Dr. Christian Ule

Rechtsanwalt (Germany)
Advocate (DIFC, Dubai)
Managing Partner Middle East & East Africa

41 Abdel Khalek Sarwat St.

Cairo | EGYPT

Eschersheimer Landstrasse 42

60322 Frankfurt am Main | GERMANY

+20 2 23 91 43 44

+49 69 200 91 911

+49 177 524 11 24

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Offices: Cairo, Frankfurt, Dubai

Areas of Concentration

Christian Ule is founding partner of the firm and based in the Cairo and Frankfurt offices. He manages the offices in the “Mashreq” states. He represents and advises a broad client base of national and multinational companies on various aspects of business in the MENA region with a concentration on:  

  • Commercial and business law, especially:
    • International law of contracts and Middle Eastern business law
    • International sale of goods
    • Construction of plants
    • Concessions
  • Engineering and construction contracts (incl. F.I.D.I.C.)
  • Foreign Direct Investment, the GCC States and Egypt
  • Corporate Law
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Employment
  • Technology Transfer into the Middle East

Christian Ule represents clients before tribunals in Germany and the DIFC Courts in Dubai, as well as in arbitration proceedings at the International Chamber of Commerce and the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration. 

He is listed for commercial, corporate and M&A in The Legal 500 in Egypt.

Bar Admission

  • Germany, since 1995
  • Advocate (DIFC, Dubai), since 2012

Career

Christian Ule started his career as a lawyer in 1991 in Egypt and Germany, working in local, regional and international law firms in Frankfurt before he moved on to open his boutique law firm in Dubai in 2004 and finally settled in Cairo in 2016. Stations of his career are:

  • ULE & STEINER SLP, Founding and Managing Partner, since 2020
  • MIDEAST | Law, Lawyers | Avocats | Rechtsanwälte, Founder, International Legal Practice, since 2015
  • KARIM ADEL Law Office, Associated Partner, Cairo, since 2016
  • MENA Legal Advisers FZC, Founding Partner, Dubai, 2004 – 2015
  • Coudert Brothers LLP, Senior Associate, Frankfurt/Main (Head of the Middle East Practice Group), 2000 – 2004
  • Schürmann & Partner, Associate, Frankfurt/Main (Co-founder of the Middle East Practice Group), 1995 – 1999
  • Federal Ministry of Economic Development, EU-Department, Bonn, 1994
  • Federal State Department, German Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, Legal Department, 1993
  • Abt, Widmaier & Otto, Heidelberg, Lawyer, 1992 – 1993
  • Yansouni, Eldib & Partners, Alexandria (Egypt), Lawyer, 1990 – 1991

Education

  • Dr. iur., University of Mainz, 1997
  • 2nd. State Exam, OLG Koblenz, 1994
  • 1st. State Exam, University of Mainz, 1990
  • Studies of Law, Political Sciences and Islamic Sciences at Northwestern University, Evanston (Illinois) (1982-84), University of Heidelberg (1984-87), University of Mainz (1987-1990) and University of Alexandria, Egypt (1990-91)

Professional Activities & Memberships

  • Head of Legal Committee of the German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK), Cairo, 2017
  • Associate Member of the American Bar Association (ABA), Section of International law, since 2007
  • Vice-Chairman of the Arab Regional Forum, International Bar Association (IBA), 2003 – 2008
  • Forming member and curator of the Society for Arabic and Islamic Law (GAIR e.V.), Leipzig, since 1997
  • The Legal 500 (Egypt)

Languages

German, English, Arabic, French and Spanish

Publications

Christian Ule regularly publishes books, articles and newsletters (most recent articles available here), delivers lectures and participates in workshops at international conferences on Middle Eastern business laws. You may find some selected publications and lectures here below:

  • The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) – Game Changer for Egypt?, 15 November 2022
  • The German Supply Chain Law: Control of labour standards and environmental protection in Egypt, 15 September 2022
  • M&A – Main Differences between Share Deal and Asset Deal in Egypt, 20 February 2022
  • Practical Guide on How to set up a company in Egypt, 20 February 2022
  • Country Report Egypt (German). In: Salger/Trittmann (eds.), „Internationale Schiedsverfahren“ (International Arbitration). C.H. Beck, 2019.
  • Country Reports Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Colombia (German). In „Handbuch Internationales Handelsvertreterrecht – Wettbewerbsvorteile auf ausländischen Märkten“ (International Commercial Agency Laws) published by Rödl & Partner, 3rd. edition, Bundesanzeiger Verlag, 2018.
  • “Manager’s liability under Egyptian company law”, Panel Speaker at the CBBL conference. May 2018, Hamburg.
  • Speaker: “Legal Aspects for Exporting to Germany”, German Days in the Nile Delta Region „Exporting to Germany”, 2 November 2017, Conference at the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, Egypt.
  • Author: “The New Importers` Registry Law in Egypt”, legal updates, German-Arab Trade (GAT), September-October edition, 2017.
  • Speaker: „Marktchancen und rechtlicher Rahmen“ (U.A.E.), Internationaler Immobilientag, on 21 Juni 2017 in Stuttgart, CBBL-Forum Auslandsrecht.
  • Author: „Die Gerichtsbarkeit der Dubai International Finance Centre Courts (DIFC Courts)“, Newsletter Recht & Steuern of AHK Dubai, 4. edition, 2014.
  • Author: „Anwendbares Recht und Gerichtsstandswahl bei Rechtsgeschäften in den VAE (und anderen GCC Ländern)“, Newsletter Recht & Steuern, AHK Dubai.
  • Co-author: Practitioner’s Handbook on international product liability „Handbuch Internationale Produkthaftung – Produktsicherheit in den wichtigsten Märkten weltweit“ (published by Rödl & Partner); 2. edition, 2014, Bundesanzeiger Verlag.
  • Co-author: Practionioner‘s Handbook on international commercial agency laws, „Handbuch Internationales Handelsvertreterrecht – Wettbewerbsvorteile auf ausländischen Märkten“ (published by Rödl & Partner), 2. edition, 2013, Bundesanzeiger Verlag, chapters on Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Colombia.
  • Co-author: “Dispute Resolution in the United Arab Emirates”, Getting the Deal Through, 2007 Edition (chapter on litigation).
  • Co-author: “Dispute Resolution in the United Arab Emirates”, Getting the Deal Through, 2006 Edition (chapter on litigation).
  • Author: „Irak/Recht, Rahmenbedingungen für Lieferverträge sind zu beachten: Deutsche Unternehmen werden am Wiederaufbau beteiligt“, Nachrichten für Außenhandel (NfA) of July 14, 2003, p. 15.
  • Speaker: “Legal Framework on Foreign Investments in Iraq“, Conference in Katowice, Poland, on Orctober 15, 2003 under the Title: ”Doing Business in Iraq – Opportunities for Polish Companies”, organized by Coudert Brothers LLP, Radcy Prawni GFKK, Bank BPH-PBK, W. E. Loopesko & Associates, Inc., and Polish-Iraqi Chamber of Commerce, 2003.
  • Speaker: „Geschäfte mit der öffentlichen Hand, Rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen im Geschäftsverkehr mit arabischen Staaten“, organized by NuMOV in cooperation with IHK München und Oberbayern, Munich, 2003.
  • Speaker: „Geschäftsstrategien in den Golfstaaten und Ägypten“, Institut für Wirtschaft und Sprachen (IWS), Hamburg, 2002.
  • Speaker: „Das Wirtschaftsmandat im Nahen und Mittleren Osten“, Conference on Middle Eastern Studies, orgamized by Association of Arabic and Islamic Law (GAIR) and EL§A, University of Mannheim, 2002.
  • Author: “International Disputes from the Point of View of an Attorney acting on behalf of one Party”, in: Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Middle East, published by AHK-MENA, Cairo, 2001. 
  • Author: „New German Tax Legislation“ in: German Arab Trade Magazine, AHK-MENA, Cairo, 2001.
  • Author: „Neues Investitionsrecht in Saudi-Arabien“ in: Wirtschaftsforum (Nah- und Mittelost Verein), Hamburg, 2001.
  • Speaker: „Mediation im europäisch-arabischen Kontext“, Konferenz über Alternative Dispute Resolution in El Gouna, Ägypten, organisiert by AHK MENA, Cairo, 2001.
  • Speaker: „Algerien – Rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen für Investitionen in und Außenhandel“: Algerien, IHK Fulda, 2001.
  • Speaker: „Libyen- Rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen für Investitionen und Außenhandel“, IHK Fulda, 2001.
  • Author: „Verjährung von Ansprüchen nach irakischem Recht“, in: Wirtschaftsforum (Nah- und Mittelost Verein), Hamburg, 2000. 
  • Speaker: „Islamische Finanzierungsstrukturen“, Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), Frankfurt am Main, 2000.
  • Speaker: „Handelsvertreterrecht in den Golfkooperationsstaaten“, Institut für Wirtschaft und Sprachen, Hamburg. 2000.
  • Speaker: „Rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen für Investitionen im Nahen und Mittleren Osten“, Institut für Wirtschaft und Sprachen, Hamburg, 2000.
  • Speaker: „Internationales Wassernutzungsrecht“, University of Applied Sciences and Goethe-Institut, Amman, Jordan, 1999.
  • Author: „Freihandelszonen im Nahen und Mittleren Osten“, Deutsche Verkehrs-Zeitung, 1999.
  • Author: „Das Recht am Wasser – Dargestellt am Beispiel des Nils“, in English: International Water Law on the Nile River, published with NOMOS-Verlag, 286 pp., Baden-Baden, 1998.
  • Speaker: „Ägyptisches Familien- und Erbrecht“, at Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH in Cairo, Egypt, 1994.
  • Author: „Erbrecht in Ägypten“, Recht und Familie, No. 3 – 4/94, pp. 15-17, 1994.
  • Author: „Das elterliche Sorgerecht in Ägypten“, Recht und Familie, No. 3 – 4/94, pp. 15-17, 1994.