Lawyers
Ali Abedi is an "extremely capable" practitioner with many years' experience advising on Saudi joint ventures. Sources consider him to be "a very strong local lawyer." His impressive client list features a number of notable names, including leading global chemicals companies and key players in the petrochemicals industry.
— Chambers Global 2021
Ali Abedi
Mr. Abedi worked for six years with White & Case in New York, where he specialized in asset- and project finance and cross-border joint ventures. Since his return to Saudi Arabia in 1994 he has practised within his areas of specialisation in a Saudi context.
BORN: 1963
NATIONALITY: Saudi
EDUCATION: University of London, Queen Mary College, Bachelor of Laws, 1985; New York University, Master of Laws, 1987
ADMITTED: Called to the Bar of England and Wales by the Middle Temple, 1988; New York Bar, 1989; Saudi Arabia, 2001
MEMBER: Middle Temple, International Bar Association
PUBLICATIONS: (Co-author) "Banking Laws of Saudi Arabia",
New York Law Journal, 1990
PRACTICE: Project Finance, Banking
"Hatem Abbas Ghazzawi & Co. focuses on acting for international corporates doing business in Saudi Arabia, and receives a stream of instructions from international law firms that do not have a presence in the country. Ali W Abedi acted for The Dow Chemical Company in successfully obtaining the first-ever licence for a wholly foreign-owned trading company in Saudi Arabia." — Legal 500 EMEA 2019
“Ali Abedi is prompt, accurate and reliable. He is the preferred go-to lawyer for all finance and infrastructure work.” — IFLR 1000 2020
Asad Abedi
Mr. Abedi worked for four years with White & Case in New York, where he specialized in securities law and acquisitions. Since his return to Saudi Arabia in 1994 he has developed his expertise in securities law and acquisitions in addition to advising on general corporate and commercial matters.
BORN: 1964
NATIONALITY: Saudi
EDUCATION: University of London, SOAS, Bachelor of Arts, 1985; City University, London, Diploma in Law, 1987; Fordham University, Master of Laws, 1990
ADMITTED: New York Bar, 1993
MEMBER: American Bar Association
PRACTICE: Capital Markets, Corporate
"Also recommended is Asad Abedi, who has extensive experience of project finance and recently advised a trading company on various corporate finance strategies." — Legal 500 EMEA 2019
"Always trying to find solutions for the client, deep experience of the market and good reactivity to requests.” — IFLR1000 2018
Basel Barakat
Basel Barakat is consistently top-ranked and recognized by international legal publications, including Chambers Global, IFLR1000 and Legal 500, as one of the leading banking and finance, project finance and Islamic finance practitioners residing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with over 20 years of experience advising on major and high-profile transactions. In addition, he has substantial experience in corporate and commercial transactions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
BORN: 1977
NATIONALITY: American
EDUCATION: University of Michigan - Dearborn, B.A., Highest Honors, 1998; University of Notre Dame Law School, J.D., Cum Laude, 2001; New York University School of Law, LL.M., Taxation, 2003
ADMITTED: New York Bar, 2003
MEMBER: American Bar Association
PRACTICE: Project Finance, Banking
PUBLICATIONS: "The Amended Regulations for the Investigation and Imposition of Penalties for Violations of the Saudi Arabian Foreign Investment Law", IFLR1000: The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms, 2014 Edition (co-author).
"The New Saudi Arabian Arbitration Law", IFLR1000: The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms, 2013 Edition (co-author).
"A Decade of Continuous Saudi Arabian Legal Reforms", IFLR1000: The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms, 2012 Edition (co-author).
"Changes to the Implementing Regulations for Saudi Arabia's Commercial Mortgage Law", IFLR1000: The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms, 2011 Edition (co-author).
Jamal Farsi
BORN: 1987
NATIONALITY: Saudi
EDUCATION: University of London, SOAS, Bachelor of Laws, 2010; College of Law, Moorgate, Legal Practice Course, 2011; University of London, SOAS, Master of Laws, 2012; Fordham University, Master of Laws, 2016
ADMITTED: Saudi Arabia, 2014
PRACTICE: Project Finance, General Practice
Leanne Farsi
NATIONALITY: Saudi
EDUCATION: School of Oriental and African Studies, Bachelor of Laws, 2015 Fordham University, Master of Laws, 2017
ADMITTED: New York Bar, 2022
PRACTICE: Dispute Resolution, General Practice
Andreas Haberbeck heads the disputes team, but also regularly assists with non-contentious matters relating to the restructuring of Saudi companies. With over three decades in the Kingdom, he possesses a deep-seated understanding of the market and is highly respected by fellow practitioners. One peer stated: "I will always speak highly of him."
— Chambers Global 2020
Andreas Haberbeck
Mr Haberbeck has more than 30 years experience of working as a lawyer in Saudi Arabia. Following pupillage at 3 Essex Court (now 20 Essex Street), he joined Coward Chance (now Clifford Chance) in 1982, and was seconded to the firm's then new associated Saudi Arabian office from 1983 to 1986. He subsequently worked with Thomas Miller & Co and Richards Butler (now Reed Smith) in London, and returned to Saudi Arabia in 1991. In 1993 he joined Abbas Ghazzawi Law Firm, which has since become Hatem Abbas Ghazzawi & Co.
BORN: 1952
NATIONALITY: German
EDUCATION: University of London, SOAS, Bachelor of Laws, 1979; University of London, University College, Master of Laws, 1980
ADMITTED: Called to the Bar of England and Wales by Gray's Inn, 1981
MEMBER: Gray's Inn
PUBLICATIONS: Co-author of the books "The Maritime Laws of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council States" (1986) and "Saudi Shipping Law" (1990); articles include "Insurance under Saudi Arabian Law" (1986) Lloyd's Maritime and Commercial Law Quarterly 246, "Risk Sharing in an Islamic Society" (1987) Arab Law Quarterly 138 and "Regulating the Saudi Arabian Insurance Industry", International Bar Association Insurance Law Newsletter, August 2000
PRACTICE: Mergers & Acquisitions, Dispute Resolution
Excellent’ practice head Andreas Haberbeck is also acting for Citicorp Trustee Company and Golden Belt 1 Sukuk Company in a claim against Saad Trading and Maan Al-Sanea regarding a default under an Islamic bond.— Legal 500 2019
“Andreas Haberbeck and his team provide an excellent and responsive service. A strength is their skill in explaining the Saudi legal system to those for whom it is unfamiliar.” — IFLR1000 2018
Dana Halwani
BORN: 1987
NATIONALITY: Saudi
EDUCATION: King Abulaziz University, Bachelor of Laws, 2009
New York University, Master of Laws, 2013
ADMITTED: Saudi Arabia, 2013. New York Bar, 2013
PRACTICE: Dispute Resolution, General Practice
Amr Kady
Following the completion of his bachelor's degree in Islamic law in 1998, Mr Kadi qualified and was nominated as a Saudi Arabian judge in 2001. However, he decided to join the private sector and worked as legal affairs manager at the Savola Group. Since joining Hatem Abbas Ghazzawi and Co in 2009, Mr Kadi has specialized in litigation, finance and capital markets.
BORN: 1976
NATIONALITY: Saudi
EDUCATION: Islamic University of Imam Mohammed Bin Saud, Bachelor of Islamic Law, 1998; High Institute of Judiciary, Islamic University of Imam Mohammed Bin Saud, Master of Comparative Laws, 2001; University of London, SOAS, Master of Laws, 2007
ADMITTED: Saudi Arabia, 2010
PUBLICATIONS: "Requirement of physical possession to perfect security under Saudi law", Global Banking & Financial Policy Review, 2010
PRACTICE: Dispute Resolution, Finance, Capital Markets
Hamam Kady
Prior to joining Hatem Abbas Ghazzawi & Co, Mr Kadi worked for five years in the legal department of Jeddah Municipality, handling a wide range of disputes.
BORN: 1983
NATIONALITY: Saudi
EDUCATION: King Abdul Aziz University, Bachelor of Laws, 2006
California Western School of Law, Master of Laws, 2012
ADMITTED: Saudi Arabia, 2013
PRACTICE: Dispute Resolution, General Practice
Kheriah A. Alsaeed
BORN: 1990
NATIONALITY: Saudi
EDUCATION: King Abdulaziz University, Bachelor of Laws, 2012;
Fordham University, Master of Laws, 2016
ADMITTED: Saudi Arabia, 2017
PRACTICE: General Practice
Abdulaziz Alsulmy
Prior to joining Hatem Abbas Ghazzawi & Co, Mr Alsulmy worked for four years with Clifford Chance in Riyadh and Dubai, where he handled cross-border banking and project finance matters as well as capital markets transactions.
BORN: 1984
NATIONALITY: Saudi
EDUCATION: Qassim University, Bachelor of Laws, 2007; Cardiff University, Master of Laws, 2011
ADMITTED: Saudi Arabia, 2013
PRACTICE: Banking, Project Finance, Capital Markets
Majed Al Madani
BORN: 1983
NATIONALITY: Saudi
EDUCATION: King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, Bachelor of Laws, 2008
ADMITTED: Saudi Arabia, 2012
PRACTICE: Dispute Resolution, General Practice
James Whelan
Mr Whelan is one of the foremost Arabic/English legal translation experts, and has more than 40 years’ experience as a lawyer, including 16 years legal practice in the United Arab Emirates. Mr Whelan acts as a consultant to Hatem Abbas Ghazzawi & Co to supervise complex legal translation tasks.
BORN: 1944
NATIONALITY: British
EDUCATION: Pembroke College, Cambridge with first class honours in Arabic, Persian and Hindi, 1967
ADMITTED: Called to the Bar of England and Wales, 1973
Admitted as a solicitor, England and Wales, 1980
Admitted in the United Arab Emirates, 1994
PUBLICATIONS: Mr Whelan's Arabic to English translations have been published in the following standard works:
- "The Maritime Laws of the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council States" (1986)
- "The Civil Code of the United Arab Emirates" (1987)
- ''UAE Civil Code and Ministry of Justice Commentary 2010'' (2010)
- Thomson Reuters/Affinitext electronic library of the legal principles from the judgments of the UAE Federal and Dubai Courts of Cassation for the years 2000 to 2010
