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Experienced Counsel for Global Firms in the Middle East

Your Regional Legal Partner

Doing business in the Middle East presents both unique challenges and unique opportunities. We help our clients, whether local companies, international law firms, or global multinationals, navigate the legal landscape in the MENA region including Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). As an agile and adept regional law firm, we can help our clients handle complex issues efficiently and cost-effectively. Moreover, with a practice that spans all areas of corporate transactional representation and dispute resolution, we are able to provide effective counsel in all circumstances.

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Local Knowledge, Global Reach, Unparalleled Efficiency

We Bring Decades of Local Experience to Representing Our Global Clients

Local Experience in the Middle East

Our lawyers have significant experience representing global clients’ interests locally in the Middle East. As a result, we are intimately familiar with the local laws and customs in Egypt, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. We can use this familiarity to offer quick and concise strategic advice to our clients.

Global Capabilities that Meet Large Firms’ Demands

Although we are a boutique regional law firm, we have the global capabilities required to meet the demands of large multinational law firms and corporations. While we have a number of western-qualified attorneys who have practiced in the common law jurisdictions, we also maintain a large dedicated number of top Arabic-speaking civil law qualified lawyers who have practiced throughout the MENA region. We rely on state-of-the-art legal technology to communicate with our clients and protect their data in today’s rapidly evolving business climate.

Efficient Solutions to Complex Problems

While many of our clients come to us with highly complex problems, we focus on providing elegant and efficient legal solutions. As a result, we help our clients move forward with their business goals in the Middle East, and we provide them with the information and insights they need to make informed decisions.

One Firm for All Legal Needs in the MENA Region

Due to our lawyers’ experience and the scope of our practice, we are able to meet all of our clients’ legal needs in the MENA Region. This further enhances efficiency for our clients and allows us to offer custom-tailored, integrated solutions that reflect a broad understanding of our clients’ operations, their business goals, and the legal challenges they face in the Middle East.

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Strategic and Effective Representation in the Middle East

Our Practice Areas

Anti-Trust & Competition

Our broad network of lawyers provides clients with strength and depth in all areas of antitrust law and a coordinated and efficient approach to resolving matters across a variety of jurisdictions.

We represent global corporations in antitrust and competition matters in the Middle East. This includes structuring transactions to mitigate against anti-trust implications and litigating disputes.

Our strength in competition matters lies with our strong relationships with the local regulators in each GCC jurisdiction. These long-standing relationships give us significant guidance on the various issues and decisions that need to be made in the context of M&A transactions and structuring deals in general.

Banking & Finance

We have significant experience advising clients concerning a broad range of financial transactions in the Middle East. This includes transactions in all of the GCC States.

Our partners have handled some of the largest financial transactions in recent history in the MENA region whether it be leveraged, corporate, or project finance. With our strong local teams, we are able to collateralize assets on secured transactions quickly while being able to give clean opinions on all lending issues.

Capital Markets

Unprecedented challenges persist in today’s capital markets. Significant regulatory uncertainty and market volatility linger, and there are fewer deals. Our lawyers are well-versed in the complex and nuanced laws and regulations that govern capital markets in the Middle East. We use this knowledge to strategically advise our clients.

There is no group of lawyers in the MENA region who have completed more IPOs in recent history than the GLA team. This wealth of experience on a regional level means we can provide comfort to clients who are venturing into either the equity or debt capital markets for the first time.

Commercial Advisory

Many of our clients rely on us for day-to-day advice and counsel on commercial matters in the Middle East. This includes both transactional matters and dispute resolution. We add significant value to our clients in preventative and remedial measures. Further, through GLA’s local resources, we provide comprehensive advisory services, which include the impact of applicable laws and the current practices of the relevant regulators.

We represent many of the major multinationals that are doing business in the Arab states whether through franchise, distributorship, joint ventures, agency, or license arrangements. Given that many of the MENA laws favor the local side in disputes involving the above, GLA is able to provide strong value in structuring these arrangements from the beginning to reduce long-term exposure.

Construction & Projects

We represent global firms seeking to undertake construction and development projects in the Middle East. Our services encompass the entire process, from bidding and due diligence through facility opening. With a team of lawyers that knows how to navigate every stage of the construction and development process, GLA is able to tactfully represent its clients and keep their best interest in mind.

The Middle East region has entered a new era with the use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) to structure major infrastructure projects throughout. At GLA, we have kept up with this development with our involvement in many of these projects whether from the government, sponsor or lending perspective. GLA’s in-depth knowledge and diverse experience of the various industry infrastructure sectors allows us to develop, negotiate and draft creative solutions, tailored for each client’s needs and identify, at the project’s early stages, critical milestones and potential risks.

Corporate And M&A

Our lawyers routinely advise a variety of clients regarding corporate law matters in the Middle East. We also have significant experience serving as local counsel for some of the largest mergers and acquisitions in the region. Whether tasked with leading or localizing transactional documents, our team stands ready and equipped to provide effective and efficient representation.

On both the M&A and Private Equity side, international law firms and multinationals seek our partners out regularly to ensure top, quick, and reasonably priced due diligence exercises on local companies while ensuring an international standard and acquisitive document that will hold up in the event of a dispute.

Data & Technology

Data security is a growing concern in today’s world, and laws in the GCC States require companies to maintain adequate protection. Therefore, we advise global firms and clients on all aspects of data and technology protection and compliance. With the rise of data protection laws and regulatory bodies throughout the region, GLA has been at the forefront in advising clients through the myriad of new laws and regulations. We regularly advise data processors across a multitude of industries as to the applicability of the local data protection laws to them, and the different measures required to be taken to ensure their compliance with the same.

Disputes

We represent global firms in disputes across the GCC. This includes providing representation for formal and informal dispute resolution efforts as well as in the courts.

What sets GLA apart from most law firms is having strong local partners who have direct rights of audience to litigate in each key jurisdiction. Our litigation teams are regionally known for being some of the strongest commercial litigators who know both the local legal systems well and are able to interact and decipher the same to their many foreign multinational clients.

Employment & Benefits

Firms doing business in the Middle East must comply with all applicable laws regarding employment and benefits. We help our clients navigate the legal landscape and resolve employment-related disputes when necessary.

In a region where many employees are ex-pats with dual requirements of securing work permits and residency issues, GLA has risen above many other law firms in being able to provide good concise practical advice on the necessary arrangements in a manner to protect its employer clients from regulatory issues as well as contractual disputes.

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Local RepresentationGlobal Reach

Jurisdictions We Serve:

  • UAE
  • Qatar
  • KSA
  • Egypt
  • Kuwait
  • Lebanon
serving UAE, Qatar, KSA, Egypt, Kuwait, and Lebanon

Our Insights

Insight featured image March 13th, 2023

GLA Welcomes Dr. Julian Awwad

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Insight featured image March 11th, 2023

Upcoming GCC Data Privacy & Protection Webinar in Conjunction with Thomson Reuters

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Insight featured image March 3rd, 2023

The New Amendments to the Saudi Rules on The Offer Of Securities

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