Middle East

M&A Law Firm of the Year Lebanon

Firm Profile

The Firm has established itself as a leading legal practice mirroring the very best in the industry and maintains its position and market reputation as the single largest multi-practice law firm in Lebanon.

The Firm has earned its leading standing with a practice centred on high value corporate, M&A, banking, finance, telecoms, real estate, tax, and restructuring transactions. The Firm handles major local and cross-border deals and is renowned for advising on complex transactions of first impression in the region.

The Firm regularly advises clients on complex cross-border acquisitions and corporate finance transactions in a wide array of sectors including telecoms, real estate, retail and banking, and has extensive experience in the regulatory process of acquisitions such as licensing, compliance and post-acquisition integration. The Firm’s recent representative work includes counseling on the merger of two large commercial banks, and on various major acquisitions, namely the acquisition by several telecom consortiums of controlling

Lawyers

Fulfilling its reputation in delivering highly efficient services, the Firm is led by a talented team of 9-partners and 35 expert attorneys who are dedicated to achieving excellence in every task undertaken and tackle any challenge using fast, ground-breaking and innovative solutions.

In addition to our lawyers who hold law and business graduate degrees from prominent Lebanese, French and American universities as well as JDs, many associates and trainees are now undertaking MBAs as well as masters in law. Many of our team members are admitted to bars outside Lebanon. All the Firm’s attorneys speak and write fluently in Arabic, French and English and some of them have a working knowledge of Italian and Spanish. Many of the partners and

of-counsels have experience working with international law firms abroad including Norton Rose, Shearman & Sterling, SNR Denton, and Gide Loyrette Nouel. Details of the Practice Areas, Education, Bar Admissions and Languages of the lawyers are available on AJA Law Firm’s website.

The Firm holds yearly workshops and ensures continuing internal and external legal education. Many of our attorneys participate frequently in training programs, seminars and conferences in Lebanon, USA, Dubai and Europe, as well as in internships at international law firms based in Europe.

Languages Spoken: - Arabic, English, French and Italian.

equity stakes in mobile operators in Africa, the acquisition of an equity stake in a listed UK based financial services firm, the acquisition of a real estate company through the issuance of hybrid financial instruments for the development of a first-of-its-kind wellness resort in the Middle East region, and a ground-breaking multi-bank private placement initiative to finance the launch of a TV station. As a dominant market advisor in banking and finance, AJA advised on a pioneer transaction involving a $200 Million securitization of asset receivables, the acquisition of a listed bank in Europe, and the first-of-its kind conversion of a financial company into an investment bank.

In addition to representing local and foreign banks on matters of corporate governance and regulatory compliance, the Firm has a strong expertise in the expansion of a bank’s network through synergies between its commercial and investment banking activities and considerable experience advising on a wide range of domestic and international extensions of credit, such as secured and syndicated multicurrency

facilities. The Firm’s added value is particularly sought after in structured finance and the Firm’s banking law experts combine legal capabilities and sophisticated business perspective with a creative and multidisciplinary approach to handle the structuring and documentation of complex financing transactions involving a broad range of traditional and newer asset classes.

The Firm has acquired and maintains the biggest client base in the market with more than 1,200 clients who contribute vitally to the country’s economic growth and have a major market share of private placements, real estate project developments and debt restructurings. Our clients are primarily corporate entities, including local and international commercial and investment banks, governmental agencies, investors and entrepreneurs, insurance companies, service providers, real estate developers and charitable organizations. Many of our clients, who maintain a strong international presence throughout the MENA region, the UK, Europe and the US, rely on the Firm’s wide resources for all their legal needs.

Areas of Expertise

- Corporate - Banking & Finance - Mergers & Acquisitions - Telecommunications & Media - Capital Markets & Structured Finance - Tax - Real Estate - Restructuring & Estate Planning - Franchising - International Trade & Commerce - Intellectual Property - Litigation & Arbitration - Privatization

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Lawyer Monthly Legal Awards 2012