ALMaghthawi and Partners

Senior Partner

Dr. Yara is a senior partner of AlMaghthawi & Partners. She is a legal consultant with 10 years of
expertise in business law and international business transactions. She has a proven record of
expertise as a contract specialist. She is an international cyber governance researcher.

My career in the Saudi legal profession reflects a sustained commitment to legal excellence, institutional development, and the advancement of the Rule of Law through both practice and scholarship, particularly in emerging areas of commercial, governance and digital regulation.

From the outset of my career, I was entrusted with complex and high-impact legal matters. In my first year of practice, I led the dissolution of a multinational company, worked on complex construction dispute files, and managed the liquidation of succession matters. Assuming responsibility for such matters at an early stage required advanced legal reasoning, procedural precision, and the ability to navigate complex institutional and commercial structures. Overcoming these challenges early in my career shaped a disciplined, solutions-oriented approach to legal practice.

I subsequently became distinguished for my expertise in contract drafting and reviewing, handling large-scale and high-value commercial agreements under multiple jurisdictions and specifically Saudi law. My work focused on strengthening contractual certainty, risk allocation, and enforceability—core elements of the Rule of Law in commercial relations. Through this practice, I supported businesses in operating within Saudi Arabia’s evolving regulatory environment while reinforcing compliance-driven legal culture.

In parallel with my professional practice, I pursued and completed my PhD while working full-time as a legal practitioner. My doctoral research focused on cyber governance in Saudi Arabia, addressing the legal and regulatory frameworks governing digital systems, institutional responsibility, and technological risk. This academic endeavor was not pursued in isolation; rather, it was intentionally aligned with my professional work to bridge theory and practice. The challenge of balancing advanced research with demanding legal responsibilities strengthened my capacity to translate complex regulatory concepts into practical legal solutions. For example, I am working on a project of cyber governance for SAMEs which provides these companies (not supported by governmental bodies) with legal services combined with technical services to build a robust cybersecurity and data protection systems. The product provided is based on best practices in the field and in compliance with the Saudi law.

A defining contribution of my work has been the establishment of data, privacy and cyber governance as a dedicated legal practice area within my firm, informed directly by my PhD research. Through this practice, I have advised on regulatory compliance, digital accountability, and governance frameworks aligned with Saudi law, supporting the implementation of lawful, transparent, and responsible digital operations. This contribution directly advances the Rule of Law by ensuring that technological development is accompanied by clear legal responsibility, institutional oversight, and regulatory coherence.

As a Partner, my role expanded beyond client matters to institutional leadership and strategic innovation. I played a central role in shaping the firm’s internal framework by contributing to the development of the firm’s Bylaw, key policies, strengthening governance structures, and advising on complex, high-level business transactions. My contribution extended to the effective implementation of internal policies and ensuring their consistent application across the firm. I focused on embedding quality standards, monitoring compliance, and aligning internal practices with regulatory requirements and best-practice governance. This approach supported operational efficiency, accountability, and the delivery of high-quality legal services.

As part of my leadership role, I led professional legal publishing initiatives, including a weekly client-focused legal update that supports informed decision-making and regulatory awareness. I also institutionalized internal knowledge-sharing through structured discussions, reinforcing quality standards, unified legal interpretation, and a culture of continuous professional development.

In addition, I contributed to legal innovation through my role in Urnamu, an innovative contract lifecycle and automation platform. I led the legal automation of contracts by developing +50 Saudi-law-based contract templates, each incorporating alternative legal clauses to address different transaction structures, client needs, and risk profiles. This work enhanced access to legally compliant contracting, improved consistency in commercial documentation, and reinforced transparency and legal certainty—key Rule of Law principles—within automated and digital contracting environments.

Through the integration of complex legal practice, doctoral research, institutional leadership, and legal innovation, my work contributes to strengthening the firms’ practice in Saudi Arabia. My professional and academic efforts are unified by a single objective: advancing the firm’s legal and technological.

English - Arabic

Dr. Yara holds a PhD degree in Cyber Governance at Leeds University, UK, holds an LL.M in Business Law from Chapman University, USA, and an LLB from King Abdulaziz University, KSA.