The Legal 500

Clients are impressed by the depth of corporate expertise offered by Rasheed Al Kamel, Mohamed Kamel and Mahmoud Wahba at Al Kamel Law Office, describing their business acumen as ‘unmatched’. The team regularly works on high-value projects for developer Palm Hills, including advising on the $25m acquisition of a majority stake in MACOR, as well as acting for prominent multinationals, such as PepsiCo, Visa International and Xerox.

Helmy, Hamza & Partners (Baker & McKenzie) fields a seven-partner team, including ‘much-respected’ partners Mohamed Ghannam, Taher Helmy, Hazim Rizkana, Hatem Soliman and Mohamad Talaat. The firm regularly features in the top corporate deals in Egypt: in 2010 it advised on the first Egyptian IPO since the start of the global financial downturn, that of Egyptian dairy company Juhayna Food Industries, in a deal worth $180.5m.

The ‘experienced’ and ‘commercially savvy’ team at Shalakany Law Office handled a raft of impressive instructions in 2010, including acting as legal counsel for the General Organization for International Exhibitions and Fairs (GOIEF) on the ‘Expo City’ project, a rebuilding of the Cairo Exhibition Center and Cairo International Conference Center, financed by a $500m loan from Export-Import Bank of China. Mohamed Shaker is a solid favourite with clients. The firm has close links with international law firms.

Zaki Hashem & Partners, Attorneys at Law is another firm which is a frequent choice of instruction for blue-chip companies doing business in Egypt, as well as being the recipient of coveted work from private equity groups Hermes, Citadel Capital and Beltone Capital. Clients and international firms describe Yasser Hashem and Mohammed Gabr as ‘responsive’ and ‘cool under pressure’.

The corporate & M&A practice at DLA Matouk Bassiouny acts across the industry spectrum, advising El Borg Laboratories on the acquisition of a number of operating medical laboratories in Egypt, and acting for Orascom Telecom Holding on its $130m divestment of LinkDotNet. John Matouk is ‘an experienced operator’.

Ibrachy & Dermarkar had some plum instructions on its dealsheet in 2010: advising Heinz on its acquisition of 49% shares of Cairo Food Industries, an Egyptian manufacturer of ketchup and sauces, and acting for a leading East Asian funding organisation in its acquisition of shares of a listed local company in Egypt. Menha Samy and Bahieldin Elibrachy are considered ‘incisive and steady’.

The quality team at Ibrachy Law Firm was enhanced in January 2009 by the arrival of partner Tarek Gadallah, previously in-house, who has established a firm following with clients. He is teamed with fellow partner Ashraf Elibrachy, who is considered ‘superb, inspiring total confidence’. In 2010, the firm acquired new clients in the hospitality sector, Al Faisal Holding and Orascom Hotels and Development, advising the former on the acqusition of the entire share capital of First Arabian for Hotels and Resorts using a $250m syndicated acquisition financing.

The reputations of ‘skilled’ partners Sara Hinton and Tim Armsby ensure that Trowers & Hamlins in association with Nour Law Office remains one of the ‘go-to’ firms in Cairo for large corporate deals. Highlights included advising on the largest acquisition involving a listed company in 2009, and advising Ciments Français, a European cement company listed on the French stock exchange, on the acquisition of cement sector companies owned by a family group in the UAE.

Zulficar & Partners Law Firm, founded in 2009 by a highly experienced team with quality clients, is regularly namechecked on top-drawer M&A deals. The firm advised on the EGP486m acquisition by Guardian Industries Corporation of a majority stake in Egyptian Glass Company. Mona Zulficar is ‘sharp as a tack’ and ‘always pulls the deal together’.

Six-fee-earner practice Hassouna & Abou Ali has cultivated an impressive client base which includes prominent domestic businesses as well as international names including Chrysler Group, Johnson & Johnson and Coca-Cola. Ahmed Abou Ali and Mohammed Hassouna spearhead the practice.

Tarek Riad, Hatem Gabr and Hala Riad are the key corporate practitioners at Kosheri, Rashed & Riad. A strong corporate offering covers M&A, company incorporation and private equity for diverse mix of companies such as Blue Ridge Capital, Flag Corporation and Philips.

The ‘resourceful’ and ‘reassuringly competent’ Amir Marghany heads the corporate and M&A practice at Marghany Advocates, which often works in tandem with leading international firms. Highlights in 2010 included acting as Egyptian counsel on the restructuring and sale of equity in Rotana Audio Visual, a large Arab media group, and also advising on restructuring prior to the $35m sale of Egypt’s second largest office furniture manufacturers.

Three-partner practice Nadoury & Nahas Law Offices is well known for litigation, but also houses substantial corporate expertise in both its Cairo and Alexandria offices. An international outlook is reflected in the client list, which includes US companies Gloria Vanderbilt Inc, Orit Holdings and Allfirst Bank, as well as Laboratoire Richelet in Paris.

SNR Denton’s Cairo operation is part of an established network of offices across the Middle East. In 2010, highlights included acting for Harsco Corporation, a steel processor, in making major changes to its subsidiaries in Egypt, as well as negotiating a five-year steel processing contract worth $5m a year. Michael Lacey heads the corporate and M&A practice.

Sarie-Eldin & Partners Legal Advisors has cultivated a growing client following since its founding in 2007 by Hani Sarie Eldin, former chair of the Egyptian Capital Market Authority. Highlights in 2010 included advising Concord on the sale of all of the share capital of Al Borg Laboratory to Abraaj Capital, worth EGP1bn.

Sarwat A. Shahid Law Firm has a solid corporate practice which has clients across the industry spectrum: from aviation and insurance to petrochemicals companies. The team is ably led by Nabil Rizkallah, who is ‘highly experienced’ and ‘a dependable choice of instruction’, according to clients.

Sharkawy & Sarhan maintains its laudable reputation in the market with a flurry of activity on high-value deals in 2009 and 2010. The team, led by the ‘venerable’ and ‘respected’ Jim Wright, advised Titan Cement Group on the sale of a substantial stake in its Egyptian business to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and also advised on the sale of Maktoob.com to Yahoo!, which involved substantial regulatory advice.