November 5, 2019

Fenwick Elliott and Hammad Al-Mehdar join forces for major expansion in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Fenwick Elliott’s plans for growth across the Middle East have taken a significant leap with the signing of a new alliance with one of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s leading law firms, Hammad & Al-Mehdar.

The collaboration between the two reputed legal powerhouses will allow clients access to a higher level of local and focused construction, engineering and energy law advice, to meet the increasingly complex nature of projects across the Kingdom. Operating out of Riyadh, Jeddah and Khobar, the alliance will focus specifically on construction and energy law matters in the Kingdom, providing the market with international and regional expertise from two of the most renowned firms in the sector and the Kingdom respectively.

Toby Randle, the Partner heading up the alliance on behalf of Fenwick Elliott, said:

"Vision 2030 presents a huge opportunity for Fenwick Elliott to play an active role in supporting one of the largest and most ambitious plans of exemplary construction, infrastructure and energy projects ever undertaken on the global stage. We have formed a formidable team within the Saudi construction and energy market – a combination of high-profile international construction and energy lawyers, working alongside one of the largest and oldest legal institutions in Saudi.”

Both Fenwick Elliott and Hammad & Al-Mehdar have been established for 35 years, share the same values, service levels and market focus, and have a drive for development and further growth in the Kingdom.

Dr. Adli Hammad, Founding Partner - Hammad & Al-Mehdar, said:

“We have exciting times ahead of us. The alliance with Fenwick Elliott plays an important part in the strategic direction of Hammad & Al-Mehdar, of collaborating with best in class legal specialists in specific market segments. This new alliance will leverage Fenwick Elliott’s international credentials with our local expertise to deliver unparalleled value in the Saudi construction and energy market.

“Our clients will enjoy access to top level experts to tackle their complex legal issues, allowing them to continue focusing on their core business while having the peace of mind that their legal issues are handled by best-in-class lawyers.”

Last month saw the first in a series of thought-leadership events jointly hosted by Fenwick Elliott and Hammad & Al Mehdar focusing on Dispute Resolution and the Impact of the KSA and Islamic Law, and Delay Event Analysis. 

With an audience representing some of the key players in the construction sector, the event, held in Al Khobar, covered the complexities of multi-tiered dispute resolution clauses commonly used in construction contracts, while focusing on the impact of Saudi law and Islamic Sharia.

Dr. Adli Hammad, lead Partner for the alliance at Hammad & Al-Mehdar explained:

“The alliance allows us to give our clients the very best in construction law advice to meet the increasingly complex nature of projects in the Saudi region and recommend approaches to deal with these procedures within the framework of Saudi law and Islamic Sharia. This event kicked off a series of seminars in which we will be strengthening our network and influence in the region, alongside our strategic partners.” 

The new alliance follows Fenwick Elliott’s establishment in 2015 of the firm’s international headquarters in Dubai. Having amassed extensive experience in the Middle East acting for contractors on projects like Palm Jumeirah and Dubai World Central, the firm is capitalising on increasing demand for its specialist services in Saudi Arabia and the UAE over the next 12-18 months.