About

Organised along its main four strategic business unit lines of petrochemicals, specialties, agri-nutrients, and metals, SABIC is one of the major players in the petrochemicals sector in the Middle East and posts consistently large revenue figures (US$39.8bn for 2017). Its legal department is similarly robust, containing a number of noteworthy individuals who are regarded as among the foremost in their fields. Lawrence Harnett has been vice president and general counsel since 2009, prior to which he was general counsel of GE Plastics before this was taken over by SABIC, having previously practiced for 15 years at private practice firms in New York City. In January 2018, SABIC announced the major acquisition of a stake in Swiss chemical manufacturer Clariant worth approximately US$2.4bn, a move which highlights the sort of vast capital sums its legal team is required to deal with as a matter of course.