Al-Sheikh’s relationship with White & Case ended when he was among a group of partners to leave White & Case for Latham & Watkins in a series of moves earlier this year. According to LegalWeek, Latham now has around 50 lawyers at its four offices in the Middle East. The firm entered the region in January 2008 with new offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha.
Latham chairman Robert Dell commented on the move.
“The Middle East is one of the most dynamic regions in the world economy and we remain committed to developing our presence in the region as a key focus of our global growth strategy,” Dell told LegalWeek. “We expect to see continued inbound and outbound activity that demands sophisticated legal counsel and our presence in Riyadh will significantly bolster our regional capability.”
According to LegalWeek, Latham & Watkins joins Lovells and Eversheds as firms that have entered Saudi Arabia in the last year.
Latham & Watkins is based in Los Angeles, Calif. and has 2,100 attorneys in offices throughout the world.