Amr is an experienced lawyer and legal counsel who regularly provides legal and litigation advice on issues across multiple jurisdictions. Throughout his extended career, Amr worked both in law firms and as an in-house counsel. He served as a General Counsel for a major Saudi holding company, with a capital over one billion SAR that holds shares in four subsidiaries operating in the areas of capital markets, finance, and real estate development; prior to that, Amr worked as a Legal Advisor for a reputable investment bank in Saudi Arabia; and before that, he worked as a Legal Counsel with Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes) offices in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

While at Blakes, Amr has advised clients on Companies Law matters and Capital Market Authority regulations, Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency regulations; provided legal advice relating to franchise, commercial agency, supply, and distribution agreements, foreign direct investments, construction disputes in front of various arbitration panels, and provided legal opinions for litigations relating to insurance, labor and customs claims before relevant courts.

In addition, Amr has previous experience as a litigator specializing in white collar crimes at one of Egypt’s top litigation firms and has appeared before the Appellate Courts of Egypt.

Education

  • Master of Laws (LL.M.), Indiana University – Indiana, U.S.A.

With an emphasis on international business and commercial law (WTO, Intellectual Property Law, Competition Laws, International Commercial Arbitration, Consumer Protection Law, and EU Law)

  • Master of Commercial Laws (M.C.L.), Cairo University – Cairo, Egypt
  • Post Graduate Diploma in Laws, Cairo University – Cairo, Egypt

With an emphasis on International Investments & Trade Laws (CISG convention, UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts and United Nations Convention on Independent Guarantees and Stand-by Letters of Credit)

  • Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), Cairo University – Cairo, Egypt

Professional Memberships

  • Admitted to Egyptian Bar Association.
  • General Securities Qualification Certificate (CME-1), by the Capital Market Authority in Saudi Arabia.
  • Business Systems Analyst by International Computer Limited (ICL), UK.

Recent Experience

Corporate

  • Advised a holding company and its subsidiaries as a General Counsel, on legal and regularity matters; and drafting, reviewing, and amending various legal agreements and documents.
  • Provided legal, litigation and regulatory advice to the Board of Directors, President, CEO and Executive Management.
  • Worked with external auditors on the company’s policies and procedures manuals and the legal department risk assessment.
  • Coordinated with the corporate governance department and the Sharia compliance department on all regulatory and legal compliance matters.
  • Oversee and managed all litigation in co-ordination with external legal counsel.
  • Managed external legal advisors.

Capital Markets

  • Advised groups of the bank, including investment banking, asset management and finance teams, on all legal, compliance and regulatory matters.
  • Drafted, reviewed, and amended various legal documents including, but not limited to, NDA, rights issue agreements, funds T&Cs and advising agreements.
  • Redrafted the bank’s Open Account, Murabha and Margin Loans agreements.
  • Responded to CMA’s questions and inquiries.
  • Drafted replies to clients’ complaints and drafting replies to the CMA Dispute Settlement Committee.
  • Created FATCA internal forms, and the bank’s FATCA internal manual.
  • Reviewed and updated the bank’s internal polices and producers.
  • Managed external legal counsels.
  • Acted as audit committee coordinator.

Projects, Energy & Infrastructure

  • Advised on Saudi railway laws and railway vehicles contracts.
  • Participated in drafting operating licenses and safety certificates for the Saudi Railways Commission.
  • Advised many foreign company branches and joint venture LLCs on Saudi customs, public auction, and labor issues.

Dispute Resolution

  • Acted as the defendant counsellor in a US$70 million insurance claim before Saudi courts.
  • Advised one of the largest petrochemical companions in Saudi Arabia with regards to a dispute with a local contractor regarding a US$20 million construction contract.
  • Provided legal advice, as one of the defendant counsellors team, for the sixth largest company in the GCC countries regarding a commercial dispute with a free zone company in U.A.E. over a US$7 million transaction before UAE courts.
  • Provided legal advice, as one of the defendant counsellors team, for the largest oil producing company in the world on several litigation matters with its local contractors.
  • Acted as the defendant counsellor for a billion-dollar multi-national engineering firm with regards to a dispute with a local contractor.

Commercial Advisory

  • Advised Rabigh Refining & Petrochemical Company (Petro Rabigh) on its dividend policy, corporate governance, amending its articles of association, and compliance issues, such as structuring its board of directors’ compensation.
  • Advised Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco), regarding establishing its entrepreneurship arm new subsidiary Wa’ed Venture Capital (Wa’ed).
  • Advised many foreign companies on various legal requirements under Saudi law, including investment regulations requirements to establish new companies.
  • Conducted the legal research for and assisted in the drafting of a due diligence report for Shelf Drilling transaction to purchase oil and gas asset worth several hundred million US dollars.
  • Drafted several types of agreements including, but not limited to, Memorandums of Understanding, Joint Ventures, Articles of Association, Bylaws and Employments Agreements.

Speaking Engagements & Publications

  • “A Study of the Stance of Egyptian Electronic Signature Law of Legal Recognition for Foreign Digital Certificates Compared to the Stance of Some National and International Laws”

Master Thesis – Indiana University 2011

  • “The Supplier’s Obligation to Disclose the Risks Accompanied with Transferred Technologies”

Master Thesis – Cairo University 2008

Languages

  • Arabic
  • English