Mathieu R. Faupin

Director of International Affairs | Legal Consultant, Al Sulaiti Law Firm

Mathieu has acquired a wide range of experiences in the field of commercial law, primarily in France and Qatar. In addition to assisting our clients with establishing their businesses in Qatar, Mathieu also has extensive experience with corporate restructuring, joint ventures, and a wide range of corporate business transactions, including but not limited to International Commercial Arbitration. As Director of International Affairs at Al Sulaiti Law Firm, with more than fourteen years of experience in the legal field, he is a valuable asset to the Al Sulaiti Law Firm. He is able to enhance the firm’s existing collaborative business relationships and activities, ensuring that clients are provided with the highest quality legal assistance as part of the firms growing international footprint.

As well as his work with Al Sulaiti Law Firm, Mathieu R. Faupin has worked in the corporate sector in the United States and has taught law at Université Reims-Champagne-Ardenne and international relations at USC-Los Angeles. In July 2013, Mathieu was elected president of the Union des Français de l’Etranger (UFE), a Qatari association representing the French community.

Nadyn Saleh

Senior Associate, Al-Yaqout and & Al Fouzan Legal Group (AYLG)

Nadyn has international experience on a wide range of projects and other forms of structured finance, including project transactions in Kuwait and in the region. Her experience includes international mergers and acquisitions, cross-border joint ventures, and project finance and development. Nadyn has been involved in a number of high profile cases including the Investment Dar debt restructuring, which has been ranked by the International Financial Law Review as one of the most important top 100 deals in 2015, and Adeem Investment and Wealth Management restructuring which was awarded the ‘Restructuring Deal of the Year’ by the International Financial Law Review in 2017.

Nadyn has been ranked as the ‘Next Generation Partner’ and is recommended by Legal 500 for banking and finance in Kuwait for three consecutive years.

Jon Ede

Regional Director, Michael Page Middle East

With over 16 years in specialist international recruitment, Jon is an expert in global retained search through to specialist regional campaigns. Jon’s expertise lies in senior/executive level recruitment across most industries/sectors, having partnered with a broad spectrum of FTSE 100 & FTSE 250 organizations. Jon heads up Key Accounts for the Middle East, and also manages a team recruiting for the following divisions – Sales, Marketing, Digital, Retail, Human Resources, Legal, Property & Construction, Oil & Gas, Technology & Strategy.

Hayley Wilkins

Manager (HR & Legal), Michael Page Middle East

Hayley joined Michael Page Middle East from the UK in August 2013 to help build the Page Personnel business and the Human Resources practice. She started her career in recruitment in 2011 working for one of the leading consultancies in the UK. ​She currently manages the HR & Legal practices and specializes in placing mid to senior level HR professionals across UAE & KSA. She sits within a wide network of HR professionals and has established relationships with key HR figures in the region over the last 5 years. ​

Dr. Zaid Mahayni

Senior Vice-President for Legal, Chief Legal Consultant and Board Secretary, SEDCO Holding

Dr. Zaid Mahayni specializes in commercial law and dispute resolution, with a focus on the Saudi Arabian and Middle Eastern market. After qualifying as a lawyer in Quebec 2002, Zaid spent 10 years in private practice with the Law Firm of Hassan Mahassni, in collaboration with White & Case and other international firms. As a practitioner, Zaid has been praised by clients for his “professionalism and concise responses”, “cross border capability”, and “unparalleled local knowledge and client commitment” (Legal 500, 2011-2015). He has also been recognized as a ‘rising star’ (IFLR 1000, 2015). Subsequently, Zaid took up an in-house position within Saudi Economic and Development Holding Co, first as vice head of legal and, since February 2017, as head. His contributions in that role have so far earned him various accolades and awards, including the ‘General Counsel of the Year (Large Team)’ award in 2018 and inclusion in the Legal500 GC Powerlist in the Middle East. Zaid also dedicates much of his spare time to writing and teaching. He is a prolific author on Saudi law and practice.

Nasreen Alissa

Founder, The Law Firm of Nasreen Abdulrahman Alissa

Nasreen is an attorney specializing in corporate law with experience in foreign investments, company incorporation, labor law and bankruptcy law.

Prior to opening her own law firm, Nasreen worked as an attorney at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP in association with The Law Firm of Salah Al-Hejailan for five years.

She also participates in charitable work and provides advice in family law matters, in addition to helping women in Saudi Arabia understand their rights through her legal mobile application, KnowYourRights, aimed to empower Saudi women. The mobile application is the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia and in the region.

Areas of Focus: Corporate, Intellectual Property and Information Technology

Education: LLB from Nottingham Law School, BA in Sociology from the University of British Columbia, LLM from City University, LPC from City University

Thomas Bicknell

Partner, Pinsent Masons

Tom specialises in Financial services and corporate insurance.

Fatma Makki

Associate, Clyde & Co

Fatma is an Associate in the Corporate department of Clyde & Co’s Muscat office. She is a UK qualified solicitor and has worked in London and Dubai before returning to Muscat. She advises a wide range of clients from the private sector (local entrepreneurs to multi-national companies) and the public sector. Her practice is mainly transactional with a focus on energy, projects and infrastructure, however has also advised on transactions in healthcare, education and the finance sector.

Matthew Heaton

Head of Office, Head of Banking & Finance – Qatar

Matthew Heaton is the Head of Office in Qatar, and he also forms part of Qatar’s Banking & Finance practice.

Matthew has broad experience of all aspects of finance law, acting for both borrowers and lenders.  Prior to joining, Matthew was a banking & finance partner based in London at a leading global law firm.  He has particular expertise in acquisition and leveraged finance, corporate lending and real estate finance. He advises borrowers, funders, sponsors (including banks, equity and debt funds, listed corporates, private companies and mezzanine funders). He also advises on syndicated, club and bilateral financings. He has broad experience of leveraged finance and private equity transactions, and in advising purchasers and sellers of stressed and distressed loan portfolios.

In addition, Matthew has experience of general corporate and commercial transactions.