Reema A. Aref

Leading a team of 14+ legal professionals, including associates, senior associates, to manage multiple practices within the legal service line, corporate law, commercial and contact, tax law, and Government regulatory and advisory. Drive expansion of EY Law's presence in the Saudi legal market by delivering exceptional legal services and ensuring compliance with regional and international legal standards. • High-Impact Legal Projects: Led sensitive governmental projects to ensure compliance and strategic alignment with national priorities while reinforcing EY Law's reputation for managing high-stakes legal matters with excellence. • Legal Oversight: Oversee the delivery of legal services across various practice areas with quality and compliance.

Led and expanded EY's tax legal services to ensure delivery of high-quality tax legal advice. Oversaw the provision of legal services across corporate and tax law with accuracy, compliance, and quality while representing clients before judicial committees. • Case Resolution: Closed several cases in the General Secretariat of Tax Committees (GSTC) while achieving favourable results and improving client satisfaction. • Tax Disputes & Judicial Committees: Dealt with tax matters and disputes in judicial committees by managing case formalities, ensuring legal soundness, preparing memorandums, and representing clients before the judicial committees. • Team Building & Leadership: Built and commanded a team of six legal professionals to foster a culture of excellence and continuous improvement. • Legal Controversy Services: Charted strategic plans to position EY's tax legal controversy services as premier offerings in Saudi Arabia, focusing on taxpayers' post-tax assessment issuance.

Headed a small team of legal professionals and administrative staff to manage the tax appeals and tax policy division operations. Ensured compliance with tax laws and regulations while providing accurate legal interpretations and recommendations. Prepared detailed legal memorandums and briefs outlining the appeals cases' arguments and legal basis. • Tax Policies & Procedures Design: Improved taxpayer compliance and understanding of tax obligations, which contributed to an efficient and transparent tax system by developing policies, including detailed guidelines for taxpayers. • Tax Laws Drafting: Facilitated better compliance and reduced legal complexities by drafting the VAT law and changing the income tax law and Transfer Pricing (TP) regulations. • Legal Framework Improvement: Contributed to developing and refining legal frameworks related to tax appeals to ensure clarity and consistency in applying tax laws. • Process Improvement: Reduced backlog and improved legal operational efficiency by managing all cases within set timelines. • Stakeholder Communication: Liaised with internal and external stakeholders, including taxpayers, legal advisors, and regulatory authorities, to gather necessary information and provide updates on case status and legislations.

Offered strategic legal advice and support to the Minister (H.E. Khalid Al Falih) on matters related to potential partnerships, collaborations, and various issues in the energy sector. Conducted thorough legal research and analysis on energy laws, regulations, and international agreements. Drafted, reviewed, and negotiated contracts and agreements related to energy projects and partnerships with stakeholders, including government entities, international partners, and private sector representatives. • Legal Support: Navigated complex legal challenges to ensure the smooth execution and success of multiple energy projects by delivering legal support on various energy projects, including drafting and reviewing agreements. • Legal Support for Energy Projects: Provided comprehensive legal support for various energy projects by ensuring all projects and agreements' compliance with local and international laws and regulations. • Strategic Energy Partnerships: Advised the Minister's (Aramco Chairman office) office on several high-profile partnerships and collaborations in the energy sector, resulting in advancements in energy projects and fostering international cooperation and investment.

Conducted thorough investigations into corporate and commercial legal issues, including fraud, compliance breaches, and contractual disputes. Improved contract terms and safeguards by reducing the risk of legal disputes and potential financial losses. • Aramco Hospital & Johns Hopkins JV: Contributed to managing the Joint Venture (JV) agreement between ARAMCO Hospital and Johns Hopkins, addressing employment transfer issues from Aramco to the new JV. • Corporate Integrity & Compliance: Built a more transparent, accountable, and legally sound operational environment by leading thorough investigations and implementing robust compliance programs. • Corporate Fraud Investigation: Led major investigations into corporate fraud to identify key issues while recommending actions that mitigated further risks and losses.