King & Spalding and AlFahad & Partners, a local law firm in Saudi Arabia, have proposed to merge, in a tie-up that would significantly bolster their presence in the Kingdom, Law Middle East can exclusively reveal.
Partners at both firms have proposed the merger, according to a government filing published on Thursday.
The combined firm would be known as King & Spalding Law Firm, according to the three-page filing translated from Arabic.
Publication of the proposal, which is yet to be confirmed, is understood to be required a month prior to a merger going live.
Neither firm has made any official announcement regarding the proposed merger nor have they responded to Law Middle East‘s requests for comment by the time of publication.
King & Spalding has six lawyers, including three partners, in Saudi Arabia.
If the merger goes ahead it would see the US-headquartered firm add a further 18 lawyers to its existing team in Riyadh, including AlFahad Law founder and managing partner Abdulaziz H. Al Fahad and partner Fahad Nasser Al Arfaj, who are named in the filing.
Established in 1985, AlFahad Law is known for its strengths in litigation and arbitration, having advised on a number of high-value disputes before the courts in Saudi Arabia. The local firm also has specialities in corporate and commercial, capital markets, project finance, property and construction.
King & Spalding and AlFahad Law are understood to have no formal affiliation previously.
Their proposed merger comes at a time when senior authorities in Saudi Arabia encourage multinationals to invest in a presence on the ground. Saudi government-led initiatives such as the RHQ programme incentivise firms to establish a regional headquarters in the Kingdom.
King & Spalding received a licence to operate in the Kingdom in September 2023.
In July, Saudi Venture Capital’s former chief legal officer Haifa Bahaian joined the firm’s real estate and funds practice as a partner in Riyadh.