Bio

Martin Davies Heads the firm's Middle East practice and is a Partner in the firm's international wealth planning and tax team group. Martin is widely recognised as a Middle East expert advising prominent families, companies and family offices from Saudi Arabia and the GCC countries on their international corporate and real estate investments and their personal financial affairs, leading and co-ordinating their global legal function. Martin advises on all aspects of international private capital and wealth planning, often when a client is considering changing their life pattern, on the death of a family principal, on a review of historical structures or when a client carries out corporate acquisitions, investments or disposals. This regularly involves advising the family principals on taxation, succession, family structures and constitution, asset protection and reputation management as well as international investments, M&A, joint ventures and private equity. Martin's rare combination of experience in cross-border corporate transactions combined with his many years of providing strategic advice in wealth planning and international private capital enables him to act as a close adviser across all aspects of his client's affairs. Martin's understanding of the nuances of doing business in Saudi Arabia and the wider Gulf is reflected in his reputation as a Middle East expert. He has been involved in the setting up and restructuring of many tens of local entities and joint ventures in the Middle East throughout his career. Martin has lived and managed law offices in Riyadh and Washington, DC and continues to spend considerable time in the Middle East regularly advising European, North American and Far East companies on their inward investments and joint ventures in Saudi Arabia and the GCC. Martin co-founded and was formerly the elected Chairman of a global legal network with over 120 members and Martin's international 'reach' is genuinely global in supporting the firm's clients, regularly working with law firms and other professionals in multiple jurisdictions on a daily basis. Martin has been actively involved in promoting trade with the UK throughout his career and is a founder member of the Saudi British Joint Business Council. He was co-founder of the Saudi-British Society and is a Trustee of the Oriental Cultural Foundation.