DLA sends in lawyer to save Saudi practice

DLA Piper has sent one of its legal directors to Riyadh to become its local sponsor after its alliance with Saudi firm Abdulaziz Al-Fahad came to an end last week (The Lawyer, 30 June).

Abdulaziz Al-Bosaily, who joined DLA Piper’s Dubai office in 2007 from Clifford Chance’s Saudi ­affiliate?Al-Jadaan?& ­Partners, left DLA Piper in June and has since set up his own firm.

DLA Piper regional ­managing partner David Church told The Lawyer: “We have an association with Abdulaziz Al-Bosaily. He’s established his own law firm there. The alliance has been up-and-running from 1 July.”

Under Saudi law, international firms wishing to operate in the kingdom must be sponsored by a Saudi national who is also a Saudi-qualified lawyer. Al-Bosaily fulfils both criteria.

DLA Piper’s existing Saudi alliance came to an end over differences on
how to conduct business. ­Without a new partner DLA Piper would have had to pull out of the country.

According to Church, now that the alliance with Al-Bosaily has been set up DLA Piper will be seconding lawyers into Riyadh.

It is understood that ­secondments could include global head of Islamic finance Oliver Agha, who was a colleague of Al-­Bosaily’s at Al-Jadaan prior to joining DLA Piper.