Saudi Arabian citizen, born in Baghdad, Iraq, September 12, 1942. Graduated from Baghdad University, College of Shari’a Law (Bachelor of Arts, 1963) and Oxford University (Doctor of Philosophy in Koranic Law, 1969). Post Doctorate, conducted research at Oxford University, England, 1969-1970. Harvard University Visiting Scholar, 1976-77. Admitted to practice in Saudi Arabia.
Areas of special expertise: Civil litigation, arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, estates and trusts, administrative law and commercial law.
Experience: After receiving his Ph.D. from Oxford University, he taught at the Shari’a Law College of Umm Al-Qura University in Mecca until 1986, during which time he was also a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University. In 1979, he became Of Counsel to the Los Angeles law firm of Erickson, Zerfas & Adams, and from 1980 to 1983 he was Of Counsel to the San Francisco law firm of Morrison & Foerster.
He has presented affidavits as an expert in Sharia’a law and Saudi Arabian laws and regulations before courts in the United States and arbitration tribunals in numerous jurisdictions outside Saudi Arabia.
He has represented clients as plaintiffs and defendants before the Shari’a courts, Boards of Grievances and all other courts in Saudi Arabia, and has acted as umpire in several arbitration proceedings.
David Wells
American citizen, born in Decatur, Illinois, U.S.A., January 30, 1943. Graduated from Northwestern University (Bachelor of Arts, 1965) and Georgetown University Law Center (Juris Doctor, 1971). Admitted to the State Bar of California in 1972.
Areas of special expertise: Corporate and transactional law, project finance (Who’s Who of Project Finance Lawyers 1999-2010), major project structuring and implementation, mergers and acquisitions, commercial law, joint ventures, foreign investments, civil litigation and arbitration.
Experience: Mr. Wells has been associated with and been a partner in several major law firms in the United States and is the longest-serving Western attorney in Saudi Arabia. He began his practice in 1971 at the San Francisco law firm of Pillsbury, Madison & Sutro, where he specialized in corporate and securities law and international project financing. Later Mr. Wells became a partner in the San Francisco law firm of Graham and James, and from 1980 through 1983 he was a partner in the San Francisco law firm of Morrison & Foerster, specializing in international law with an emphasis on international banking and financial and corporate transactions. Mr. Wells has been practicing law in Saudi Arabia since 1977, during which time he has advised on every aspect of the law and legal practice in Saudi Arabia, including major project and corporate financings, corporate acquisitions, the structuring of various types of joint ventures and foreign participations in the Saudi Arabian market, the negotiation and performance of major government contracts and litigation and dispute settlements involving virtually every court in Saudi Arabia.
Frederick (“Fritz”) W. Taylor
American citizen, born Cleveland, Ohio, 1933. Graduated from the University of Florida (BA History, 1957), the University of Michigan (MA Near East Studies, 1959), New York University School of Law (JD cum laude, 1967) and Harvard Business School (AMP, 1974). Admitted to the State Bar of New York in 1968 and to the State Bar of California in 1969.
Areas of expertise: Corporate and commercial law, contracts and telecommunications law, oil and gas law, international transactions, civil litigation and arbitration.
Experience: Mr. Taylor has been a partner in law practice and held executive business positions. He began his career in 1959 in the Government Relations Organization of the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and served in various positions in that company from 1959-1967 and from 1969-1978, becoming General Manager of Government Relations and then Vice President of Industrial Relations. He was an associate of O’Melveny & Myers in 1968-1969; a partner in Burt & Taylor in 1979-1980; President, International Division and Sr. VP of National Medical Enterprises in 1981-83; Special Counsel, Chadbourne, Parke and Afridi, Abu Dhabi, in 1983; a partner in Sidley & Austin and Managing Partner of its Cairo Office in 1984-1987 and its Singapore Office in 1987-1993; Managing Attorney of the Singapore Office of Heller. Ehrman, White & McAuliff in 1993-95; Legal Advisor Middle East & Africa and Corporate Counsel, Lucent Technologies International Inc, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, in 1995-2005; and Visiting Professor of Business Law, American University of Sharjah School of Business and Management in 2005-2006. He joined the Law Offices of Dr. Mujahid M. Al-Sawwaf in 2006.
Mr. Taylor speaks English and Arabic fluently.
Terence J. Cloney
An American citizen born in Chicago in 1953, Mr. Cloney received his A.B. degree from Columbia University in 1975 and his Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law in 1979. While at New York University, he was an Articles Editor of the Journal of International Law & Politics. Mr. Cloney is admitted to the Bar in New York (1980) and Illinois (1989).
Areas of special expertise: Corporate law, financial transactions, securities offerings, swaps and commercial transactions.
Experience: Having practiced in New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Chicago and metropolitan Washington DC., Mr. Cloney has extensive experience in a wide range of international and U.S. financial, corporate and commercial transactions, including structuring, negotiating, documenting and advising in connection with public offerings and private placements of debt, equity and asset-backed securities; bank financings, including syndicated lending, asset-based transactions and multi-currency facilities; joint ventures; acquisitions and sales of, and investments in, businesses; interest rate, currency and debt swaps and other derivatives transactions; sovereign financings and debt reschedulings; ship and aircraft financings, including loan and leveraged lease structures; private sector debt restructurings and workouts; and sales and leases of goods and equipment.
Prior to joining the Law Office of Dr. Mujahid M. Al-Sawwaf in 2009, Mr. Cloney was a Vice President and Associate General Counsel of HSBC Finance Corporation from 2006 through 2009 and an Associate General Counsel at Freddie Mac from 2004 through 2006. He was in private practice as a partner in the firm of Altheimer & Gray in Chicago from 1997 through 2003 and at Gardner, Carton & Douglas in Chicago from 1989 to1997. Mr. Cloney was an associate at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy in its New York, Hong Kong and Singapore offices from 1979 to 1989.
Mr. Cloney has been listed in “Who’s Who in America” and “Who’s Who in American Law.” His publications include “Certain Legal Aspects of Derivatives” in Vol. 21 Journal of Health Care Finance, No. 2 (Winter, 1994) and “Lender Liability for Termination of Financing in Illinois” in Vol. 5 IBA LawWatch, No. 2 (1992). He has spoken at conferences in Chicago, Mexico City and Singapore on corporate and financial law topics.
Anis N. Zerriny
American citizen born in New London, Connecticut, U.S.A, July 16, 1984. Graduated from Rutgers University (Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with a minor in Economics, 2005), Thomas M. Cooley Law School (Juris Doctor, December, 2008)
Areas of special expertise: Corporate and transactional law, joint ventures, foreign investments, civil litigation and arbitration and other major corporate undertakings.
Experience: Mr. Zerriny began his legal career working with Pickus & Landsberg, a firm specializing in real estate law in New Jersey, U.S.A., in which Mr. Zerriny was involved in complex real-estate transactions. Mr. Zerriny then worked for GE Energy’s legal department in Dubai where he was engaged in structuring and establishing numerous types of businesses in countries throughout the Middle East. At GE Mr. Zerriny earned honors for assisting the Company in developing networking strategies and instituting business development programs, ranging from Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance to Energy Education programs. Mr. Zerriny participated in multi-billion dollar energy contracts, Islamic financing and numerous corporate transactions while at GE. Mr. Zerriny joined the Law Offices of Dr. Mujahid M. Al-Sawwaf in 2010 to practice law in Saudi Arabia.
Mr. Zerriny speaks English and Arabic fluently.
Shogi Akasha
Sudanese citizen, born in Dongulah, Sudan, August 2, 1960. Graduated from Cairo University – Khartoum Branch (Law Degree, 1985). Admitted to the Sudanese Bar in 1986.
Areas of special expertise: Civil litigation, commercial law and contractual matters.
Experience: From 1986 to 1990, Mr. Akasha was associated with the Law Office of Hassan Lashin Khartoum, Sudan. From 1990 to 1996, he practiced law in his own office in Kartoum. From 1997 to 2001, he worked as in-house legal advisor of a large, diversified corporate group in Jeddah. He joined the Law Offices of Dr. Mujahid M. Al-Sawwaf in 2001.