Kirkland & Ellis Starts Riyadh Office With Hires From Rivals

Kirkland & Ellis has opened an office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with hires from Latham & Watkins and White & Case, the law firm said Monday.

Kirkland corporate partner Kamran Bajwa will lead the office. Former Latham & Watkins partner Noor Al-Fawzan and former White & Case local partner Manal Al-Musharaf join Bajwa.

“The Kingdom is one of the world’s fastest growing economies and a rapidly modernizing country that is becoming increasingly significant for Kirkland’s client base,” said Jon Ballis, chairman of Kirkland’s executive committee.

Saudi Arabia recently amended its rules allowing foreign law firms to operate independently in the country and in March granted the first licenses to law firms including Latham and Clifford Chance.

A handful of global firms have entered the country’s legal market since. Kirkland said the Saudi Ministry of Justice granted it a foreign law license.

Bajwa has experience in the Middle East, including eight years living in the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, Kirkland said. He served as the chief legal officer for a leading investment bank in the Middle East and has led the firm’s practice there since 2011.

Kirkland is the world’s largest law firm by revenue, bringing in more than $6.5 billion in 2022, according to AmLaw data. The new office is the firm’s 20th across the globe.