motor racing technology, computer systems, steel structures, dams, aircraft and submarines. He has extensive experience in large joint ventures and developments. He has a particular interest in share sales and high value asset sales which have included football clubs, hotels and blue-chip items including the most valuable (at the time) car in the world and the ownership of Bluebird K&, the world-famous record-breaking water speed record breaking boat. His practice covers frauds, contract disputes, company disputes and director and shareholder disputes claims in these areas and generally.
Drew Holiner, barrister, Monckton chambers
Drew specialises in commercial dispute resolution and is admitted to practise in Russia, the UK (England and the Territory of the Virgin Islands), the DIFC (Dubai) the United States (California) and Ireland.
Drew is regularly instructed to act as counsel or arbitrator in commercial disputes, and in particular those involving application of the laws of Russia and other associate or member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (‘CIS States’) or which otherwise have a close connection to those countries. He has experience in arbitrations conducted under HKIAC, ICC, LCIA, UNCITRAL and ICAC (Russia) rules.
Drew has over 20 years of specialist experience acting or advising in matters applying the laws of Russia and other CIS States. He regularly acts as an expert advisor or witness in legal proceedings on matters of Russia law and the laws of other CIS States, including most recently in respect of the laws of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Ukraine. Drew is fully fluent in both English and Russian and is equally comfortable working in either language.
Martin Creek, partner, Z&Co
Martin is Head of Z&Co’s transactions practice and has been based with the firm in Riyadh since 2013. His experience prior to joining Z&Co. includes working in the corporate department at Slaughter and May in London. Martin has considerable experience of advising clients on a wide range of matters including M&A, joint ventures, foreign investments, projects, bank financings and capital markets.
Martin received his law degree from the University of Oxford, BA in Jurisprudence and is admitted as a Solicitor in England and Wales.
Sarah Gonem, partner, Z&Co
Sarah Gonem is a Partner at Z&Co., with her core practice in commercial dispute-resolution. She leads the team in managing complex disputes in a range of adjudication settings, including the Commercial and General Courts, arbitration, and Judicial Committees for tax, securities and banking disputes.
Sarah is currently ranked as a Leading Individual by the Legal500, and has been ranked in her individual capacity since the 2020 edition, which reported that Sarah is “excellent” and “has a particular talent for facilitating progress in cross-border cases”.
She has also been ranked in Chambers Global since 2021, which stated “Sarah Gonem has an increasingly substantial presence in the market and is noted by commentators for being “good at combining Western and Arabic legal expertise in a very effective manner.” She is well placed to advise on significant claims for both multinational companies and major Saudi players. Clients also comment that she provides “very strong and detailed advice.”
Fadia M. Mubarak, secretary board of directors, Saudi Equestrian Authority
With over two decades of in-house legal experience in the GCC, Fadia Mubarak has earned recognition as one of the region’s leading General Counsels, lauded by the prestigious Legal 500. Her strategic vision propelled a national logistics giant in Saudi Arabia onto the global stage, while her expertise guided the first restructuring case under Bahrain’s Reorganization & Bankruptcy Law.
A member of the GCC Board of Directors Institute, Fadia is a governance advocate, advising multiple boards across the region. Yet, her impact transcends boardrooms. Passionate about personal growth, she fosters talent through mentorship, coaching, and training, leaving an enduring mark on the legal profession. Fadia Mubarak continues to illuminate the path for legal luminaries in the GCC and beyond.
Ahmad Chit, managing director, Quantuma International
Ahmad Chit, managing director, Quantuma International.
Ahmad is a Managing Director based in our Dubai office with over 17 years’ experience in the forensic accounting, investigations and compliance fields.
Ahmad is a Canadian qualified chartered accountant and has been involved in a wide array of complex, high-profile and multi-million-dollar investigations and disputes across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and North America.
Ahmad has been based in the Middle East for over 10 years, during which time he has worked with the private sector, local courts, public prosecutors, ministries, local regulators and law enforcement agencies in the region. His regional experience includes work submitted to local GCC courts, international courts (DIAC/LCIA), the United Nations, the US Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission in the US.
In both English and Arabic, he has drafted and supported numerous expert reports for both court and internal purposes, including analysis and expert opinion.
Prior to joining Quantuma, Ahmad led forensic accounting practices across MENA and held senior roles in the Middle East with major accounting and consulting firms.
Mohammed AlMaskati, managing director, Hanover Communications
Mohammed AlMaskati leads the Hanover Communications office in Saudi Arabia. With over 17 years of experience in strategic communications and public relations in the Kingdom and wider GCC, advising and working with a diverse range of private and public sector clients on strategic communications, public relations, and crisis communications with a focus on comprehensive crisis response strategies that safeguard organizational integrity and manage stakeholders communications effectively.
Before joining Hanover Communications, Mohammed led the operations of BCW in Saudi Arabia for five years; he also worked for BLJ Worldwide in Doha.
Mohammed AlMaskati leads the Hanover Communications office in Saudi Arabia. With over 17 years of experience in strategic communications and public relations in the Kingdom and wider GCC, advising and working with a diverse range of private and public sector clients on strategic communications, public relations, and crisis communications with a focus on comprehensive crisis response strategies that safeguard organizational integrity and manage stakeholders communications effectively.
Before joining Hanover Communications, Mohammed led the operations of BCW in Saudi Arabia for five years; he also worked for BLJ Worldwide in Doha.
Emad Salameh, partner & head of Riyadh Office, Al Tamimi & Company
Emad is a qualified lawyer and has previously practiced as a licensed lawyer before all courts in Jordan and prior to joining Al Tamimi, practiced in Saudi Arabia since 2007 as a senior legal consultant in a leading Saudi law firm associated with an international law firm.
He has experience in restructuring and privatization projects, corporate/commercial matters, disputes resolution. He represented clients in commercial and construction litigation and assisted clients in drafting contracts and agreements, establishing new legal entities, negotiations, and providing pertinent legal opinions.
Kassem Younes, senior managing director, Ankura
Kassem Younes is a Senior Managing Director at Ankura who leads the Saudi Arabia practice. Kassem has a broad range of experience in commercial disputes, both in litigation and international arbitration. He was appointed as an accounting expert witness on numerous cases involving the quantification of damages in contractual disputes, shareholder disputes, and transaction related disputes.
Kassem has also led onsite teams in conducting large and high-profile financial investigations and risk management projects in multiple sectors across the Middle East and North Africa region. These included business continuity and crisis management planning projects in addition to a variety of forensic investigation cases involving corruption, kickbacks, money laundering, embezzlement, asset misappropriation, and financial statement fraud.
Joza AlRasheed, managing partner, Herbert Smith Freehills (Riyadh)
Joza is a corporate lawyer who specialises in advising governments, private entities and other public bodies on domestic and international mergers and acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures and structuring, policy and regulatory compliance, project development in the energy, infrastructure, mining and metals and construction and engineering fields. She has extensive experience working on some of the most high-profile projects which contribute to meeting the growing demand to undertake the energy transition, including renewables, power, hydrogen and green ammonia, and upstream and downstream projects.
Joza is highly sought after for her depth and breadth of the Saudi market. Joza has a profound understanding of the Saudi law and government projects and has worked on many innovative and market first-of-its-kind projects.
She started her career in private practice where she worked between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), she then moved to an in-house role and worked as Senior Legal Counsel for Air Products, a US listed company and partner in the NEOM green ammonia megaproject for the supply of carbon-free hydrogen to global markets.
She is a New York and Saudi Arabian qualified lawyer. Her distinctive experience, as both in house and outside counsel, allows her to effectively tailor her advice to efficiently meet the business objectives of her clients.
She is a Board member of the Georgetown University Mena Law Alumni Advisory Board and the Arab Regional Forum Liaison Officer of the IBA. Joza has recently been appointed as Board member of CATRION (formerly known as Saudi Airlines Catering Co.).
Alexander Currie, partner, Herbert Smith Freehills (Riyadh)
Alexander focuses on energy, natural resources and infrastructure matters. He has extensive experience advising on project developments, project financing, and acquisitions and disposals of energy and natural resources assets. Alexander has particular expertise in restructuring difficult projects.
Alexander’s sector experience includes a wide range of maritime, oil and gas, energy transition, mining, power and infrastructure assets across many jurisdictions.
Alexander is a key member of our market-leading team considered as the ‘platinum’ standard in the energy, natural resources and infrastructure sectors for providing top quality service to clients. Our sector specialists deliver expert support on some of the most complex energy transition and decarbonisation projects (including CCUS), renewables and power projects, world-class mining projects, large-scale oil and gas projects and first-of-a-kind infrastructure projects. We continue to support our clients, and have done over many years, in navigating the systemic shift in interest in green and sustainable financing.
Nick Oury, partner, Herbert Smith Freehills (Riyadh)
As head of the firm’s Middle East construction and infrastructure disputes team, Nick specialises in dispute resolution in the construction and infrastructure sector, with a focus on international arbitration. His experience covers matters of a variety of scale and complexity in the energy (including renewables), real estate, oil & gas, transport and infrastructure sectors.
Nick has acted on ICC, LCIA, DIFC-LCIA, DIAC, ADCCAC, SIAC, and DIS international arbitrations, both for employers and contractors, and involving all major forms of procurement (construction, design and build, EPC). He also advises clients on disputes relating to other project-related contracts, including supply agreements, joint venture agreements, facilities management agreements, and operation and maintenance agreements.
A graduate of Oxford University, Nick is an English law qualified solicitor, and has represented various key clients on high value and significant construction disputes across the Middle East, with a growing focus on Saudi Arabia.
Christian Murad, head of legal, Middle East, Lucid Motors
Christian is a US and Canadian qualified lawyer, who is currently Head of Legal, Middle East at Lucid Motors. He specializes in corporate commercial law, compliance, crisis management, and commercial negotiations. Prior to joining Lucid Motors, Christian was in-house counsel at multinational corporations in various industries including FMCG, financial services, and industrial and technology conglomerate in the US and Dubai. Christian also served as the Legal Advisor to the COP28 UAE Presidency.
Christian has a bachelor’s degree in commerce & finance from the University of Toronto and a Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School.
In association with...
Al Tamimi & Company, the leading law firm in the MENA region, operates from 17 offices in 10 countries, leveraging over 35 years of regional expertise. Our internationally experienced lawyers offer comprehensive services across key sectors like arbitration, banking, corporate law, intellectual property, and technology. We’re dedicated to supporting international corporations, banks, and government organizations, continuously expanding to meet the evolving needs of our clients in MENA
Z&Co. is a full-service law firm based in Riyadh, with over 30 lawyers, including Saudi nationals at the junior, senior, and partner levels.
Each of our core service offerings (Corporate & Commercial Advisory; Public Policy & Regulatory; Transactions; and Dispute Resolution) are led by separate Partners to enable the team to creatively collaborate with maximum efficiency, adeptness and a focus on innovation.
Herbert Smith Freehills operates from 24 offices across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and North America, providing premium quality, full-service legal advice. It has been advising on Middle East transactions and disputes for over 40 years. Operating from offices in Dubai and Riyadh, the team has worked on some of the largest transactions and most high-profile disputes in the region, representing governments, sovereign wealth funds, major corporates, banks and professional services organisations, the firm has an in-depth understanding of Middle East business culture and practices and the civil and Sharia systems that apply.
Datasite is where deals are made. Driving transactions in more than 180 countries. Delivering at the highest level, across sell-side, buy-side, and beyond.
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