Clyde & Co continues expansion in Saudi Arabia with promotion of Shahd Makhafah to partner

Global law firm, Clyde & Co continues to expand in Saudi Arabia with the promotion of Shahd Makhafah to partner, effective from 1 November 2024. Bilingual in Arabic and English, Shahd is a licensed and practicing Saudi lawyer specialising in corporate law. She is based in the firm’s Riyadh office.

Alain Sfeir, Corporate Partner based in Riyadh and Middle East and Africa Board Member said: "We are delighted to welcome Shahd to the partnership. She joined the firm as a trainee in 2017 and is recognised in the market as demonstrating strong technical excellence, client development and leadership skills. Shahd has been instrumental in the development of our corporate practice and wider-Saudi Arabia offering.” 

Shahd advises Saudi and multinational corporations, and investors on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), divestitures, joint ventures (JVs), incorporations including regional headquarters (RHQ), restructurings, corporate governance and compliance, general corporate advisory, and capital markets matters in Saudi Arabia. She has advised clients operating in the construction, energy, healthcare, hospitality, insurance, professional services, retail and consumer, and technology sectors.

Abdulaziz Al-Bosaily, Managing Partner of Clyde & Co in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said: “Shahd is our first female partner in Saudi Arabia and her promotion is a testament to her hard work. It also reinforces our commitment to developing female talent and delivering in-country value through our cooperative training programme which nurtures and develops the next generation of legal professionals. Shahd plays a leadership role in this programme and the development of the firm’s junior talent in the Kingdom.”

Shahd was recently named in Thomson Reuters ALB MENA Super 50 Lawyers 2024 and is ranked as a Leading Associate for commercial, corporate and M&A – Saudi Arabia in Legal 500 EMEA 2024.

Clyde & Co’s Saudi Arabia practice has grown significantly in the last 18 months in line with market opportunities and client priorities with the expansion of its corporate, commercial, disputes, employment, hospitality, IP, real estate, and technology practices. Most recently, the firm opened an office in Jeddah, its second in the Kingdom, and reinforced its long-term commitment to the development of the legal sector and the growth of local talent in Saudi Arabia with the approval of its RHQ licence.

Clyde & Co is the largest international law firm in the Middle East and provides a full-service offering across key business sectors and practice areas. The firm has been operating in Saudi Arabia for over 15 years and has more than 30 legal professionals, including nine partners based in the Riyadh and Jeddah offices. The team of internationally trained, local experts advise international and domestic businesses exploring the emerging commercial opportunities and the legal considerations of doing business in the Kingdom.