Nada Abdelsater‐Abusamra

Leaders in Law endorses Nada Abdelsater‐Abusamra as our exclusively recommended M&A Law expert in Lebanon. If you wish to get in touch with Nada, please use the contact information provided above.

Nada Abdelsater‐Abusamra is an international lawyer admitted to the Courts of New York and Beirut and in the Hague (Netherlands) where she acts as the legal representative of victims at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon looking into the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri.

She is the founding partner of ASAS Law, a Lebanese law firm with activities across the Middle East and extending to Europe, USA and commonwealth countries. She has a strong practice in international cross border transactions, litigation, and arbitration including notably white‐collar crimes, as well as complex commercial litigation, confiscation, freezing orders and cross border enforcement of judgements and arbitral awards.

Her clients includes high profile individuals and multinationals. She leads multi‐ faceted investigation processes and asset recovery proceedings across several jurisdictions according to rigorous and high professional standards.

She advises clients on tracing and seizing or freezing funds and assets located in Lebanon or deposited in Lebanese Bank Accounts. She acts for clients in liberating funds that were unduly frozen by international or national regulatory authorities. She is distinctly respected by high ranked regulators (notably in the banking sector) who solicit her insight on legal matters.

As part of her practice, she handles complex transactions including financial engineering, M&A, oil and gas, PPP, corporate and financial transactions and corporate governance restructuring.

She was named more than once as “Leading Lawyer” by reputed international guides. She earned international recognition for her work in corporate governance and ethics. She is the recipient of the Corporate Governance Rising Star Award, 2009, Yale University (School of Management, the Millstein Center) and has received other medals and decorations.

Areas of Expertise

  • M&A
  • International cross border transactions
  • Litigation
  • Arbitration
  • White‐collar crimes
  • Commercial litigation

Education

  • Masters in Law from Harvard Law School (LL.M 1999)
  • Lebanese and French Master Law degree from University Saint Joseph in Beirut (1998), a Bachelor of Science from the American University of Beirut (1994)
  • Completed the M.A coursework in International Affairs at the Lebanese American University (1994).
  • Nada has also taught law and corporate governance at the American University of Beirut, Business School.

Firm Description:

ASAS LAW is a specialist law firm headquartered in Beirut with activities across the Middle East and extending to Europe, USA, Africa and commonwealth countries, gathering a team of highly experienced lawyers admitted to practice in New York, The Hague and Beirut. ASAS LAW is top ranked by Chambers Global as a “distinctive firm best known for its practice in banking and finance, particularly with regard to cross-border transactions.

The firm’s specialisms include project finance, Islamic finance, securitisation and public-private partnerships”​. ASAS LAW is also top ranked in Litigation and Arbitration and in Corporate and Finance by the major international legal ranking guides including Chambers, the International Financial Law Review (IFLR), Who’s Who Legal (WWL) and Global Investigations Review (GIR) who rank ASAS LAW lawyers as Thought Leader in Asset Recovery, Business Crime Defense and Investigation and recognised for “great Negotiations skills and cross border laws expertise”. ASAS LAW is the exclusive representative of ICC-FraudNet in Lebanon and takes pride in having the highest professional and ethical values.

 

Ghassan Moghabghab

Leaders in Law endorses Ghassan Moghabghab as our exclusively recommended Litigation Law expert in Lebanon. If you wish to get in touch with Ghassan please use the contact information provided above.

Managing Partner

Admitted to the Beirut Bar Association in 1975

At the Firm since 1978. Ghassan was previously the Legal Advisor to the Ministry of Finance in Lebanon from 1983 to 1988, he was as well the personal legal advisor to President Camille Chamoun. He also headed the Legal Department of the National Lebanese Party (130 Lawyers) from 1988 to 2000.

Practice Areas

  • Arbitration
  • Litigation
  • Corporate
  • M&A
  • Energy
  • Private International Law

Education

  • DEA, Public Law, Universite Jean Moulin Lyon 3, France
  • LLB, Private Law, Universite Saint Joseph, Beirut, Lebanon
  • La Sagesse High School, Lebanon

Firm Description:

Moghabghab & Associates is a global firm that was established in 1945. Headquartered today in Beirut, Lebanon, we serve our clients globally wherever they are, either directly or through our international partners. Our aim is to help companies and individuals solve their most complex legal issues. We strive to provide outstanding legal services and to deliver results.

Initially Chamoun & Moghabghab, the firm started when President Camille Chamoun and MP Naim Moghabghab formed a partnership in 1945. Ghassan N Moghabghab then re-established the firm under its current name in 1978. Headquartered today in Beirut Central District, Lebanon, we serve our clients globally wherever they are, either directly or through our international partners. Our aim is to help companies and individuals solve their most complex legal issues. We offer outstanding legal services and deliver results to our clients.

We encourage our lawyers to do pro bono work that is meaningful, impactful and supports those in need.
Our Lawyers provide pro bono legal assistance to support access to justice, social and economic development and sound legal institutions. Moreover, our firm undertakes to reduce the environmental footprint of its business activity, from recycling to reducing consumption.

Our Mission

We offer outstanding legal services for companies, financial institutions and individuals. We are committed to working according to the highest standards and professional responsibility. Our team assists clients seamlessly across all domestic and international operations, transactions or disputes. Deep knowledge of legal, regulatory and economic environments gives us familiarity with the intricate legal issues that our clients face, in an increasingly globalized marketplace. Our services meet the legal and business needs of all our clients.

 

Tarek Farran

Leaders in Law endorses Tarek Farran as our exclusively recommended Business Law expert in Lebanon. If you wish to get in touch with Tarek, please use the contact information provided above.

Practice Areas

  • Litigation
  • Arbitration
  • Commercial Representation
  • Banking Law
  • Corporate
  • Structuring and Restructuring
  • Legal Due Diligence

Education

  • Certified Corporate Director – International Finance Corporation (IFC) – A division of the World Bank – 2021
  • Tamayyaz / Excellence in Governance (EIG) – 2021
  • LLM (Master of Laws) in Oil and Gas Law – Aberdeen University (UK) – 2019
  • LLM (Master of Laws) in Business and Economic Law – Université de Rennes 1 (France) – 1999
  • LLB (Bachelor of Laws) in General Private Law – Saint Joseph University (Lebanon) – 1998

Managing Partner

Tarek Farran is currently the managing partner of Farran Law Firm where he supervises the firm’s corporate clients.

Tarek specialises in business and corporate transactions. He uses his expertise in this field to serve clients in Lebanon and the Gulf, as well as several African and European countries. He is skilled in structuring major (telecommunications and other) corporate transactions and participated in the restructuring of existing group of companies (mainly family businesses) while introducing and implementing proper governance, and he actually sits on the board of a family owned business.

Tarek demonstrated a significant expertise in construction law and has acted as an arbitrator in numerous (ad hoc and Institutional – ICC) commercial disputes.

Tarek obtained his LLB (Bachelor of Laws) from the Saint Joseph University (Beirut) and an LLM (Master of Laws) with Commendation in Business and Economic Law (with emphasis on the merger, restructuring and transfer of enterprises) from the University of Rennes 1 (France). His thesis topic was “An analytical review of the statutory rules of joint stock companies’ voting power”.

He further obtained in November 2019 an LLM (Master of Laws) with Professional Skills with Commendation in Oil and Gas Law from the University of Aberdeen (UK).

He has been a member of the Beirut Bar Association since 1998.

 

Mohamed Y. Alem

Mohamed Alem is the founder and managing partner of Alem & Associates and focuses his practice on alternative dispute resolution, energy, and complex commercial cross-border transactions.

Mohamed advises public and private clients on concession in energy projects, roads and public lighting, PPP projects, energy generation and distribution, and maintenance works of industrial and petrochemical facilities.

With more than 20 years of experience in international and domestic arbitration, as well as commercial transactions with special emphasis on real estate, telecommunication, foreign direct investment, financial structuring and aviation. Mohamed Alem has built a regional reputation as one of the leading Arab lawyers operating in the Middle East region.

Mohamed Alem is often requested to advise Governments and State owned enterprises on legislative reforms and regulatory developments as benchmarked to international best practices. He is a regular keynote speaker at international conferences on a multitude of currently legal subjects.

Mohamed is also considered one of the upcoming Arab leaders through his contribution to domestic and regional efforts in promoting core values of modern societies such as freedom, democracy, human rights and transparency.

He is currently co-chairing the Beirut Committee of Human Rights Watch (HRW), acting as Secretary General for the Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA) and the Lebanese Centre for Policy Studies (LCPS). He is also chairing the Lebanese Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).

Arbitration and ADR Practice Practice:

Our Arbitration and ADR Practice Group has the skills and extensive expertise to handle the most complex cases. We have experience in resolving disputes in accordance with the rules of major international arbitral institutions including the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), and the American Arbitration Association (AAA). We also counsel on arbitration cases conducted according to the rules of the Beirut Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI).

Our team of lawyers shares experiences as arbitrators, counsels, members of Dispute Adjucation Boards, and mediators, bringing a multi-leveled approach to Arbitration and ADR. The impressive team is able to interfere at any stage, from the preliminary work to the choice of arbitrators, and the enforcement of arbitration awards.

Additionally, we provide mediation as a tool to resolve complex business cases. We strongly believe that mediation is an effective mechanism to resolve conflict from the root level and that with an applied and active mediator, parties are able to resolve their business disputes through structured recognition and control over final outcome. We have mediated a wide range of matters including investment, banking, commercial and labor related disputes.

Alem & Associates:

Alem & Associates is a regional boutique legal power house designed to provide state-of-the-art legal services blended with knowledge of the local heritage. By embracing change and understanding the business of our clients, we are able to provide a high-end approach integrated with transparency and a vibrant mindset. We find the right legal solutions by looking beyond the paperwork, taking into consideration our client’s business and the environment in which they operate.

Alem & Associates provides a personal touch, tailor-made approach to the needs of its clients and those of their business, with a style that integrates expertise with experience to maximize the available opportunities. We focus on adding value and providing good advice about the right legal solution.

With our unflinching commitment to excellence, we are never satisfied with the status quo, consistently looking to stay ahead. We are able to do so because we truly believe in taking our job seriously, while remembering to never take ourselves too seriously.

Founded in 1959 by Youssef Alem, one of the most known and prominent lawyers in Lebanon, the firm was reshaped to its current standing by Mohamed Alem. Indeed, Mohamed undertook to build on the reputation and tradition of the past, a young law firm for modernity.

Strong with this spirit, Alem & Associates was able to bring together a team of lawyers and legal counsels that grew into a dynamic, young, resourceful and continuously evolving group.

Alem & Associates regularly advises clients throughout the world, with a focus on the Middle East, on issues including corporate, regulatory, mergers & acquisitions, real estate, capital markets, banking & finance, energy & environment, aviation, franchising, agency and distribution and construction. The firm has also owned an excellent reputation for its litigation and arbitration work.

Sanaa Daakour

Sanaa Daakour is a Partner and head of the Real Estate and Construction Department at Mena City Lawyers in Lebanon.

Sanaa graduated from the Arabic University of Beirut Faculty of Law in 2000 and was admitted to the Beirut Bar Association in 2001. She brings extensive knowledge and an outstanding experience in real estate, construction laws, and real estate litigation to our practice. Sanaa joined the firm in 2000 and quickly became the head of real estate department.

Relevant Experience

  • Advised a leading real estate development company on it’s mall chain, which included organizing the bid process, drafting the contractors agreement, lease agreements, services agreement and the management agreement. The project had a value of USD $92million.
  • Advised on real estate company acquisition for an overall transaction of USD $17million.
  • Managing properties of major commercial centers in Lebanon, a portfolio valued at over USD $7million.
  • Representing a major Lebanese construction group in arbitration and in a jurisdictional procedure for indemnity claim. The value of this claim was over USD $10million
  • Advised on numerous real estate land plot purchases and development projects in Lebanon, including legal issues relating to taxation.
  • Handling registration in front of all the relevant authorities in Lebanon, for all real estate issues.

Real Estate & Construction Law Practice:

MCL lawyers provide our clients with expert legal advice concerning real estate and construction transactions. Our clients include lenders, contractors, developers and project managers.

MCL lawyers are highly qualified in assisting and advising on drafting appropriate agreements in relation to acquisition of lands, property development, joint ventures, project finance, environmental impact assessments, apportionment procedures and agreements, turn key projects, design-build and plant contracts, owners’ representative agreements, construction management, tenders, and dispute adjudication agreements and FIDIC-compliant construction agreements.

MCL also assists clients in relation to the purchase, sale and development of real estate projects, leasing or sale of units, managing properties and handling all legal issues between co-owners and tenants.

Our real estate and construction group works closely with other MCL departments such as corporate finance, banking and tax to create a cohesive team which ensures that the best result for the client is achieved.

Najib Hage-Chahine

Leaders in Law endorses Najib Hage-Chahine as our exclusively recommended Dispute Resolution Law expert in Lebanon. If you wish to get in touch with Najib please use the contact information provided above.

He holds the prestigious title of Agrégé of the French Faculties of Law which is the highest academic recognition that is bestowed upon French Law Practitioners and is a Professor of Private Law at the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences at Saint-Joseph University in Beirut and a Visiting Professor at Université Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas in Paris.

He is routinely solicited to handle complex cross border disputes and international business transactions. He often acts for foreign companies who aim to do business in the Middle East and handles incorporation, acquisitions, commercial contracts, closing down of subsidiaries and establishing joint ventures. He also provides in-depth legal consultations on comparative law and regional compliance.

As an experienced litigator and a listed arbitrator, he specialises in domestic and international disputes arising out of a contract. His expertise encompasses cross-border enforcement of court decisions and arbitral awards as well as investor-state dispute settlements. He is well-versed in issues of sovereign immunity and emanation of state and has demonstrated the ability to deliver indisputable results in matters involving foreign governments and international institutions.

Najib has earned a PHD in Private Law from Université Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas, a LL.M. from Harvard Law School, a Master 2 in Private Law from Saint-Joseph University, a Master 2 in Criminal Law from Lyon 3-Jean Moulin University, a Master 1 in Business Law from Lyon 3-Jean Moulin University and a LLB in Lebanese Law from Saint-Joseph University.

He is fluent in Arabic, French and English and has numerous publications in the fields of Alternative Dispute Resolution, Arbitration, Civil Law, Contract law, Commercial Law, Private International Law, Mediation, and Tort Law. He has published one of the most comprehensive legal studies on international commercial agencies in the Arab Countries and has written an award-winning PHD thesis in Private Law.

 

Reine S. Atallah

Leaders in Law endorses Reine S. Atallah as our exclusively recommended Family Law expert in Lebanon. If you wish to get in touch with Reine please use the contact information provided above.

Reine joined Ghanem Law Firm in 2008 and specialises in Business field, corporate law including Banking, Telecommunication, Insurance, with a particular focus on Business administration, intellectual property, Oil and Gas contracts, as well as aspects of Criminal law, Family law, construction, property management and real estate.

Firm Overview:

Ghanem Law Firm is one of the most reputable Law Firms in Lebanon. It was founded in the city of Beirut-Lebanon in year 1997.The firm provides legal counsel and represents a diversity of local and global Group Companies, NGO’s and individual clients.

At Ghanem Law firm, for sure, you will have the perfect individual needed assistance, where you will get the right service for all your corporate and transactional legal needs on a local, national and international scale…

Having a strong partner by your side assures that your needs will be effectively serviced at a high level of corporate transaction. Also, means that you are fully protected, that your personal counsel has done the requisite due diligence, and that you are getting the best possible defence which aims to win your big deal.

Knowing that legal situations differ in each and every case; WE, at Ghanem Law firm, knits our defence approach to aim with your company’s and individual unique needs. Our status as a boutique law firm allows us to partner with and service our clients in this manner. We wisely choose the most important transactions and business matters selectively to provide our clients with a very high level of personal service only found at larger law firms.

We enjoy servicing the corporate needs of businesses of different sizes and in all industries-from, start-up companies while they are just forming a business plan to get larger, advising on the best ways to structure a business with the use of diverse legal vehicles (such as Holding, offshore companies and offshore Trusts to protect assets). We regularly act as an outside counsel for corporate clients; work with their in-house counsel to address all of their legal needs.

 

Mohamed Y. Alem

Mohamed Alem is the founder and managing partner of Alem & Associates and focuses his practice on alternative dispute resolution, energy, and complex commercial cross-border transactions.

Mohamed advises public and private clients on concession in energy projects, roads and public lighting, PPP projects, energy generation and distribution, and maintenance works of industrial and petrochemical facilities.

With more than 20 years of experience in international and domestic arbitration, as well as commercial transactions with special emphasis on real estate, telecommunication, foreign direct investment, financial structuring and aviation. Mohamed Alem has built a regional reputation as one of the leading Arab lawyers operating in the Middle East region.

Mohamed Alem is often requested to advise Governments and State owned enterprises on legislative reforms and regulatory developments as benchmarked to international best practices. He is a regular keynote speaker at international conferences on a multitude of currently legal subjects.

Mohamed is also considered one of the upcoming Arab leaders through his contribution to domestic and regional efforts in promoting core values of modern societies such as freedom, democracy, human rights and transparency.

He is currently co-chairing the Beirut Committee of Human Rights Watch (HRW), acting as Secretary General for the Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA) and the Lebanese Centre for Policy Studies (LCPS). He is also chairing the Lebanese Branch of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).

He holds an LLB, an LLM, as well as an Executive MBA.

Languages: Arabic, English and French.