Law firms respond to threats as conflict in Middle East intensifies
A large fire and a plume of smoke are visible after, according to authorities, debris of an Iranian-intercepted drone hit the Fujairah oil facility in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on March 3, 2026. (Photo by Altaf Qadri/The Associated Press)
Major law firms with offices in the Middle East are preparing contingency plans as Iran escalates its missile and drone attacks across the region.
According to Law.com, the Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, office of one global 200 firm remains open, but its leaders are working to prepare potential relocation options for all employees amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. Lawyers who work in that firm’s offices in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also have been asked to register with their embassies, participate in daily check-ins, and follow up with their colleagues if they haven’t responded to messages within six hours.
White & Case and Baker McKenzie are among several firms that have told their teams in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to work from home, Law.com reports.
“The safety and well-being of our people is our highest priority,” according to a statement White & Case provided to Law.com. “We have instructed our people to work from home, following the guidance of local authorities to shelter in place. We have engaged our security protocols and are monitoring the situation in real time.”
Baker McKenzie said in a statement provided to Law.com the firm has “taken precautionary measures following this weekend’s developments, including asking our colleagues in the region to work remotely until further notice.”
Elias Chedid, the managing partner of the Chedid Law Offices in Beirut, Lebanon, which is associated with Dentons, also told Law.com that lawyers may have to evacuate the country if the current conflict worsens.
“What we have in place is a way of working together, no matter where we are located,” Chedid said. “We will continue working together remotely, but if essential infrastructure is disrupted, domestic remote work may no longer be enough.”
CNN reported on Tuesday that the United States has closed its embassies in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and urged Americans to leave more than a dozen countries in the Middle East as Iran increasingly targets U.S. locations and allies. This includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon.
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