Five shareholders, three of counsel, and associate join
Group includes leading Sports & Entertainment practice in the Middle East
NEW YORK – March 22, 2023 – In the continuing expansion of Greenberg Traurig’s Middle East practice, starting with its affiliation with Khalid Al-Thebity Law Firm in Riyadh until approvals are obtained for Riyadh and Dubai locations, five shareholders and one associate have joined. Additionally, three lawyers that work in the Middle East practice joined the firm as of counsel in Washington, D.C.
The shareholders include Marwa Al-Siyabi, Campbell M. Steedman, Shibeer Ahmed, Steven Bainbridge, and Christopher Skipper. The associate is Omar Al Harbi. Of counsel include Tomás Solís, David A. Colson, and Brian J. Vohrer.
"We look forward to years of building together, initially in affiliation with the Khalid Al-Thebity Law Firm until requisite approvals are obtained, as KSA and the region engage in extraordinary projects and realize their vision, with the strong resources needed to execute that vision," said Richard A. Rosenbaum, Executive Chairman of Greenberg Traurig. "As these additional world class lawyers join the team, working closely with our industry and practice experts around the world, we continue to field great interest from other leading practitioners in the various key regional practices, and will work collaboratively, remembering our values of local empowerment, entrepreneurship, trust, respect for every individual, and collectively delivering strong value to our client base and talent alike."
Ahmed advises businesses and financial institutions, including commercial banks, development finance institutions, and Export Credit Agencies (ECAs), on complex Islamic and conventional banking and multisourced project financings throughout the Middle East and internationally. He has wide experience advising on corporate and sovereign Sukuk issuances. His experience includes work in the energy, oil and gas, infrastructure, and petrochemicals sectors.
Al-Siyabi advises clients across the Middle East on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, equity capital market transactions, joint ventures, and restructuring. Her experience includes working with ministries and government entities in Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, advising on legal matters including the structuring and implementation of government initiatives and the legal implications of strategy.
Bainbridge has deep experience in the sports sector, advising clients on matters including governance issues, athlete endorsement agreements, player contracts, regulatory issues, broadcasting, antiambush marketing strategies, merchandising and licensing regulations and agreements, disciplinary issues, and sports-specific venue management agreements. He advises clients, including foreign law firms, corporate entities, government bodies, individuals, and institutions related to sports including motorsports, horseracing, triathlons, mixed martial arts (MMA), rugby and football, cycling, golf, tennis, cricket, and others.
He has law firm experience in both North America and Japan, in addition to his work in Dubai. In Tokyo he worked on matters related to broadcasting rights and sponsorship contracts in connection with FIFA World Cups, X-Games, PGA tour sponsorships, videogame licensing, and stadium naming rights deals.
Skipper focuses his practice on complex domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, shareholders agreements, joint ventures, and corporate structuring. His clients include private, government, and quasi-governmental institutions across the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the United States. He advises clients across a wide array of sectors, including energy, aviation, ports and infrastructure, manufacturing, technology, engineering, real estate, and hospitality and leisure.
Steedman has over 35 years’ experience representing clients on international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, privatizations, Equity Capital Markets (ECM), and other corporate and commercial transactions in emerging markets across the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, and Africa. His practice is focused on intricately structured, multijurisdictional transactions.
Solís advises clients on international law, including arbitration and mediation. He advises sovereign governments in international arbitrations arising under free trade agreements, bilateral investment treaties, contracts, and national investment litigation. He also advises governments on boundary disputes.
Colson focuses his practice on advising governments and international petroleum companies on maritime boundary issues across the Middle East, African, and Latin American regions. David has deep experience in government, having served as deputy assistant secretary for oceans in the U.S. Department of State, among other roles.
Vohrer advises governments on matters related to public international law, including maritime law and territorial sovereignty disputes. He counsels governments on the legal effect of and compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolutions. He also advises on complex matters requiring analysis of the international law of treaties, diplomatic and consular immunity, and state responsibility, as well as obligations that arise from multilateral and bilateral treaties, as well as other international instruments.
Khalid Al-Thebity Law Firm has been operating in Saudi Arabia for more than 25 years and has an exceptional reputation advising private, government and quasi-government clients on many of the most important corporate, finance, project and project finance, PPP, infrastructure, natural resource, real estate, hospitality, privatization, corporatization, corporate restructurings, and legislative and regulatory matters in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2650 attorneys in 44 locations in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. The firm is a 2022 BTI “Highly Recommended Law Firm” for superior client service and is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law Global 100 and NLJ 250. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab. The firm is recognized for powering its U.S. offices with 100% renewable energy as certified by the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e® Energy program and is a member of the U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership Program. The firm is known for its philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono. Web: www.gtlaw.com.