Interview with: Faisal A. Linjawy, Partner

Faisal A. Linjawy discusses how the Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni, with over 50 years of presence, continues to uphold and elevate the standards of excellence.

 

What do you see as the main points that differentiate the Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni from your competitors?

The Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni stands apart due to its rich history and profound understanding of the local legal landscape combined with international expertise. Established as one of the oldest law firms in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we bring unparalleled insights into the legal, cultural, and economic contexts of our clients’ operations.

 

Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?

The economy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is largely driven by Vision 2030. The country aims to diversify its economy and reduce dependency on oil by focusing on other sectors such as mining, tourism, sustainability, etc. Also, a significant part of Vision 2030 is increasing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and the expansion of the economy beyond oil presents numerous opportunities for both local and international businesses to contribute to the growth of the economy. This means that both local and international businesses will continue to seek legal advice on compliance, joint ventures, and doing business generally in Saudi Arabia.

 

What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients?

Over the 50+ years that the Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni has been in existence, it has established certain standards of delivering premium services in addition to a tradition that seeks to cultivate a deep understanding of client needs. All I am doing is building on these same standards and ensuring that we are delivering our services more efficiently. Clients will keep receiving better and quicker services every time. Not only that, but it is also important that we keep training the next generation of lawyers who will continue to uphold the “Mahassni standards” of excellence.

 

Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?

Technology is definitely helping us, and it will continue to help us, which in turn will help our clients. We always look for ways to provide services more efficiently to our clients and technology is always redefining our interactions with our clients for the better.

 

Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?

A notable example of our value-added approach involved a family-owned company looking to improve its governance. By restructuring their corporate governance framework and integrating best practices, we helped streamline their decision-making processes and enhanced operational efficiency. This helped fortify their internal controls and positioned them more competitively in the market, helping them also in their journey of listing on the Saudi stock market.

 

Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms – where do you see the firm in three years’ time?

Our clients rely on us not only for legal expertise but also for stability and strategic direction in a rapidly evolving economic climate.

We are actively expanding our presence in key cities like Jeddah, Riyadh, and Al-Khobar/Eastern Province, especially over the next three years. We are also deepening our expertise in sectors critical to Vision 2030, ensuring that we continue to meet our clients’ needs and exceed their expectations with world-class legal services.