LEBANON

OUR LAWYERS’ EXPERIENCE IN LEBANON INCLUDES: 
 

• Advised the Counsel for Development and Reconstruction, an agency of the Lebanese Government, in connection with the Northern Highway Periphique toll road project.

• Currently in discussions with the Counsel for Development and Reconstruction in connection with arbitration involving the Beirut International Airport.

• Legal advice regarding tenders for water sewage treatment plants and negotiation on public works contracts.

• Advising a major Austrian bank on a large factoring operation in France. Tasks included review of contracts and advising on matters of French and European law.

• Advising a Swiss financial institution on loan agreements and taking of security with clients in the Arab Gulf region.

• Assisting a leading Lebanese bank in a pool financing scheme for a large equipment leasing operation. Tasks included drafting the syndicated loan agreement and the guarantees as well as the financial leasing contract and reviewing the commercial agreements with the international manufacturer. 

• Advising a French Investment Bank on a real estate asset backed debt securitization in Lebanon. Tasks Involved the preparation of substantial legal opinions and drafting of agreements and the Offering Memorandum for the operation.

• Advising the official professional body of the Insurance industry of Lebanon for the establishment of a legal framework for bancassurance operations, which included drafting of a comprehensive comparative legal opinion and a proposal for necessary legislative amendments in this respect.

• Providing conceptual and legal recommendations to the Central Bank of Lebanon regarding the creation and regulation of the unpaid cheques central department and drafting the departments’ internal regulations.

• Advising the Ministry of Finance of Lebanon on various projects and subjects concerning financial, Public Finances and Tax law and participated in drafting and/or reviewing the following draft laws:

  • • Development of life insurance and pension funds products (adopted by the Parliament),
  • Financial Markets law,
  • Insider trading law (adopted by the Parliament),
  • Usury and lending interest rates regulations

• Representing a major Lebanese insurance company in a wide range of insurance related disputes

• Representing clients in several banking disputes involving banks professional liability, performance bonds, bank guarantees, insolvency and restructuring, etc..

• Representing a French credit insurance company in the enforcement of a French judgement against assets in Lebanon.

• Acting for a client in a dispute involving bank’s liability for wrongful execution of a bank transfer.

• Representing a Lebanese NGO in proceedings before the UK Legal Services Ombudsman in a dispute against a major UK bank in relation with a wrongful execution of a bank transfer.

• Acting as sole arbitrator in arbitration proceedings between a bank and a client related to credit cards legal issues.

• Representing the Lebanese Deposit Insurance Agency in wide range of court cases in connection with the collapse of a major bank. Cases include prosecuting former directors and executives of the bank and other debtors. 

• Advising a Belgian and Lebanese JV in a FIDIC dispute with a Lebanese governmental agency in connection with a major marine infrastructure project in Lebanon. The task included drafting of a legal opinion involving several administrative and contract law as well as FIDIC issues and advising the JV during negotiations.

• Advising a French promoter on the legal aspects of establishing a series of shopping malls in Lebanon. Task included drafting of leasing contracts, financing agreements and taking of securities and advising on legal and tax issues.

• Representing contractors in construction arbitration (international and domestic) and acting as arbitrators in related disputes (see the Dispute Resolution practice.

• Representing promoter in a dispute with a French party over a large real estate development project in Lebanon.

• Acting for the claimants in three high profile ICC arbitrations against a major European defence and aerospace manufacturer.

• Acting as preferred external counsel for two major US aeronautics industries in the MENA region. Our duties involve advising on transactions, drafting of contracts, conducting litigation and advising on issues of commercial and corporate law, labour and employment law, contract law, FCPA related issues, Agencies and Distribution Agreements.

• Advising a European defence and aviation company on the termination of an agency agreement in an Arab country.

• Representing the families of victims of an airplane crash in Lebanon in a dispute against the airline and the insurers.

• Acting for a French defence company in two UNCITRAL arbitrations related to termination of agency contracts.

• Representing an Arab party in a litigation before French courts in relation with a defence procurement contract involving issues of state immunities, bank guaranties, embargo and public international law.

• Chairing an ICC Tribunal in Paris in a dispute related to the sale of crude oil involving issues of Public International Law.

• Acting as legal adviser to the Lebanese governmental Task Force on Petroleum in charge of drafting the law and regulations governing Lebanon’s Petroleum Sovereign Fund.

• Advising a Spanish-Lebanese consortium during the public procurement process related to the construction of a power station in Lebanon and on a related potential ICSID claim thereafter.

• Providing legal advice to an Indian client during the public procurement process related to the construction of a power station in Lebanon. Task included review of the tender’s conditions and the general conditions of contract and provide an-extensive legal opinion.

• Providing legal advice to the Lebanese authorities for the purpose of establishing an Petroleum Sovereign Fund.

• Advising on the restructuring of a French company in the renewable energy sector.

• Advising a service provider in the electricity sector during negotiations to secure MIGA’s coverage for its contract with the Lebanese authorities. Task included review of substantial contractual documentation and provision of several legal opinions.

• Advising a service provider in the electricity sector in in the negotiation of financing by a European bank.

• Representing the owner of a trademark in the food industry in arbitration proceedings in relation with the breach of a franchise agreement in Kuwait.

• Advising several major Lebanese chains of restaurants on entering the Arab gulf markets, including through franchise agreement. 

• Advising a Saudi owned group in the acquisition and renovation of a boutique hotel in Beirut.

• Acting as arbitrator in a dispute concerning the design of a five stars hotel in Beirut Central District.

• Advising the shareholders of a Lebanese start-up in a landmark deal for the Arab world, in the acquisition of the start-up by a large Japanese technology company. This acquisition is the first of its kind from a Japanese technology company in the MENA.

• Advising a major French telecom operator in connection with the privatisation of the public telephone network in Lebanon.

• Advising on the restructuring a group of companies in the telecommunications industry with affiliates and subsidiaries in several Arab and European countries involving transfer of licences and other regulatory issues.

• Advising for the setting-up of a Satellite telecommunications engineering company in Lebanon and Switzerland and acting as external legal adviser to the group.

• Advising a major Insurance company in the organisation of a JV with a mobile operator  for the establishment of a micro-insurance scheme via text message, involving substantive legal advice and negotiation with the operator and regulator.

• Representing a Lebanese Mobile Operator before the Council of State (Supreme Administrative Court) of Lebanon in a dispute with the Ministry of Telecommunications related to the use of Government owned telephone interconnection and the legal consequence pertaining thereupon. 

• Acting for a Lebanese Mobile Operator in arbitration proceedings in connection with a contractual dispute concerning prepaid lines.

• Acting for a Lebanese Mobile Operator in an ICC arbitration in Geneva in connection with an alleged breach of a Data Clearing Contract.

• Acting a Lebanese Mobile Operator in a dispute against an African mobile operator and related ICC arbitration proceedings involving issues of liabilities for fraud and hacking of international lines.

• Acting as Counsel in ICC arbitration between a Lebanese Mobile Telephone Operator and a Danish Data Clearing Services company in connection with an alleged breach of a Data Clearing Contract (Geneva, Swiss law).

• Acting as Counsel in ICC arbitration between a Lebanese subcontractor and an American main contractor in connection with a major infrastructure project in Beirut involving issues of Group of Companies, incorporation by reference and extension of the Arbitration clause to non-signatories (Paris, French and Lebanese laws).

• Acting as Counsel in an ad hoc arbitration under the Lebanese Rules of Civil Procedure on arbitration between a Lebanese chemical products distribution company and its commercial agent in Saudi Arabia in connection with the breach of the Agency Agreement (Beirut, Lebanese law).

• Acting as Counsel in BCCI arbitration between a Mobile Telephone Network Manager and a Telecom Products Distributor in connection with a dispute concerning breach of a Distribution Agreement (Beirut, Lebanese law).

• Acting as Counsel in BCCI arbitration between Lebanese and British parties in connection with a Real Estate Purchase Agreement (Beirut, Lebanese law).

• Acting as Counsel in ICC arbitration between an Arab party and a French defence company in connection with a wrongful termination of an agency agreement (Paris, French law).

• Acting as Member of Tribunal in an ad hoc arbitration under the Lebanese CPR of arbitration, between a Design and Architecture Company and a franchisee of an international chain of hotels in connection with a dispute related to the building of a five stars hotel in Beirut Central District which involved issues of intellectual property and architect’s rights over the design (Beirut, Lebanese law).

• Acting as Counsel in an ad hoc arbitration under the Lebanese of Civil Procedure on arbitration between the heirs of a deceased author and a publishing house in connection with an Intellectual Property dispute (Beirut, Lebanese law).

• Acting as Counsel to a German investor in a potential ICSID arbitration against the Government of Lebanon under the Lebanese German BIT [settled during the “cooling-off” negotiations].

• Acting as part of the team representing the foreign investor in ICSID arbitration against the Republic of Lebanon.

• Acting as Member of Tribunal in an ad hoc arbitration under the Lebanese CPR of arbitration, between a Contracting Company and its Subcontractor in connection with a dispute related to the building of high profile luxury housing project in Beirut Central District (Beirut, Lebanese law).

• Acting as Counsel for a Spanish investor in a potential ICSID arbitration against the Government of Lebanon under the Lebanese Lebanese-Spanish BIT in relation with a tender for the construction of a Power Station in North Lebanon.