The Legal 500

Al Kamel Law Office provides transactional and tax-related advice, and advised a prospective bidder on acquiring an interest in AMOC. Other clients include GDF Suez, Yukos Oil Company, AGYPETCO Oil & Gas Exploration and BP. Managing partner Mohamed Kamel, Rasheed Kamel, Mahmoud Wahba and Mostafa Mostafa are recommended.

DLA Matouk Bassiouny specialises in oil and gas financing and corporate structuring. It advised Melrose Resources on its merger with Petroceltic; and Crédit Agricole on a pre-export facility agreement with EGPC. Other clients include SEGAS and Unión Fenosa. Mahmoud Bassiouny has ‘good knowledge of the oil and gas sector’.

Dentons’s clients include Shell Global Solutions and Total Petrochemicals. Office managing partner Michael Lacey is highly regarded, and senior attorney Khaled Yassin is also recommended.

Helmy, Hamza & Partners (Baker & McKenzie) advises clients on contract reviews and financing needs. It acted for BNP Paribas and HSBC on providing a $50m reserve-based credit facility for Sea Dragon Energy, and assisted the IFC with its investment in Galaxy Chemicals. Mohamed Ghannam and Hatem Soliman jointly head the natural resources group.

Shalakany Law Office is an ‘excellent firm’ and its lawyers have ‘good industry knowledge’. The team recently advised Apache on its oil concession agreements in Egypt; Naftogaz on establishing operations in Egypt; Vitol and Helios on acquiring Shell’s Egyptian midstream and downstream oil businesses; and EGAS on negotiating the concession agreement for the Jordanian gas transmission pipeline project. Aly El Shalakany ‘always meets clients’ needs’.

Sharkawy & Sarhan’s experience includes advising on acquisitions, regulatory issues, oil concession agreements, tender processes, environmental issues, and finance work. Clients include Kufpec, ONGC Videsh, Beach Petroleum, Shell, Acergy, and Tesco. Karim Sarhan and Amr Abbas are recommended.

Zaki Hashem & Partners, Attorneys at Law’s highly regarded energy practice includes Mohamed Abdel-Hamid. Clients have included Halliburton.

Ibrachy & Dermarkar has expertise in energy finance, and handles contentious and non-contentious commercial matters in the energy sector. It is representing an international petroleum company in a $20m international arbitration with an affiliate company. Key contact Fatma Salah and Hegazy El Wakil are recommended.

Karim Adel Law Office’s clients include GUPCO, Shell, Total, Petrolube, and Edison. Karim Adel Kamel is recommended.

Kosheri, Rashed & Riad has advised clients such as Vienco, BP, Marathon Oil, and Transocean. It has also represented national governments in oil-related arbitration proceedings. Managing partner Tarek Riad is recommended.

Nour Law Office managed by Trowers and Hamlins lost key partner Tim Armsby to Eversheds LLP in Abu Dhabi. Sara Hinton heads the team, which advises on matters such as concession agreements, service contracts, farm-ins, acquisitions and disposals. Clients include Dril-Quip Egypt, TWMA and DIAC.

Sarwat A. Shahid Law Firm’s clients include Breda Energia, Chevron Phillips Chemical, Dar Chemicals, GAIL, Schlumberger, and SEGAS. Founding partner Sarwat Abd El-Shahid is the key contact.