Oryx Legal's Natalie Boyd, Vanessa Abernethy on the regional shift toward flexible, high-level advisory

Gulf Business

7 days ago

Images: Supplied
As the regulatory and economic landscape across the MENA region grows increasingly complex, businesses are rethinking how they engage with legal and compliance services.
Supporting this transformation is Oryx Legal Consultants, a UAE-based firm founded by Natalie Boyd and Vanessa Abernethy, which is challenging traditional models with its multidisciplinary, partner-led approach.
In this interview, the co-founders discuss rising demand for fractional legal support, the evolving needs of corporate clients, their expansion plans into Saudi Arabia, and how being female founders in a once male-dominated industry has shaped their journey.
What trends are shaping the future of legal and compliance services in the corporate world, particularly in the MENA region?
Rising costs are a major factor, not just in terms of doing business, but the cost of keeping employees on the books and complying with regulatory frameworks. The introduction of corporate taxation adds another layer of pressure but there is growing focus on good governance and the value of having senior legal professionals involved at the top level. Also, the rising cost of office space is making hybrid and remote working more attractive for businesses and professionals. Many senior professionals no longer want to be tied to traditional employment models and are seeking to work independently and set their own schedules whilst still being part of a cohesive and supportive team. That is a dynamic we have leaned into at Oryx, and it is a key reason why our model is resonating on both sides of the market.
How has the demand for fractional legal and compliance services evolved in the UAE and broader Gulf markets?
More often, companies are realising that it makes more sense to use their legal budget on a senior resource part-time than a more junior resource full-time. It allows them to scale up or down quickly depending on internal needs and project cycles. When we first introduced fractional legal support, it felt quite novel to many clients. But that's changed. There is now a genuine appetite for the flexibility and financial freedom that comes with this model. While we're predominantly active in the UAE, there is no reason this cannot extend across the wider region. Consultants no longer need to be physically in a client's office to be fully embedded in the business, although we do offer fractional support with attendance at the client's office also, where required.
What types of clients typically engage with Oryx, and what kind of support are they seeking today?
Our clients range from financial institutions and sovereign entities to mid-sized and large corporates, as well as startups. Each comes to us with different needs. Mid-sized corporates are often looking for someone to lead their legal team on a fractional basis. Sovereign and institutional clients engage us for support on specific projects or to bridge medium-term vacancies. Financial institutions and large corporates use us regularly for transaction-specific advisory. And startups come to us from the ground up requiring things like structuring, licensing, templates and general advisory. Some of the businesses we supported at inception are now fully regulated firms leading their spaces.
We have also seen an influx of local companies seeking
Oryx offers partner-level support across legal, compliance, corporate finance, and boardroom advisory. What inspired this multidisciplinary approach, and how has the market responded?
It came from direct experience. From the in-house side, we saw how clients were being let down by narrow service models and expensive, non-transparent billing. We wanted to create a model that solved real problems and delivered end-to-end support with complete transparency. From the private practice side, we had both seen how senior partners often wanted to offer more to clients but were restricted by legacy structures. We were determined to do things differently. At Oryx, clients can bring a challenge to the table and trust that a senior team will provide a solution seamlessly, efficiently, and without surprise fees. That client-centric approach has landed well, particularly with businesses that are ready to move away from traditional firm dynamics.
What challenges have you encountered as women founders operating in a traditionally male-dominated industry, and how have you navigated them?
We haven't faced gender-specific barriers in the region. Our clients know us, trust us, and have worked with us for years. If anything, being female founders has meant we are perhaps more visible – two women building a new business model stands out, and that visibility brings its own opportunities. That said, we have experienced discrimination in earlier chapters of our careers, outside of the UAE. These experiences gave us resilience and the motivation to challenge the traditional frameworks we were working within, which is exactly what we did. Since founding the firm, we've only experienced respect for what we are doing and how we are doing it. Clients see the model works, and that is what matters.
What advice would you give to other women aspiring to launch and grow successful professional services firms in the region?
Stay true to your values. It is our rigid adherence to the principle of good and transparent client service that is one of the reasons our clients keep coming back. Our integrity is a very strong value for both of us and would never be compromised for financial gain or any other reason. Many women have a strong sense of what matters to them, even if they are slower to speak about their successes. That quiet clarity becomes a strength in business. If you operate in a way that aligns with your values, you build deep trust and that's what lasting client relationships are built on. We would also encourage women to be brave and step away from traditional models. There is something uniquely liberating about having control over your time, your income, and the type of work you take on. The structure we have built allows for that, and we believe many more women could benefit from that autonomy.
Looking ahead, what are your strategic priorities for the remainder of 2025 and beyond?
We are focused on growing our compliance offering and expanding our legal team to meet increasing client demand. Fractional support continues to be a core driver of that growth, and we expect it to become even more central. We are also looking at developing tax advisory capabilities, which would complement the services we already provide across legal, regulatory and board-level support. Regionally, we are preparing to expand into Saudi Arabia. We already work with institutional clients there, and we believe the