About
Rawan Bahamran is a Saudi qualified lawyer and Legal Advisor in Freshfields’ Global Projects Disputes practice in Riyadh. She advises on complex construction, commercial and cross-border disputes across the Middle East, with particular experience in Saudi and UAE law. Rawan is fluent in Arabic and English.
Rawan’s practice focuses on high-value projects and infrastructure disputes, including EPC and FIDIC-based contracts, delay and disruption claims, variations, force majeure, hardship, defects, termination, bank guarantees and interim relief. She has advised on disputes arising from major construction and energy projects, including claims involving the interpretation of settlement and waiver provisions under the Saudi Civil Transactions Law, contractual and statutory claims under the Government Tenders and Procurement Law, and multi-issue EPC claims under UAE law.
She also has experience in international arbitration, including DIAC and LCIA matters, and has supported the preparation of pleadings, merits advice, document-review protocols and strategies concerning limitation periods, decennial liability, technical defects and expert evidence. Her work includes advising on the protection of on-demand bank guarantees before the Saudi courts, the enforceability of interim measures in arbitration, and safety and regulatory issues affecting major transport infrastructure.
Before joining Freshfields, Rawan gained in-house and private-practice experience across corporate, commercial and disputes matters. This included supporting M&A and joint venture transactions, preparing legal memoranda and internal arbitration policies, reviewing commercial agreements and participating in the assessment of more than 30 investment...
Rawan's experience includes advising:
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A global financial institution on dispute resolution and jurisdiction provisions for Saudi-law governed agreements, including the respective roles of the Saudi courts, SCCA arbitration and the Committee for the Resolution of Securities Disputes.
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A major Saudi contractor on extension of time and cost claims arising from the conversion of long-running cost-plus construction arrangements into lump-sum turnkey contracts, including the interpretation and enforceability of settlement and waiver provisions under the Saudi Civil Transactions Law.
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A joint venture contractor on protecting advance payment and performance guarantees in connection with a major Saudi infrastructure project, including potential interim relief before the Saudi courts and coordination with local counsel.
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A state-owned energy company on a multi-issue EPC dispute concerning variation, delay, force majeure and hardship claims, including contractual time bars, supply-chain disruption and market-volatility arguments under UAE law.
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A major real estate developer in a DIAC arbitration concerning structural defects in a large residential development, including decennial liability, contractual defect claims, limitation issues, remedial costs and expert evidence.
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A major transport operator on safety, regulatory and liability issues arising from third-party works near railway infrastructure, including the Saudi Railway Law and its implementing regulations.
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A government-related entity on compensation mechanisms, pricing adjustment and claims procedures under the Saudi Government Tenders and Procurement Law.
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Clients in the construction and energy sectors on subcontractor-payment protections, including employer step-in mechanisms, direct-payment structures, project bank accounts and contractual security arrangements.
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A UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers on judicial independence, legal-profession regulation and transitional justice issues in Syria.
Rawan Bahamran
Muqarnas Tower, Parcel 1.09
Level 07, Office 01
Financial Blvd, Al Aqiq
Riyadh 13519