Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan secured a license to practice law in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, following at least 30 other global firms that are vying to gain a foothold in the region.
The firm’s Middle East and North Africa co-chair, Nasser Alrubayyi, will lead a team of two partners and eight attorneys at the office in Riyadh. The firm already has offices in the United Arab Emirates cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and in Doha in Qatar.
Law firms’ expansion into Saudi’s legal market comes as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman works to relax stringent social rules and diversify the region’s economy, backed by a $700 billion sovereign wealth fund.
Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, and UK “Magic Circle” firms Clifford Chance and Linklaters are among global firms that are operating independently in Saudi Arabia after obtaining licenses.
Quinn Emanuel had been operating in Riyadh since 2022 after striking a partnership with local firm Alrubayyi & Attorneys. It will now operate with a license through a Saudi professional company. Saudi regulations require 70% of staff to be composed of local lawyers.
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