The Legal 500

The ‘very reliable’ team at Arab Law Bureau handles a large amount of corporate finance work and is particularly involved in high-value transactions in the energy sector. Managing partner Alaa Hamad leads the team, which recently assisted Norton Rose (Middle East) LLP in advising Qatar Electricity & Water Company (QEWC) on its purchase of AES Corporation’s shares in Ras Laffan Power Company and in AES Ras Laffan Operating Company. Other key clients include Qatar Petroleum and various Qatargas entities.

The Law Offices of Gebran Majdalany (Legal Consultants) is recognised for its lawyers’ ‘strong legal market knowledge’, and senior consultant Rukhsana Khan is often singled out for her expertise in corporate and commercial law. The firm assists multinational firms on foreign investment transactions, as well as advising companies on the methods of establishing a presence in Qatar. Recent corporate finance work includes acting as local counsel for LNG distributor RasGas on the third tranche of its $10bn bond offering.

Hassan A Alkhater Law Office serves several global companies carrying out business in Qatar and maintains strong connections with a number of international firms operating in the country. The practice acted as local counsel to Barwa Real Estate in its $1bn takeover offer for Alaqaria. Name partner Hassan Al Khater and senior lawyer John Whatnall are recommended for their ‘professional approach’ and strong knowledge of corporate finance. The practice has benefited from the recruitment of corporate specialist Susan Green, a former Eversheds LLP associate.

Stefan Jury heads the corporate practice at Al Tamimi & Company in association with Al Marri, assisting domestic and international clients on a wide range of matters. He has an extensive background in corporate finance, particularly restructuring work and joint ventures of financial institutions. The team includes senior associate Francesco Lucente, who specialises in corporate/M&A work. Recent standout deals include acting as local counsel on the largest-ever merger between two Qatari public companies, advising Qatar Navigation on its acquisition of Qatar Shipping.

Sultan M Al-Abdulla & Partners has strong capabilities in corporate law, delivering ‘prompt, succinct and accurate advice’. Its experience includes advising on the structuring of local and international companies, and M&A transactions, such as advising a leading media company in Qatar on its high-value acquisition of a large cinema entity. Name partner Sultan Al-Abdulla heads the office, and senior associate Salman Mahmood is recommended for his advice on commercial contracts.

The team at A Rahman Mohamed Al-Jufairi, Advocates & Legal Consultants handles corporate and commercial matters in the energy, construction and financial sectors, among others. The firm has been associated with Eversheds LLP since 2003.

‘Up-and-coming’ firm Al-Ansari & Associates handles corporate finance and restructuring, predominantly for domestic companies. The ‘switched-on’ Salman Al-Ansari is highly regarded for ‘understanding his clients’ needs in order to provide customised and useful advice’, and the firm regularly receives instructions from international firms regarding local law matters. Clients include Qatar International Petroleum Marketing Company (Tasweeq) and Pan Arab Research Center.

Law Office of Sayel Daher combines the years of experience of Chris Tingley and Sayel Daher, both of whom ‘are a pleasure to work with’ and have considerable expertise in the Qatari market, handling projects, corporate and finance matters.