Biography
Vernon Cassin is an American lawyer living in Saudi Arabia. He serves as the Chief Legal Officer of Al Khozama Management Company, the business arm of the King Faisal Foundation, and works for both organizations. Mr. Cassin formerly served for thirteen years as the Partner-in-Charge for Saudi Arabia of Jones Day, a large international law firm.
In his legal practice in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Cassin advised both private and public-sector clients on corporate, finance, regulatory and arbitration/litigation matters.
Mr. Cassin has also been active in venture capital, arranging funding for early-stage social media, tech and biotech investments. Mr. Cassin also co-founded and serves as Chairman of a Bermuda-based oil exploration company with assets in West Africa.
As Chief Legal Officer at Al Khozama, Mr. Cassin has worked on a variety of matters including financing, real estate development, food & beverage, leasing, litigation, consumer retail and education projects.
Mr. Cassin sits on the boards of Landmark Arabia, a large Saudi Arabian retail group, the King Faisal School and Afex Global. He has also served in the past on the Advisory Committee for the Near Eastern Studies Department at Princeton University, as Chairman and Board Member of the American International School in Riyadh, and as a member of the Steering Committee of the American Businessmen’s Group of Riyadh.
Mr. Cassin was born in Jordan of US diplomat parents and graduated from Princeton University (AB 1974) and Harvard Law School (JD 1977). He also spent a year as a Research Fellow at Harvard University’s Center for International Affairs from 1977-78 and a year at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.