Hourani & Partners hires Julia Snyder as partner
Hourani & Partners appointed Julia Snyder (pictured) as a partner in its corporate and M&A practice, effective Monday 7 September 2026. Snyder joins the firm’s Dubai office from the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in Saudi Arabia, where she held the role of senior vice president in the funds legal function, and will advise regional and international clients on M&A, joint venture and commercial transactions.
Career background
Snyder spent six years with Hourani & Partners’ former affiliate firm and subsequently with Hourani & Partners in Dubai, joining as a senior associate in 2017 and trising o counsel in 2019, before moving to PIF in 2023. At PIF, she advised on some of the fund’s international investments, helping to execute strategic investment decisions across cross-border transactions.
Before relocating to Riyadh in 2017, Snyder practiced at Hunton Andrews Kurth in New York, Charltons Law in Hong Kong and Bingham McCutchen in Los Angeles.
Second lateral hire of the year
Snyder’s appointment marks the firm’s second lateral partner hire this year, following Daniel Xu, who joined from Eversheds Sutherland in January 2026 to lead the arbitration practice. Snyder joins the team led by Salim Sader, partner and head of corporate and M&A, which advises on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and corporate restructurings across the Middle East.
