Shearman & Sterling has launched a microsite focusing on the firm’s robust Saudi Arabia practice. Named “Al-Maarifa,” or “The Knowledge,” the microsite (www.al-maarifa.shearman.com) provides a platform to showcase the firm’s thought leadership on issues of concern to clients doing business in Saudi Arabia.

With a larger footprint in Saudi Arabia than any other international law firm, Shearman & Sterling is at the forefront of market developments within the country, providing an integrated team that understands the cultural and legal landscape. Shearman & Sterling has a long history of advising clients on their largest and most significant deals in the country, as well as an on-the-ground presence (in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al-Khobar) through its association with Dr. Sultan Almasoud & Partners. The firm also has significant experience across a broad range of relevant areas, including project development and finance, mergers and acquisitions, foreign and domestic joint ventures, privatizations, private equity and Saudi corporate advisory, capital markets, dispute resolution and litigation in Saudi courts.

“Saudi Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s blueprint for its economic future, has generated a lot of excitement in the Kingdom and overseas,” said the firm’s co-Regional Managing Partner of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. “As Saudi Arabia diversifies its economy and provides new business opportunities, Shearman & Sterling’s new microsite will serve as a valuable resource for companies interested in the firm’s deep understanding of inbound and outbound investment in the country.”

Dr. Sultan Almasoud, a partner in the firm’s Saudi Arabia practice, added, “During this period of economic change in Saudi Arabia, we will continue to build upon our market-leading position in the Kingdom by offering our clients solutions and resources focused on achieving their business goals.”

Active for over 50 years in the Middle East, Shearman & Sterling, in association with Dr. Sultan Almasoud & Partners, includes experienced Saudi- and English- qualified lawyers, fluent in Arabic, English, French and Russian. In recent years, the firm has worked on landmark matters in Saudi Arabia, including advising The Dow Chemical Company on all aspects of the US$20 billion Sadara Integrated Chemicals Project — the largest industrial project ever built in a single phase in history — and on Saudi Basic Industries Corporation’s US$11.6 billion acquisition and related financing of GE Plastics — one of the largest purchases by a Middle Eastern company of US assets.

The Team