Khalid Garousha

Khalid Garousha is Senior Partner and Co-Chair of the Executive Committee and Board at A&O Shearman. He has been part of Allen & Overy's global leadership team since September 2023 when he was appointed interim Global Managing Partner. Since taking on the Global Managing Partner role, Khalid has been instrumental in shaping the creation of A&O Shearman and has led the firm through a period of significant change.

Based in the UAE since 2000, Khalid is one of the region's most highly regarded and well-respected M&A and ECM practitioners, acting as a trusted advisor to clients on their most complex general corporate and corporate finance work, including cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity, international equity offerings and IPOs. Khalid Garousha has an impressive reputation for his work handling IPOs and private equity matters across the region and is a highly esteemed lawyer who has a formidable reputation for his work on market-leading M&A transactions.

Khalid was ranked as an Eminent Practitioner in Chambers Global 2026 across Capital Markets: Equity (Middle East-wide and UAE) and Corporate/M&A (Abu Dhabi-based). He was ranked in Band 1 by Chambers Global 2022 across four separate categories: corporate/commercial (UAE), capital markets (UAE), corporate/commercial (Middle East) and capital markets (Middle East). Khalid acts as a governor on the GCC Board Directors Institute, a regional corporate governance institution which seeks to influence the implementation of the highest levels of corporate governance across the region.

Khalid joined A&O as a junior associate in 2000, having previously trained at CMS Cameron McKenna from 1995. He made partner in the UAE region in 2004 and has been part of Allen & Overy's global leadership team since September 2023. Prior to taking up these roles, Khalid was Regional Managing Partner for A&O's Middle East and Turkey region.

Education

• LLB, Law, Sheffield University, 1993
• The College of Law, London, 1995
• Solicitor, England and Wales, 1997

Career History

• Senior Partner, Co-Chair Executive Committee/Board at A&O Shearman (2024–present)
• Interim Global Managing Partner at Allen & Overy (September 2023–April 2024)
• Regional Managing Partner, Middle East and Turkey at Allen & Overy (2020–2023)
• Partner at Allen & Overy (2004–2023)
• Junior Associate at Allen & Overy (2000–2004)
• Trainee at CMS Cameron McKenna (1995–2000)

What Khalid Garousha could bring to A&O Shearman: With over two decades of experience navigating complex cross-border M&A and capital markets transactions across the Middle East, Khalid brings deep regional expertise and relationship capital to his role as Senior Partner. His track record of successfully managing high-stakes merger integrations—notably guiding Allen & Overy through its transformative merger with Shearman & Sterling—positions him to drive operational excellence and strategic growth. His commitment to inclusion and investment in talent development, combined with his recognized expertise in IPOs and private equity, positions him to lead the merged firm through continued expansion and market leadership in global capital markets.