John Xefos

Company: Baker & McKenzie
Position: Managing partner

Biography: With more than 20 years of experience of legal affairs in Saudi Arabia, John Xefos is a key part of the Riyadh office of US-based Baker & McKenzie, which operates in the kingdom with Legal Advisers Torki al-Shubaiki.

He moved to Riyadh in 1983 and managed the Saudi practice between 1987 and 2008. During this time, he advised the Royal Commission for Jubail & Yanbu in developing a privatisation programme for power and water projects in the industrial cities, and was involved in the privatisation and restructuring of the government owned-mining sector.

Xefos also worked on the structuring and negotiating of the first private petrochemicals project deal in the kingdom and a $525m syndicated loan for local lender Banque Saudi Fransi.

He is a graduate of Cornell University in the US. Xefos also studied law, Middle East Studies and Islamic law at the University of Pennsylvania, also in the US.

Contact: (+966) 1 479 2200
Company website: www.bakermckenzie.com/