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Al Adalla
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Thomas Calvert
Partner, Head of Office – Al Khobar, Head of China Group
Biography
Thomas Calvert is Head of Al Tamimi & Company’s Al Khobar office. Fluent in Mandarin, he holds a regional role and is a key member of the firm’s Energy and Natural Resources practice, with a focus on Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iraq.
He previously worked for leading U.S. and Magic Circle law firms in Europe and Asia, advising on complex multi-jurisdictional transactions. Thomas has extensive experience in international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, project development, and a wide range of corporate and operational matters, with particular depth in the energy, natural resources, and major infrastructure sectors.
Recognised by The Legal 500 as “fantastic” and ranked by Chambers and IFLR (Rising Star Partner), Thomas is a trusted adviser across the energy and natural resources sector and on general corporate matters, acting for leading international and regional companies, contractors, and financial institutions.
Widely respected for his deep expertise in cross-border energy and infrastructure matters, Thomas’s practice is closely aligned with the firm’s strategic focus on these sectors. Drawing on over 19 years of experience — including a decade based in Iraq — he brings a nuanced understanding of international practice and regional regulatory frameworks to his work.
This combination of sector knowledge and regional insight enables Thomas to advise on some of the Middle East’s most significant and complex deals, making him a sought-after adviser for strategic investments across the region.
Recent Experience
- Highlights of Thomas’s recent experience, include advising:
- a major NOC on a complex cross-border restructuring of its assets in both Iraq and Saudi Arabia, including regulatory harmonisation, and corporate approvals, and several ongoing transactions.
- a leading Saudi Arabian developer on its joint venture structuring, negotiation and major industrial project development.
- a Chinese engineering group on the acquisition of an engineering and manufacturing company with operations in Iraq, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
- An independent Iraqi E&P Company on drafting and negotiating a development and production contract with the Ministry of Oil for an integrated oil and gas producing field in northern Iraq and negotiating the associated joint bidding agreements, joint operating agreement, and related project agreements with its co-venturer
- Several leading oil companies on their bids for exploration, development, and production sharing contracts, and development and production contracts during the fifth and sixth licensing rounds in Iraq
- a leading Saudi Arabian conglomerate on the proposed acquisition of a major industrial plant
- numerous multinational clients and investors across a wide range of sectors in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Iraq — including finance, technology, automotive, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, fintech, e-commerce, logistics, and infrastructure—on corporate, transactional, and operational matters in Iraq. This includes advising on investment structuring, M&A transactions, public procurement, agency and distribution arrangements, employment law, dispute resolution, and corporate governance, as well as leading full-scope legal due diligence and transaction execution.
Language(s)
- English
- Conversational Arabic
- Chinese
Education
- 2005 – 2006 – Jilin University (吉林大学).
- 2003-2005 – BPP Law School.
- 2000-2003 – University of Edinburgh
Admission
2008 – Solicitor of England & Wales
Practice(s)
Sector(s)
Country Group(s)
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