Team size: 4

Jurisdictions your role covers: Kuwait; KSA; Bahrain; Lebanon; UAE; Egypt

How do you approach managing legal aspects during periods of instability or crises, and how does your legal strategy align with the broader business strategy to ensure the organisation’s resilience?

My approach to legal risk management during instability is based on proactivity, transparency, and business integration. During times of crisis—such as market volatility, regulatory reforms, or enforcement actions—I focus on maintaining open lines of communication with internal departments and decision-makers. This ensures that legal risks are identified early, quantified, and addressed through carefully designed mitigation plans.

I align legal strategies with broader business objectives by ensuring that legal frameworks support the company’s operational flexibility while protecting its long-term interests. For instance, during periods of regulatory transition in Kuwait, I collaborated closely with compliance and operations teams to update fund documentation and internal procedures, facilitating continued market access while maintaining full compliance.

Furthermore, I ensure that contracts are stress-tested for force majeure, termination flexibility, and liability caps, which are critical in times of uncertainty. By integrating legal risk management into business planning, I help promote resilience and reduce exposure to external shocks.

What factors influence your team’s decision to use external legal services versus handling matters in-house, and what criteria are used to evaluate their performance?

The decision to engage external law firms is guided by a range of strategic and operational considerations. One of the primary factors is the complexity or novelty of the legal issue. External counsel are typically engaged when a matter involves intricate legal analysis, novel legal questions, or cross-border implications where jurisdictional expertise is critical.

Another key factor is regulatory sensitivity. Matters involving potential regulatory enforcement or complex compliance issues—particularly those related to the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK), or Kuwait Stock Exchange (Boursa Kuwait)—are often referred to external specialists. Their expertise ensures alignment with evolving regulatory expectations and helps mitigate reputational and operational risks.

Capacity constraints also influence the decision. When the workload or required turnaround time exceeds the capacity of the in-house legal team, external support is leveraged to ensure responsiveness and maintain service quality. Additionally, specialised expertise may be sought in areas such as taxation, international arbitration, or niche regulatory regimes, where engaging subject-matter experts adds value and reduces risk exposure.

Conversely, in-house resources are prioritised for routine advisory work, corporate governance, standard contract reviews, and fund management support, where internal knowledge of the organisation’s structure and strategic priorities ensures efficiency and alignment.

The performance of external legal partners is evaluated using several key criteria: responsiveness and turnaround time, clarity and practicality of advice, depth of knowledge of local laws and regulations, cost-efficiency and transparency in billing, and their ability to collaborate effectively with in-house counsel and business teams.

Long-term relationships are maintained with firms that consistently demonstrate commercial awareness, reliability, and proactive engagement, ensuring that external partnerships contribute meaningfully to the organisation’s strategic objectives.