Career Biography

Ned Othman is the Chief Legal Officer, Member of the Management Committee and Board Secretary of several subsidiary companies of Vision International Investment Company (Vision Invest), a leading private Saudi Arabian infrastructure development and investment holding company. Vision Invest is at the forefront of Public and Private Sector Partnerships in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and beyond. Vision Invest and its portfolio companies are key contributors to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

Othman is a distinguished international legal advisor, recognized for his decades of expertise in complex business and financial transactions. His practice spans a wide range of legal matters, including finance, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, commercial transactions, project development, and cross-border investments. He is a regular speaker at seminars, panels, and other legal forums.

Othman holds degrees from the prestigious University of Michigan School of Economics and School of Law in the United States and is licensed to practice law in New York and Illinois, USA. Mr. Othman also holds a Certificate in Board Directorship from the GCC Board Directors Institute,

Before joining Vision Invest, Othman served as the Managing Director and Chief Governance Officer at one of Saudi Arabia’s largest capital market firms. He has also practiced law at several global law firms, providing counsel to international financial institutions, business clients, and high-net-worth individuals.

What are the most significant cases and/or transactions that you have been involved in over the past year?

Our company continually seeks out opportunities in emerging sectors and geographies. This forward-looking approach to investment requires our legal team to face and embrace new challenges and venture into new territories with critical thought, agility, and innovative strategies. As we delve into these emerging sectors, we anticipate encountering unique challenges and obstacles that will test our team’s resilience and creativity. We remain committed to thorough research, strategic planning, and the ability to adapt swiftly to changing circumstances. To support our team in this endeavor, we invest in “our most important asset” and provide comprehensive training and resources that empower the team to give informed advice and implement innovative legal strategies.

Based on your experience, what is the key to collaborating successfully with business partners?

Our Legal Team plays the dual role of both gatekeeper and facilitator. It is crucial for our team to stay focused on the ultimate goal while tackling the technical details of their assignments. Business transactions are a delicate balance of risk and reward – risk reduction can often result in reduced reward. The key to successful collaboration between lawyers and their business partners lies in avoiding a sum-zero mentality and applying rational risk allocation and mitigation. Our team is dedicated to finding the “Yes” that mitigates risk without compromising the success of our investments and businesses.

Which political, economic or regulatory changes have impacted your work the most in the past year?

The ever-broadening global regulatory environment challenges every aspect of our company’s business activities. Navigating the evolving international regulatory landscape is no small feat. Ensuring compliance with restrictive data protection, extensive competition review, pervasive international sanctions and business conduct regulations, and expansive tax regimes demands a comprehensive perspective. Collaboration and open communication with our commercial managers and external advisors will be pivotal in overcoming these challenges. To support our team in meeting this challenge, we’ve engaged our external legal teams to provide comprehensive compliance reviews and expert practical advice and training, ensuring our expanding footprint aligns seamlessly with the expanding global regulatory environment.

What do you think are the key things to remember to motivate and manage the other members of your legal team?

Great work attracts great talent, and I am proud to lead a legal department that operates at the pinnacle of complex corporate and investment transactions. Co-leading these transactions with our commercial managers, often side by side with our external legal advisors, offers intellectual stimulation and a breadth of experience comparable to global law firms. Our team’s close collaboration with commercial managers drives them to develop practical, commercial solutions while safeguarding our company’s interests and those of our shareholders. This strategic participation in complex transactions inspires our team to excel and practice their craft at the highest level. Inspired lawyers are motivated by challenge and intellectual stimulation. This has allowed Vision Invest to attract the sharpest legal minds to continue professional growth while sharing our exciting journey.