Dr. Julian Awwad practices in the areas of commercial, corporate and competition laws. He has over 10 years’ legal practice experience in the region as a corporate commercial lawyer. He previously worked with leading international law firms regularly advising regional and international clients on a diverse range of corporate matters and setups, commercial contracts, projects, joint ventures, and restructurings, in addition to corporate governance and regulatory matters. His experience also includes cross-border transactional work including M&A transactions.

He also worked in-house with a Dubai-based multinational organization in the logistics sector and managed a regional legal team advising internal and external stakeholders on a number of commercial arrangements and contracts, strategic transactions, as well as managing compliance and contentious matters across the UAE, North Africa and Europe.

Prior to practicing law, Dr. Julian Awwad held several academic positions at universities in Canada where he was engaged in teaching and research. He authored and contributed to several legal publications and has been called upon to speak or lecture on various topics in business and commercial corporate law. His training and experience in both the common law and civil law systems bring a nuanced understanding to the provision of multi-jurisdictional legal services.

Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), McGill University, Canada
  • Master of Arts (M.A.), McGill University, Canada
  • Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) and Bachelor of Civil Law (B.C.L.), McGill University, Canada
  • Bachelor of Arts –- Honors (B.A. Hons.), University of Calgary, Canada

Professional Memberships

  • New York State Bar
  • Law Society of Ontario (Canada)

Recent Experience

Corporate

  • Advising on buy-side acquisition of a UAE-based freight forwarder in relation to stakeholder agreements, legal due diligence, and share purchase agreement.
  • Advising on director share transfer and capital increase transactions and merger in relation to two entities in Morocco.
  • Representing a global software professional services provider of digital transformations and solutions with respect to its education business on the share transfer and share purchase agreement to be entered with a UAE-based investor.
  • Advising a European retail company of luxury brands on the internalization of its business in Kuwait including on optimal equity and joint venture structure and operational matters.

Projects, Energy & Infrastructure

  • Advising a Saudi government authority on the development and building of a port terminal and shipyard.
  • Advising a Kuwaiti government authority on its proposed tender for the construction of a services and entertainment center in Kuwait.
  • Representing a UK government entity on tendering and contracting with the Kuwait Environment Public Authority in relation to a marine surveying project

Regulatory and Commercial Advisory

  • Advising a global energy company in relation to general commercial and regulatory advisory work in Kuwait including commercial contracts and agency arrangements.
  • Advising a Japanese steel company on termination of its agency arrangement between its subsidiary company and a local Kuwaiti agent in relation to oil and gas sector services work.
  • Advising a Korean energy corporation on employment issues under Kuwaiti law.
  • Advising a global logistics service provider on an e-Wallet solution allowing customers to purchase credits to use towards the purchasing of products and remittance of cash-on-delivery credits governed by the regulatory regimes applicable in KSA, UAE and Tunisia.
  • Advising an aircraft leasing company on the deregistration and registration of security over aircraft with the regulatory authorities in Saudi Arabia as part of a refinancing transaction.
  • Advising a regional airline on Kuwait law aspects of the sale and leaseback financing of aircraft.

Publications

  • Q&A Entries on Companies and Data Protection in Kuwait. LexisNexis, 2019.
  • Insurance and reinsurance in Kuwait: Overview (co-author). Practical Law, 2017.

Languages

  • Arabic
  • English
  • French