Two years ago I was at a point in my career where I wanted to work with great people. I wanted to be sure I was working for the right person, not just the right business name or brand. It was this simple decision that led me to AG.

To achieve my goal of finding exceptional individuals, I began noticing LinkedIn posts of the MENA legal community news where Addleshaw Goddard announced plans to establish its presence in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and had recruited some of the most reputable lawyers in the Saudi market. This has led me to be encouraged to reach out to the firm and its Partners.

After a very positive interview I joined AG in December 2023 as the Riyadh office came online.

Our first year was amazing - and intense - as we set up the office and started to engage with clients. I remember the number of Partners that came to visit us in that start-up year, they did a lot to support us and always made time for conversations with everyone. It was incredibly impressive and validated my reasons for joining the firm.

During that year I also had the chance to work on a cross-border matter with another trainee originally from the Aberdeen office. We worked closely together while she was a secondment to the Oman office. I thought the opportunity to travel sounded amazing, and through the great support from the Partners in KSA & the Middle East I am now here in London on secondment myself.

I am proud to say that I am bringing some Saudi culture to my colleagues here and I have connected with so many people. I want people in AG to know who I am and as a result they can discover what we are doing in Saudi Arabia. For me it is great to read about our global growth on email, but it is better to hear it from someone who has been living it day in and day out.

Being in London has made me appreciate my team in Riyadh even more than I did before. I miss the intimacy of being in a small office, but I absolutely do not miss the traffic back home. Some days in Riyadh I can spend three hours in the car getting to and from work, so being in London has been an amazing change of pace.

Despite the distance between the offices the culture of work is the same at AG. There are expectations for quality and communication that are bigger than any time zone or office, and this consistency has allowed me to fit in immediately. I feel at home here and I look forward to returning home to keep growing our Riyadh office later this year.