Ahmad is a Senior Associate at GLA & Company and is licensed to practice law in the State of Ohio, USA, as well as the Federal District for the Southern District of Ohio, USA. Ahmad’s practice focuses primarily on mergers and acquisitions and other local and cross-border transactions, as well as complex construction disputes in the key jurisdictions of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and UAE.

Ahmad acts as local counsel to regional and global clients across various industries, including banking and finance, private equity and capital markets, construction and manufacturing, government contracting, food and retail. He has helped close many transactions including those later recognized as Deals of the Year in the GCC, from zealously negotiating on behalf of his clients, to taking a lead as local counsel on regulatory aspects of a transaction such as merger control filings.

Ahmad is regularly involved in acquisitions and other matters, and recently has been focusing on complex contractual disputes for major construction projects in the State of Kuwait, including representation as local counsel in arbitral and other alternative dispute forums. Ahmad has appeared in numerous cases as an advocate for his clients before various tribunals, namely involving the International Chambre of Commerce (ICC).

Aside from his role at GLA & Company, Ahmad is an Adjunct Professor teaching business law courses in the USA remotely and on a part-time basis.

Education

  • University of Dayton School of Law – Dayton, Ohio, USA, Juris Doctor
  • The Ohio State University – Columbus, Ohio, USA, Bachelor of Science in Business Admin.

Recent Experience

Corporate

  • Represented DSV Panalpina in its acquisition of the logistics division of Agility Public Warehousing Company as MENA counsel in an all-share deal worth US$ 4.1 billion, the largest merger & acquisition transaction in the MENA region in 2021;
  • Acted as GCC counsel on behalf of Softbank’s Vision Fund II, which led the Series C US415 million funding into Kitopi, which was the largest private equity transaction in the MENA region in 2021;
  • Acted on behalf of a joint venture of Vectrus Systems Corporation and Kuwait Resources House in the establishment of their GCC operations with respect to the LOGCAP V contract awarded to Vectrus from the US Army in support of the US Military worldwide;
  • Represented Schindler Pars in the sale and divestment of its business operations in a GCC state;
  • Advised Suez Cement Company on the KWD 4 million sale of Hilal Cement Co K.S.C., a major player in the cement production market in the MENA region;
  • Represented the KIPCO Group in the acquisition of over 60% of the shares in Jassim Transport & Stevedoring Company, a leading logistics company, from Global Investment House and the Boodai Group for US$175 Million; and
  • Represented Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank in the Kuwait aspect of its acquisition of Union National Bank banking operations.

Projects, Energy & Infrastructure

  • Represented Quality Technical Supplies Co. WLL in relation to the supply of material to WTE Abwicklungsgesellschaft Kuwait mbH from Xinxing Ductile Iron Pipes Co. Ltd. for the Umm Al Hayman Wastewater Project in the State of Kuwait;
  • Advised Kuwait Resource House with respect to various projects at the Kuwait International Airport; and
  • Advised Korea Land and Housing Corp. in its investment in the South Saad Al-Abdullah New City project with the Public Authority for Housing and Welfare (PAHW).

Dispute Resolution

  • Successfully represented a consortium in an ICC arbitral proceeding seated in Houston, Texas, USA, successfully defending USD 45 million in contract claims asserted against our clients relating to overseas module transportation in connection with an EPC project in the GCC, resulting in dismissal of multiple clients and securing a net costs award in our remaining client’s favor;
  • Secured a multimillion-dollar ICC Dispute Review Board claim, including an award of attorneys’ fees, on behalf of a US-based, multinational EPC contractor, in a Paris-seated proceeding administered by the ICC International Centre for ADR. The contractor’s claim against the project owner related to unforeseeable site conditions arising out of the construction of an oil refinery megaproject in the GCC;
  • Won substantial ICC dispute board claim, including award of attorneys’ fees, on behalf of the same EPC contractor, in another Paris-seated proceeding administered by the ICC International Centre for ADR. The contractor’s claim related to contractual entitlement to an award of significant schedule and quantum relief based on changes in law and restrictions imposed by the local government in response to COVID-19, during construction of an oil refinery in the GCC; and
  • Representing an EPC contractor in bringing claims for entitlement to disputed change orders, and associated losses, in the construction of a major oil refinery in the GCC.

Commercial Advisory

  • Represented Trafalgar General Trading Company, a Kuwait-based retailer of luxury fashion products including (Chopard, Dior, Gucci, Aigner, TAG, Heuer, Versace, Escada, Swarovski, Burberry, Montegrappa), in its collaboration with Tiffany & Co in the State of Kuwait;
  • Represent DHL, a global logistics service provider, as Kuwait council in its agency and distribution arrangements;
  • Advise Bulgari Middle East on various commercial matters in the State of Kuwait;
  • Advised a Big Four advisory firm on commercial matters regarding accounting and other advisory services offered in the State of Kuwait;
  • Regularly advise National Technology Enterprises Company (NTEC) and its affiliates on various transactional and commercial matters in the State of Kuwait; and
  • Regularly advise various affiliates of Kharafi National on investment, transactional and commercial matters in the State of Kuwait.

Speaking Engagements & Publications

  • Thompson Reuters – Webinar: Data Protection & Privacy in the GCC (March 2023)
  • Chambers Global Practice Guides Data Protection & Privacy 2023 – Contributor and author of the Kuwait, KSA and Qatar
  • GLACo.com – Legal Updates: Data Protection in Kuwait governed by a dedicated set of regulations issued by CITRA
  • GLACo.com – Legal Updates: Boursa Kuwait (Kuwait Stock Exchange): New Chapter on the Mandatory Execution on Securities
  • Thompson Reuters – Webinar: Merger Control in the GCC (September 2022)
  • GLACo.com – Legal Updates: Kuwait Litigation Process
  • Chambers Global Practice Guides Merger Control – Contributor and author of the Kuwait, UAE, KSA and Qatar
  • GLACo.com – Legal Updates: New CMA Rules on De-Merger of Companies

Professional Memberships

  • (US) State of Ohio Bar
  • (US) Federal Court for the Southern District of Ohio

Languages

  • English
  • Arabic