About

‘Dr Khaled Aswad is an outstanding model of exactly the kind of in-house counsel external counsel wants to work with’, opines one source. ‘Khaled knows his industry inside-out and understands every aspect of his business top-to-bottom. His extensive knowledge of all aspects of his company’s business operations and management structure greatly facilitates collaborative efforts on what are often complex and time-sensitive mandates’. One of the most popular lawyers on our list, ‘emerging giant’ ChemaWEyaat’s general counsel Khaled Aswad has led some of the region’s most significant, complex and high-value transactions. ‘He is an extremely sharp negotiator with strong legal and management skills and the ability to close deals and coordinate teams’, says one private practice lawyer. ‘His complete bilingual Arabic and English language skills also give him an edge over his peers’. Others interviewed point to his ‘character’, ‘pragmatism’ and commercial mindset. In a short period, Aswad has taken ChemaWEyaat’s developing legal function several steps closer to maturity, devising comprehensive policies and procedures, and dividing it into four specialist pillars. ‘I like the fact that the company is a young one with start-up activities’, Aswad says. ‘The legal department was at an early stage of development when I arrived and I personally enjoy starting things from scratch’. A quadrilingual lawyer dual-qualified in Arabic and English law, Aswad has over 15 years’ experience across legal practice, academia, and in-house, and holds doctorates in corporate governance and jurisprudence. He has set up a number of legal conferences in the Middle East and has been a speaker at various events and seminars.