Clyde & Co further expands dispute resolution and projects & construction offering in Saudi Arabia

Global law firm Clyde & Co has announced another growth milestone with the addition of three partners in Saudi Arabia. The expansion includes the hire of two prominent dispute resolution lawyers Ahmed Alhudaithi and Sara Aalamri, and the promotion of projects & construction lawyer Nathaniel Horrocks-Burns to partner.

The firm has significantly expanded its offering following the recent announcement of four Saudi-focused partners, which includes the hire of leading disputes lawyer Talal Al-Othman and the promotion of three projects & construction specialists, Andrew Archer, Brendan Molck and Will Cadwaladr to partner. The combined Saudi construction and disputes team now comprises of 10 highly regarded partners.

Ahmed Alhudaithi is a bi-lingual disputes lawyer with over 10 years of experience. He has a strong reputation for advising clients in relation to dispute advisory work and represents international and local businesses on litigation matters. Ahmed rejoins the firm's Riyadh office after spending three years working in-house with the Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence, a Public Investment Fund company and the Middle East Cloud and Digital Transformation Company Limited (CNTXT), an Aramco joint venture company.

Sara Aalamri is a highly regarded bi-lingual lawyer with over 15 years of experience representing international and local clients in Saudi Arabia on arbitration and litigation matters. She has advised clients operating in the energy and natural resources, infrastructure and projects & construction sectors. As one of the first Saudi women licensed by the Ministry of Justice to practice law in the Kingdom, Sara has built a strong reputation for advising on complex disputes and currently serves as the Vice Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Saudi National Committee for Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and delegate to the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR. Sara is based in the firm's Jeddah office.

Nathaniel Horrocks-Burns joins the firm’s Riyadh office with extensive experience in both transactional and dispute resolution matters relating to construction and engineering projects. He has over 10 years of experience acting for clients across a range of sectors, such as energy, infrastructure and mining, with a particular focus on cross-border and international disputes resolved through arbitration or alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedures, including expert determination and mediation. Nathaniel’s experience also covers adjudication, litigation, and international arbitration under the ICC, London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) and Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) rules.

Abdulaziz Al-Bosaily, Managing Partner of Clyde & Co Saudi Arabia, comments: "The appointment of three new partners underscores our commitment to strategic growth in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Over the past 18 months, we have strengthened our presence with the opening of our Jeddah office and the approval of our Regional Headquarters license, which has further enhanced our ability to serve both private and public sector clients operating in KSA. Additionally, we remain dedicated to fostering local talent and delivering in-country value. The appointment of Sara, our first female dispute resolution partner in Jeddah, reinforces our commitment and marks an important milestone."

Susie Abdel-Nabi, Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution Middle East, comments: "With a rapidly evolving regulatory environment and increasing demand for sophisticated dispute resolution mechanisms, all three partners are a great addition to our arbitration and disputes capabilities and have a wealth of experience. We are proud to help clients successfully navigate the dynamic landscape and to be part of Saudi Arabia's ongoing transformation into a global centre for commercial and investment arbitration."

Clyde & Co's arbitration and disputes practice ranked in GAR30 and one of the largest in the Middle East region, includes over 25 partners and 35+ practitioners, all specialising in cross-border, multi-jurisdictional and complex international arbitration and commercial disputes cases. The team of lawyers provide end-to-end legal services and consists of several in-house advocates who can appear before the local courts, providing comprehensive sector-focused support for clients throughout the entire lifecycle of a dispute. 

The firm's projects & construction group is renowned for its foremost construction contracting and disputes offering. Established in 1999 and ranked Band 1 in all legal directories, the team is involved in contentious and non-contentious matters on the region's most high-profile projects.

Clyde & Co has been operating in Saudi Arabia for over 15 years and has more than 30 legal professionals, including 15 partners, across its Riyadh and Jeddah offices. The team of internationally trained local specialists advise international and domestic businesses exploring the emerging commercial opportunities and the legal considerations of doing business in the Kingdom.