Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni > Jeddah, Saudi Arabia > Firm Profile

Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni > Firm Profile

The firm: Hassan Mahassni is one of the premier law firms in Saudi Arabia. The practice is structured as a professional association composed of three partners and is staffed by highly qualified lawyers. Founded in 1970, the firm has a large local and international practice focused on corporate, commercial and financial transactions, including joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, capital market transactions, banking, financial services, project finance and Islamic finance. The firm also has significant litigation practice before Saudi Arabian courts and other adjudicatory authorities and before arbitral tribunals. The firm has been consistently recognized locally and internationally as a leading firm and has helped shape the commercial landscape of Saudi Arabia, where it has formed various leading national companies.

The firm’s leading presence was further fortified recently by an exclusive association with Dechert LLP, an international law firm with 28 offices in 14 countries. Dechert LLP is an international law firm of more than 900 lawyers with top-ranked practices in projects and construction, complex litigation, finance and real estate, and financial services and asset management. Dechert LLP established its presence in the Middle East in early 2012 with the opening of its Dubai office, though most of its lawyers based in the Middle East have been in the region for much longer. The association is directed towards expanding the capabilities and offerings of both firms and combining the tremendous global reputation of Dechert alongside the formidable multi-disciplinary expertise and experience of the Hassan Mahassni team.

Areas of practice
Projects and infrastructure: The Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni is working on some national level projects such as the SR45bn Jeddah Metro Project, Equestrian Club Corniche Project, Qurayyah Power Project, Capital Markets Authority Tower, the SR62bn Makkah Metro Project and several multibillion-dollar Saudi Aramco energy projects.

Project finance: The Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni has extensive experience in project financings in Saudi Arabia. Among its notable recent project financing representations, the firm has acted as counsel for the transport stations in Makkah, King Abdullah Security Buildings Project, Phase 3 banking facilities, Kudai Towers financing arrangements, SR27bn King Abdulaziz International Airport Development Banking Facilities and acting for the Saudi Aramco power cogeneration projects at Abqaiq, Hawiyah and Ras Tanura.

Banking and finance: The firm acts as transaction counsel to various lenders and borrowers in connection with loan and syndicated loan facilities and other financing transactions. The Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni also has extensive experience in the structuring, development, documentation and negotiation of Islamic finance transactions. It has recently advised in relation to numerous high-profile Islamic finance transactions, including the SAR10bn ($2.66bn) Islamic facilities relating to the major development works for King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Corporate and commercial: The firm has one of the oldest corporate and commercial practices in Saudi Arabia. It advises on all corporate and commercial matters, including joint ventures and foreign investment, the licensing and formation of Saudi Arabian companies, domestic and cross-border acquisitions, corporate liquidations and commercial contracts. The Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni advised Kimberly Clark Corporation regarding the formation of a new subsidiary in Saudi Arabia with trading and industrial licences, and advised Saudi Total Petroleum Products Limited in connection with the restructuring of its investment licences in Saudi Arabia.

Dispute resolution: With over 40 years’ experience in the courts of a state merely 80 years old, the Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni has come to be relied on as one of the oldest and most well-established Saudi Arabian law firms, with a highly respected dispute resolution department. The firm has represented litigants in matters before all of Saudi Arabia’s courts and tribunals, including the Board of Grievances, both in administrative cases involving the Saudi Arabian government and in commercial cases between private sector litigants.

Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni > Firm Profile

The firm: the Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni is one of the premier law firms in Saudi Arabia. The practice is structured as a professional association composed of five partners and is staffed by highly qualified lawyers. Founded in 1970, the firm has a large local and international practice focused on corporate, commercial and financial transactions, including joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, capital market transactions, banking, financial services, project finance and Islamic finance. The firm also has a significant litigation practice before Saudi Arabian courts and other adjudicatory authorities and before arbitral tribunals. The firm has been consistently recognized locally and internationally as a leading firm and has helped shape the commercial landscape of Saudi Arabia, where it has formed various leading national companies.

Areas of practice
Projects and infrastructure: The Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni has worked on and continues to work on leading national level projects such as the SR45bn Jeddah Metro Project, Equestrian Club Corniche Project, Qurayyah Power Project, Capital Markets Authority Tower, the SR62bn Makkah Metro Project and several multibillion-dollar Saudi Aramco energy projects.

Project finance: The Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni has extensive experience in project financings in Saudi Arabia. Among its notable recent project financing and refinancing representations, the firm has acted as counsel for  the transport stations in Makkah, King Abdullah Security Buildings Project, Phase 3 banking facilities, Kudai Towers financing arrangements, SR27bn King Abdulaziz International Airport Development Banking Facilities and acting as Special Counsel on the $530 million refinancing of the Saudi Aramco power cogeneration projects at Abqaiq, Hawiyah and Ras Tanura.

Banking and finance: The firm acts as transaction counsel to various lenders and borrowers in connection with loan and syndicated loan facilities and other financing transactions. The Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni also has extensive experience in the structuring, development, documentation and negotiation of Islamic finance transactions. It has recently advised in relation to numerous high-profile Islamic finance transactions, including the SAR10bn ($2.66bn) Islamic facilities relating to the major development works for King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Corporate and commercial: The firm has one of the oldest corporate and commercial practices in Saudi Arabia. It advises on all corporate and commercial matters, including joint ventures and foreign investment, the licensing and formation of Saudi Arabian companies, domestic and cross-border acquisitions, corporate liquidations and commercial contracts. The Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni advised Kimberly Clark Corporation regarding the formation of a new subsidiary in Saudi Arabia with trading and industrial licences, and advised Saudi Total Petroleum Products Limited in connection with the restructuring of its investment licences in Saudi Arabia.

Dispute resolution: With over 40 years’ experience in the courts of a state merely 80 years old, the Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni has come to be relied on as one of the oldest and most well-established Saudi Arabian law firms, with a highly respected dispute resolution department. The firm has represented litigants in matters before all of Saudi Arabia’s courts and tribunals, including the Board of Grievances, both in administrative cases involving the Saudi Arabian government and in commercial cases between private sector litigants.

Interviews

Faisal A. Linjawy, Partner

Faisal A. Linjawy discusses how the Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni, with over 50 years of presence, continues to uphold and elevate the standards of excellence.

 

What do you see as the main points that differentiate the Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni from your competitors?

The Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni stands apart due to its rich history and profound understanding of the local legal landscape combined with international expertise. Established as one of the oldest law firms in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we bring unparalleled insights into the legal, cultural, and economic contexts of our clients’ operations.

 

Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?

The economy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is largely driven by Vision 2030. The country aims to diversify its economy and reduce dependency on oil by focusing on other sectors such as mining, tourism, sustainability, etc. Also, a significant part of Vision 2030 is increasing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and the expansion of the economy beyond oil presents numerous opportunities for both local and international businesses to contribute to the growth of the economy. This means that both local and international businesses will continue to seek legal advice on compliance, joint ventures, and doing business generally in Saudi Arabia.

 

What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients?

Over the 50+ years that the Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni has been in existence, it has established certain standards of delivering premium services in addition to a tradition that seeks to cultivate a deep understanding of client needs. All I am doing is building on these same standards and ensuring that we are delivering our services more efficiently. Clients will keep receiving better and quicker services every time. Not only that, but it is also important that we keep training the next generation of lawyers who will continue to uphold the “Mahassni standards” of excellence.

 

Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?

Technology is definitely helping us, and it will continue to help us, which in turn will help our clients. We always look for ways to provide services more efficiently to our clients and technology is always redefining our interactions with our clients for the better.

 

Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?

A notable example of our value-added approach involved a family-owned company looking to improve its governance. By restructuring their corporate governance framework and integrating best practices, we helped streamline their decision-making processes and enhanced operational efficiency. This helped fortify their internal controls and positioned them more competitively in the market, helping them also in their journey of listing on the Saudi stock market.

 

Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms – where do you see the firm in three years’ time?

Our clients rely on us not only for legal expertise but also for stability and strategic direction in a rapidly evolving economic climate.

We are actively expanding our presence in key cities like Jeddah, Riyadh, and Al-Khobar/Eastern Province, especially over the next three years. We are also deepening our expertise in sectors critical to Vision 2030, ensuring that we continue to meet our clients’ needs and exceed their expectations with world-class legal services.