Hattan M Nahlah
Jeddah,Saudi Arabia
Summary
Corporate Legal advisory with over +15 years of experience in aviation and banking, experience and a proven knowledge of administrative law, labor law, legal research, and negotiations, and compliance. Ensuring risk mitigation and effective legal resolutions. Developed and implemented preventative compliance processes that enhance organizational integrity. Committed to ongoing professional development and excellence in legal practice.
Aiming to leverage skills to successfully fill the Legal Affairs Senior Manager / Sr. Director role.
Overview
2
2
Languages
1
1
Certification
6
6
years of post-secondary education
20
20
years of professional experience
Work history
Manager, Investigations
Saudia Group
Jeddah
04.2024 - Current
- Led internal legal investigations into complaints and incidents promptly.
- Produced structured reports on legal and operational incidents to cut delays.
- Provided timely legal guidance to support day-to-day cross-department decisions.
- Official coordinator with external authorities regarding criminal cases of Saudi Airlines employees
- Saudia's corporate agreements advisor
- Saudia Airlines labor affairs “litigations and investigations”
- Oversaw risk management activities to minimize potential liabilities.
- Prepared comprehensive reports on ongoing cases for senior management review.
- Researched, interpreted and advised on laws for accurate legal guidance.
- Addressed personnel issues within legal department to maintain harmonious working environment.
- Conducted due diligence investigations prior to business decisions.
- Facilitated communication between different departments for streamlined operations.
- Coordinated with management team to align legal strategies with company objectives.
- Provided support during audits which ensured regulatory compliance.
- Developed internal controls, improved operational efficiency and transparency.
- Delivered training sessions on legal matters to increase staff knowledge and awareness.
- Assisted in corporate governance matters for enhanced organisational control.
- Ensured compliance with regulatory standards by implementing policies and procedures.
- Collaborated with external solicitors for successful litigation outcomes.
- Prepared legal briefs and coordinated activity with lawyers to progress cases.
- Assessed and supported litigation requests according to strategic priorities.
- Ran legal training courses to improve employee understanding of current requirements.
- Created comparative law studies to identify areas requiring improvement.
- Standardized laws and policies to meet conformance requirements.
- Built libraries of relevant research and materials to improve learning access for wider department teams.
- Handled official documents to maintain privacy, authenticity and accuracy.
- Responded to time-sensitive queries quickly for fast resolution.
- Followed procedure to perform legal functions successfully.
- Observed official policies and procedures to be fully compliant.
- Investigated cases to reach resolution or conclusion.
- Opened communication channels with other officials to encourage productive dialogue.
- Resolved disputes as independent and objective party.
- Provided advice to gracefully handle and de-escalate conflict.
- Adhered to legal regulations when conducting investigations or giving advice.
- Structured legal information to help increase awareness and understanding.
- Recommended measures to increase compliance to official legislation.
- Maintained impartiality when serving as mediator.
Senior Legal Advisor
Saudia Group
Jeddah
04.2015 - 04.2024
- Reduced contract and policy risk by setting dispute resolution approach and internal rules.
- Improved dispute outcomes by enforcing internal rules to constrain policy exposure.
- Minimised contract and policy exposure by directing compliant dispute handling practices.
- Owned drafting and revision of legal documents to keep organisational compliance current.
- Managed legal risk through preventative measures and proactive mitigation of issues.
- Directed investigations into policy allegations, then proposed actions from findings.
- Held responsibility for external solicitor coordination on complex legal matters.
- Drove cross-department collaboration to set effective company policies for consistent use.
- Accounted for executive legal advice, strengthening strategic decision-making and governance.
- Led legislative research coordination to confirm accurate interpretation of laws.
- Chaired preparation of briefs and opinions, culminating in appeal filings.
- Accounted for case strategy by assessing probable outcomes against precedents.
- Oversaw case file preparation, including robust evidence disclosure and pleadings.
- Accounted for settlement negotiations to limit expense and avoid prolonged litigation.
- Directed financial statement evaluation to inform case research and arguments.
Compliance Manager
Aljazira Bank
Jeddah
05.2013 - 04.2015
- Developed and reviewed bank policies to meet regulatory expectations daily.
- Checked daily operations against SAMA requirements for full regulatory compliance.
- Monitored departmental adherence, delivered compliance messaging, and supported consistent practice.
- Managed relationships with regulators, resulting in increased trust and cooperation between parties.
- Improved company reputation with clear, concise communication about business's compliance status.
- Assisted in development of company-wide corrective action plans following internal or external audit findings.
- Monitored changes in relevant legislation, ensuring timely updates to company policies as needed.
- Recommended improvements that enhanced overall organizational efficiency whilst maintaining full compliance with industry standards.
- Developed robust risk assessments for potential vulnerabilities in organization's operations and practices.
- Facilitated legal investigations by gathering pertinent documents and providing necessary information promptly and accurately.
- Prepared detailed reports on current compliance activities for review by senior management and board members.
- Provided expert guidance on regulatory matters during decision-making process at board meetings.
- Advised on data protection issues, promoting culture of privacy across all levels of workforce.
- Served as primary contact during regulatory inspections, facilitating smooth interactions between inspectors and company representatives.
- Interpreted complex regulatory guidelines, simplifying them for use across all departments.
- Maintained accurate and detailed compliance records.
- Reviewed and resolved complaints to uphold positive company reputation.
- Developed policies and systems to ensure business successfully achieved objectives.
- Ensured company policies were implemented and adhered to.
- Responded to compliance-related queries, keeping up to date with changes to regulations.
- Reported on compliance performance to senior management.
- Conducted intensive audits and risk assessments to identify and minimize non-compliance.
- Monitored and reported on industry compliance with relevant legislation.
- Collaborated with multi-disciplinary staff to instill culture-wide culture of accountability and compliance.
- Investigated suspicious, irregular or non-regulatory compliant activities.
- Supported creation of training materials to educate employees on regulations and impact of non-compliance.
- Recorded and actioned findings of internal investigations in line with proper procedure.
- Protected against fines and reputational damage caused by potential non-compliance.
- Owned various general administrative duties to strict timelines.
- Overhauled existing compliance controls to enhance risk mitigation.
- Supported company ethos of continual improvement and growth with stringent audit schedule.
- Respond to information requests from organizations and members of public.
- Prepared professional business correspondence to initiate or resolve regulatory actions and keep businesses informed.
Litigation Assistant Manager
Aljazira Bank
Jeddah
01.2012 - 05.2013
- Followed up on lawsuits filed against bank and provided legal support.
- Reviewed agreements to ensure were free of legal risks.
- Prepared regular legal reports and analysis. Managed coordination with external law firms regarding ongoing cases and legal projects.
- Contributed to evaluation and appointment of external legal counsel to ensure optimal representation and expertise.
- Supervised litigation cases and coordinated with external law firms.
- Drafted legal memoranda and defence strategies.
- Provided legal consultation to departments on disputes and agreements.
- Produced accurate legal reports by consolidating relevant case information.
- Participated actively in team meetings, sharing insights into ongoing cases.
- Maintained confidentiality in all matters, preserving client trust.
- Drafted correspondence letters to clients and opposing counsel, maintaining professional relationships.
- Conducted legal research to support complex litigation matters.
- Prepared discovery requests, leading to detailed case information.
- Streamlined workflow with efficient file system management.
- Reviewed contracts, contributing to risk mitigation efforts.
- Coordinated court dates for smooth scheduling of hearings.
- Engaged in fact-checking and proofreading legal documents for accuracy.
- Drafted and submitted legal documents to senior staff for review and approval.
- Managed client files with highest levels of confidentiality and discretion.
- Built positive client relationships to increase satisfaction and retention.
- Scanned, faxed and archived documentation for robust case files.
- Reviewed legal documentation and flagged errors for correction.
- Submitted forms and applications for ongoing cases, supporting case progression.
- Met practice, firm and legal standards for compliant case management.
- Resolved file-related queries via telephone and in-person communications.
Legal Assistant / Legal Advisor
Aljazira Bank
Jeddah
01.2007 - 01.2012
- Drove development of retail and electronic banking services for improved customer access.
- Owned remote ATM project end-to-end, from site selection to service start.
- Coordinated contract negotiations preparation, payments, and operational readiness activities.
- Managed ATM contract oversight and daily operations against agreed service standards.
- Directed helpdesk operations and customer support to reduce service friction.
- Led alternative delivery channel operations development and ongoing service coordination.
- Advised on banking contract interpretation and transaction-related legal requirements.
- Approved drafting and review of legal agreements to support compliant delivery.
- Collaborated with litigation team on ongoing court case preparations.
Education
Bachelor's Degree - Law
King Abdulaziz University
Saudi arabia 01.2004 - 01.2008
Master's Degree - Arbitration and business Law
Eton University
UEA 01.2017 - 01.2019
Skills
Organizational planning
Legal oversight
Effective communication
Adaptable mindset
Quick decision-making
Crisis resolution
Collaborative teamwork
Stress management
Detail orientation
Leadership in diverse environments
Influential communication
Ethical conduct
Knowledge of regulatory standards
Constructive criticism
Competitor analysis
KPI tracking
Mentoring and coaching
Crisis handling
Budget planning
Initiative taking
Safety consciousness
Cultural awareness
Leadership skills
Team Leadership
Strategic planning
Certification
- Artificial Intelligence - General, 2026
- Preparing and Developing Internal Auditors, Saudi Institute of Internal Auditors, 2025
- Integrated Compliance and Ethics Professional (ICEP), Open Compliance and Ethics Group (OCEG), 2024
- Governance and Compliance Professional (GRCP), Open Compliance and Ethics Group (OCEG), 2024
- Certified Compliance Officer (CCO), The Institute of Banking, 2014
- Project Management, Aljazira Bank, 2009
LANGUAGE
Arabic (Native)
Proficient (C2)
A1
English
Upper intermediate (B2)
A1
Accomplishments
Saudia excellence reward 2024
Saudia excellence reward 2025
References
References available upon request
Timeline
Manager, Investigations
Saudia Group
04.2024 - Current
Master's Degree - Arbitration and business Law
Eton University
01.2017 - 01.2019
Senior Legal Advisor
Saudia Group
04.2015 - 04.2024
Compliance Manager
Aljazira Bank
05.2013 - 04.2015
Litigation Assistant Manager
Aljazira Bank
01.2012 - 05.2013
Legal Assistant / Legal Advisor
Aljazira Bank
01.2007 - 01.2012
Bachelor's Degree - Law
King Abdulaziz University
01.2004 - 01.2008