GLA & Company

GLA & Company is a regional MENA-based law firm with offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Kuwait, Cairo and Beirut. It provides strategic, cost-effective and forward-thinking legal representation for companies seeking to do business in the Middle East. The firm boasts a diverse portfolio of clients, ranging from start-ups to global enterprises doing business in the Middle East. GLA’s practice consists of a full-service law firm that handles everything from simple advisory work to complex contentious and non-contentious matters. With extensive experience advising clients in the key Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE – as well as in Egypt and Lebanon – the firm offers unique insights for companies seeking quality legal services. Data protection and privacy, in particular, is a key focus area for the firm, considering the expansion and revamping of applicable laws and regulations across the GCC.

GLA & Company is headed up by Nader Al Awadhi, senior partner, and Alex Saleh, managing partner. As a founding partner, Nader Al-Awadhi has over 44 years of legal experience. Nader Al Awadhi’s reputation in the Kuwait legal profession is well-known. He has developed a strong forte for commercial and corporate litigation matters representing many of the top Kuwaiti companies and institutions as well as many famous international companies.

Alex Saleh is the managing partner of GLA & Company and takes a leading regional role within the firm with respect to its M&A and private equity practice. With over 25 years of experience in both the GCC markets as well as the US, he has accumulated sizable expertise in the areas of banking & finance, mergers & acquisitions, capital market deals and infrastructure projects. His experience garners praise from the leading legal directories as he is annually awarded “Market Leader” by the IFLR1000, “Band One” by Chambers & Partners and “Leading Individual” by The Legal 500. Alex’s transactions regularly win Deals of the Year by the same institutions and organizations.

With offices throughout the region, our firm represents companies in the middle East and worldwide
At GLA & Company, we provide strategic, cost-effective, and forward-thinking legal representation for companies seeking to do business in the Middle East. We also represent MENA startups and established companies doing business locally and abroad.

Our practice encompasses all of the legal issues companies will likely encounter in the global business environment. With extensive experience advising clients in the key Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) plus Egypt and Lebanon, we offer unique insights for companies seeking to establish or expand business operations in these nations. From advising on various aspects of doing business in the region, engaging in simple or complex transactions, assisting with local regulatory disclosures with various competition or anti-trust authorities, or resolving disputes (local or arbitral), our attorneys are well-equipped to provide current, concise and timely representation to all types of clients.

We work with companies and their international counsel
We work with many of our clients directly. This includes clients located in the Middle East and in other regions worldwide in a diverse array of industries. But we also work with companies’ international law firm counsel in many instances. If your firm has a client with interests in the Middle East, GLA & Co attorneys can either shoulder the load or work alongside your firm’s attorneys to meet your client’s needs in a timely and cost-effective manner.

We provide a full suite of necessary legal services for global companies
We have structured our firm to serve as full-service outside counsel to multi-national companies seeking to do business in the Middle East and regional companies ranging from high-tech startups to established real estate developers, financial institutions, and retailers. This is illustrated by our practice areas, which include:

• Anti-trust and competition
• Banking and finance
• Capital markets
• Commercial advisory
• Construction and projects
• Corporate and M&A
• Data and technology
• Disputes
• Employment and benefits

We offer unique perspective on doing business in the Middle East
As a result of our attorneys’ decades of local experience, we offer unique perspectives on doing business in the Middle East. Not only are our attorneys intimately familiar with the legal and regulatory issues, but they are knowledgeable about local and regional customs as well. As a result, our attorneys can help our clients avoid costly—and potentially embarrassing—mistakes while fully addressing their legal needs.

We are different from our competitors
As a boutique law firm with the resources and talent of much larger firms, we stand out from our competitors. We offer custom-tailored, one-on-one legal representation at reasonable rates, and our attorneys take a personal interest in ensuring that our clients have every available opportunity to succeed. Moreover, what sets GLA & Co apart is our unparalleled combination of international and local expertise. GLA & Co combines the best and brightest regional international advisors with local experts who often hold an established and respected relationship with many key regulatory authorities, allowing us to provide the best advice and representation in a timely manner.