Shahd Makhafah

Profil complet

Shahd has advised on a number of corporate transactions, working with clients operating in the construction, energy, healthcare, hospitality, insurance, professional services, retail and consumer, and technology sectors.

Shahd manages the firm’s cooperative trainee programme and plays an instrumental role in developing our junior talent in the Kingdom.

Shahd is a licensed lawyer in Saudi Arabia. She graduated with a Master of Laws degree (LLM) from the University of Southern California (USC) Gould School of Law, US in 2024, and a Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB) with First Honors from Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Saudi Arabia in 2015. 

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.

Shahd is fluent in Arabic and English.

Expérience

M&A, divestitures and JVs

• Advising Informa Middle East Limited (Informa) on the sale of a stake in its subsidiary, Tahaluf Events Limited to the Events Investment Fund (EIF) and Union Company For Exhibitions and Conferences (owned by Saudi Federation for Cyber Security, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP)), to create a strategic joint venture (JV). The JV supports the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 of diversifying the economy.
• Advising a Saudi retailer on the establishment of its JV with an international luxury clothing brand  in Saudi Arabia, which includes several structuring actions in the UAE and Saudi Arabia that would cover the set-up of entities in both jurisdictions. The transaction will go through various stages including the necessary clearances by the General Authority of Competition (GAC) until the full JV entity can be established in Saudi Arabia.  
• Advising Mapei, the leading Italian construction materials company, on the potential acquisition through a subsidiary, of a limited liability company and its branch in Saudi Arabia by way of an asset deal.
• Advising a French multinational company  on its strategic divestment of its industrial gases business in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. This complex transaction was structured as three separate simultaneous sales including divestment of minority shareholders and specific regulatory considerations in each of the jurisdictions including competition clearance.

Restructurings

• Advising Master Builders Solutions Construction Chemicals Group (MBCC) on its restructuring.
• Advising a global pharmaceutical company on a potential corporate restructuring and acquisition of its existing company in Saudi Arabia. In addition, providing ongoing legal advisory services as may be required for the client’s business operations. 
• Advising a global financial advisory firm on the corporate restructuring of its operations in Saudi Arabia through its established entities, including implementing their global acquisition in Saudi Arabia. 
• Advising Middle East Communications Network FZ-LLC on the corporate restructuring of its subsidiaries in Saudi Arabia, including the establishment of its fully owned media and advertisement entity and providing full advisory services in relation to the operations of its associated entities in the Saudi Arabia market under the IPG Group, the largest media company worldwide.   

Incorporations, RHQ, and other corporate advisory

• Advising a global pharmaceutical company on the establishment of their RHQ in Saudi Arabia.
• Advising a major US law firm on the establishment of their first office and RHQ in Saudi Arabia.
• Advising a major US law firm on the establishment of their first office in Saudi Arabia. 
• Advising Galderma on the establishment of their first technical and scientific office in Saudi Arabia.
• Advising a multinational pharmaceutical company on their operations in Saudi Arabia including the set-up of entities, drafting of corporate governance documents, and the ongoing advisory on various structuring matters.  
• Advising an insurance company on a wide range of legal advisory services in relation to their business operations in Saudi Arabia.
• Advising a Saudi developer and an international hotel on the launch of the first hotel management academy and training centre. 
• Advising The Aimes Arabian Company For Organizing Exhibitions and Conferences in Saudi Arabia on a wide range of legal advisory services as may be required for their business operations.
• Advising Saudi Snack Foods Company Limited (Pepsico) on their existing distribution agreements in Saudi Arabia. Advising on the potential impact the new Franchise Law and Implementing Regulations may have on its existing longstanding and significant arrangements in Saudi Arabia.

Capital markets

• Advising MEFIC Capital on the launch of its SAR 1.23 billion real estate investment traded fund in Saudi Arabia, including the overall assistance on the legal structuring of the fund.