The Law Firm of Salah Al-Hejailan in association with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Senior Attorney

Hassan is a leading corporate and commercial law practitioner based in the MENA region for over seventeen (17) years, working on a diverse range of cross-border projects and transactions across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and the wider MENA region. Hassan’s practice encompasses all aspects of corporate and commercial law with an emphasis on M&A, TMT, entertainment, media, and sports. Over the years, Hassan has also been the trusted advisor of large family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals of the Middle East. He also regularly advises governments and public sector entities on strategic international law issues in both public and private international law.

Hassan is a graduate of Harvard Law School, U.S.A. under scholarship, and the recipient of two golds medals for achieving the highest position amongst 4000+ students during his LL.B. studies. Hassan also has the distinct honour of being the first person from the Muslim World to have worked at the Office of the President of the International Criminal Court, The Hague.

Recent experience has included:

• Advising ROAA Media Ventures and MEFIC Capital on Saudi law regulatory and contractual aspects relating to the first ever Saudi Film Investment Fund launched by the Saudi Cultural Development valued at US$ 100 million.

• Advising a Saudi Family Business (Confidential) on a potential dispute with the Diriyah Gate Development Authority in relation to two projects cumulatively valued at approx. SAR 550 million. This included advising the owners of the group on dispute avoidance mechanisms.

• Advising Saudi Arabia’s TMF Group on a taxation matter pertaining to the outsourcing on taxation services by the TMF Group to a third-party service provider.

• Conducting legal capacity building and compliance training for the Saudi public entities including the Saudi Industrial Development Fund and various family businesses of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

• Advising Pakistan’s National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) Pakistan on the enforcement of a multi-million dollars arbitration award against an Iranian company which involved advising on complex questions of public and private international law and sanctions law pertaining to four jurisdictions (Pakistan, France, Iran, and U.A.E).

• Advising the Shapoorji Group of India (largest shareholder in the TATA Group of India) on contractual and regulatory matters under Omani and U.A.E law in relation to its multi-million dollars acquisition of a mining business in Oman.

• Advising Boluda Towage S.L. (a global leader in maritime services) on its acquisition of 100% shares of Smit Lamnalco (the world’s fifth largest towage operator) which involved the acquisition of several companies and vessels in the Sultanate of Oman and Pakistan. This deal was particularly complex given the local law regulatory compliance issues in Oman and Pakistan.

• Advising several family businesses and ultra-high-net-worth individuals belonging to the Suhail Bahwan Family (the Sultanate of Oman’s largest private family enterprise) on legal restructuring of assets and businesses in several jurisdictions; advising on contractual and regulatory aspects relating to the family’s vehicle distribution portfolio for the Sultanate of Oman and the U.A.E, and advising and acting for the family on contractual and regulatory aspects relating to the establishment of a multi-million dollars mining business in Tanzania.

• Advising Bahwan CyberTek – the technology arm of the Hind Bahwan Group – on the establishment of the first of its kind electronic health insurance exchange platform (“Dhamani”) implemented by the Capital Markets Authority of Oman. Prepared back-to-back agreements with the Capital Markets Authority and service providers for the project and furnished regulatory advice on compliance.

• Advising and acting for the OTE Group (a Bahwan Group Company with 3,000 employees) on all aspects of its employment, regulatory, contractual law matters relating to IT, telecom, product liability, joint ventures, IP, real estate, and infrastructure etc. for a period of 8 years.

• Advising and acting for numerous private sector clients including multi-nationals on telecommunications law matters such as VOIP regulations, cloud, telecommunications licences, import of telecommunications equipment etc.

• Advising Omantel – the country’s first integrated telecommunications service provider – on legal and regulatory aspects relating to the acquisition of a majority stake in various companies including fintech companies and prepared the entire suite of contractual documents pertaining to such transactions.

• Advising Amazon (Oman) in relation to a multitude of matters including data retention and transmission, consumer protection, and product liability issues under the laws of the Sultanate of Oman for a period of four (4) years.

• Advising Oman Automobile Association with regards to the preparation of its Constitution, regulatory compliance issues under Omani law, and collaborative initiatives with regional associations and sponsors.

• Advising Pakistan former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his cabinet on a complex ICC dispute resulting in a penalty of US$ 6 billion on Pakistan. Held numerous confidential discussions with key stakeholders including Pakistan’s NSA, the Attorney General, and the Law Minister.

• Advising the Government of Pakistan on strategic compliance matters relating to two international treaties under consideration for ratification by Pakistan.

English, Urdu and Arabic

Member, Pakistan Bar Council

Member, Punjab Bar Council

Harvard Law School (LL.M. 2007) Punjab University (LL.B. 2004) Michigan State University (Pre-law & Pol Sci 2001)