Christiana O'Connell-Schizas

Christiana advises Saudi and multinational clients on the full spectrum of employment matters, with particular strength in complex, high‑value and sensitive mandates. Her experience spans workforce issues arising out of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, restructurings, carve‑outs and spin‑offs, public listings, and major strategic projects, as well as day‑to‑day employment support. She regularly advises on employee transfers, secondments, redundancy programs, senior executive arrangements, internal policies, terminations, and disputes avoidance.

A core focus of her practice is advising on employment contracts, Saudization and nationalization requirements, general labor and immigration compliance and termination strategies. She is also a trusted adviser to multinational companies establishing or expanding operations in Saudi Arabia, including advising on Regional Headquarters (RHQ) staffing and structuring requirements under Vision 2030.

Christiana previously worked in Baker McKenzie’s Bahrain and London offices and brings a strong international perspective to Saudi employment matters, particularly in cross‑border transactions and workforce integrations.

• Advising Baker Hughes on the Saudi employment aspects of two major global transactions: (i) the USD 1.15 billion sale of its Precision Sensors and Instrumentation business to Crane Company, and (ii) its joint venture with Cactus, pursuant to which Baker Hughes contributed its Surface Pressure Control business. The matters involved employees across 35 and 16 jurisdictions respectively. Christiana led all Saudi employment aspects, including employee transfer structures, transfer documentation, payroll and benefits alignment, immigration requirements, Saudization compliance, and transitional services arrangements. The transactions completed in December 2025.
• Advising Schlumberger on employment aspects of a landmark carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in Saudi Arabia involving Saudi Aramco and Linde. Christiana advised on the secondment and personnel assignment arrangements to the project company for one of the Kingdom’s most significant energy‑transition projects.
• Advising Thales on the Saudi employment aspects of the EUR 1.66 billion sale of its Ground Transportation Systems business to Hitachi Rail. Christiana advised on employee transfers in Saudi Arabia, employment documentation, workforce continuity issues, and related secondment arrangements as part of this complex, cross‑border transaction.
• Advising Brenntag, a global market leader in chemicals and ingredients distribution, on employment matters arising from its strategic joint venture with Al‑Azzaz Chemicals Company in Saudi Arabia. The mandate significantly expanded Brenntag’s footprint in the Kingdom. Christiana led the Saudi employment aspects, including workforce structuring, labor office and GOSI registrations, and compliance with Saudi labor and Saudization requirements.
• Acting for the Public Investment Fund on the employment aspects of its joint venture with AeroFarms, a US‑based leader in vertical farming, to establish and operate indoor vertical farms in Riyadh and across the wider MENA region. Christiana advised on and negotiated the Secondment Agreement to second AeroFarms employees to the joint venture, enabling the development and transfer of critical technical knowledge and operational expertise to the Saudi entity.
• Advising Emerson on contributing its industrial software businesses together with USD 6 billion in cash to AspenTech in return for a 55% stake in the new AspenTech business. Employees in the relevant businesses spread across 37 jurisdictions, including Saudi where Christiana advised on the transfer of employees (benefits, end of service, Saudization, etc.), and negotiated the relevant employee transfer documentation.
• Advising multiple multinational corporations on establishing their Regional Headquarters (RHQ) in Saudi Arabia under Vision 2030. Baker McKenzie has assisted more than 120 multinationals with RHQ setup, and Christiana advises on all employment aspects, including onboarding, employment documentation, dual‑employment structures, continuous service and benefits preservation, and cross‑border transfers from UAE and other jurisdictions.
• Advising numerous issuers on Saudi capital markets transactions, providing in‑depth employment due diligence in connection with IPOs on the main and secondary markets.
• Advising high‑profile international football players and public figures on employment, immigration, and relocation matters associated with transfers to Saudi football clubs and long‑term establishment in the Kingdom, requiring exceptional discretion and strategic judgment.

• Solicitors Regulation Authority, England and Wales
• Saudi Bar Association, Saudi Arabia