LPA-CGR > Algiers, Algeria > Firm Profile
LPA-CGR Offices
LOTISSEMENT RICOUR OMAR, VILLA N°5
BEN AKNOUN
ALGIERS
Algeria
LPA-CGR > The Legal 500 Rankings
Algeria > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 2
LPA-CGR is an international French law firm that has been present in the Algerian market since 2007. Recent work includes advising on M&A deals, restructuring, capital increases and commercial contracts across the food and life sciences sectors. Experienced corporate law and M&A specialist Samir Sayah, previous managing partner of CMS, recently joined the firm and now leads the team. Partner Fatima-Zohra Bouchemla also brings expertise in commercial contracts.Practice head(s):
Samir Sayah
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The partners at LPA-CGR have in-depth knowledge of local practices and the ability to counsel foreign companies. The partners and associates are both technically sound. The team is multidisciplinary and multilingual. Some of the partners are qualified in the courts of the Maghreb countries, which is very useful for litigation cases and enables the firm to assist and follow up its clients on every issue they have.’
‘Samir Sayah has extensive knowledge of the North African legal and business framework. He is responsive and practical and provides his services in a timely manner. Samir is particularly skilled in advising companies operating in regulated sectors including banking, energy and life sciences. I would highly recommend him.’
‘The firm is highly knowledgeable on the Algerian environment, highlights any potential risks and offers clear advice.’
‘The team are efficient, available and understand our specific needs in a difficult environment.’
‘The team gives value to our business decisions and offers global solutions to problems. The firm follows-up and offers digital tools.’
‘Samir Sayah is the star of this law firm. He is respected, experienced and takes the lead in all matters.’
‘LPA-CGR has very good lawyers with a wide range of expertise combining their strong Algerian expertise with the ability to advise on international and cross-border matters. Samir Sayah and his team regularly handle sophisticated joint venture and M&A transactions as well as corporate structure issues for us. They have extensive experience in a wide range of sectors including healthcare, logistics, food and beverage and consumer products.’
”Samir Sayah has extensive knowledge and demonstrates absolute rigour in his work. He is one of the best lawyers we have ever worked with in Algeria and perhaps even the Maghrebian market.’
Algeria > Energy Tier 2
LPA-CGR has experience in advising clients on investments, regulatory matters and transactions in the energy space. Recent work for the team has involved negotiation and assistance with the incorporation of entities, joint ventures and regulatory approval applications. Samir Sayah joined the firm from CMS and leads the team, bringing his expertise in corporate and M&A, investments and exchange control regulations. Rym Loucif left the firm.Practice head(s):
Samir Sayah
Testimonials
‘A multicultural and multidisciplinary team of local experts’
‘Professional lawyers with significant knowledge of local regulation and business culture. They reach optimised solutions in a very complex, changing and dynamic business environment.’
Algeria > Dispute resolution Tier 3
LPA-CGR offers clients assistance with litigation and arbitration matters. The firm has experience in ICC arbitration and other disputes spanning the telecoms, manufacturing and energy industries relating to tax, competition, debt recovery and economic crime. Partner Fatima-Zohra Bouchemla, who is accredited to the Supreme Court and State Council, leads the team, offering expertise in commercial disputes. Samir Sayah, who recently joined the firm from CMS, is another name to note. Rym Loucif left the firm.Practice head(s):
Fatima-Zohra Bouchemla; Samir Sayah
Testimonials
‘A well-established practice with a particular focus on commercial litigation. The team offers a high level of expertise in shareholder disputes, particularly in mixed capital companies. The firm’s new capabilities brought by Samir Sayah and his team include post-acquisition litigation and disputes concerning enforcement procedures and regulatory matters.’
‘I am happy to work with Samir Sayah. He is extremely bright, analytical and accessible. He understands very quickly what is at stake.’
Algeria > Banking and finance
LPA-CGR > Firm Profile
The firm: LPA-CGR avocats is a leading French law firm with an international reach born from the merger of Lefèvre Pelletier & associés and CGR Legal, and existing in Paris since 1983. Our teams of over 230 lawyers and professionals in 13 offices located in key business centers advise you locally and abroad on your strategic projects.
With the opening of its office in Algiers in 2007, LPA-CGR avocats is one of the few international law firms that can rely on a local presence of more than ten years, combining a legal expertise with an in-depth knowledge of the country.
The recognised legal expertise of the office’s lawyers and their perfect understanding of the Algerian legal and business system have allowed them to advise large international groups but also state-owned corporations on recent landmark transactions in Algeria.
Areas of practice: LPA-CGR avocats is the adviser to large international groups, Algerian subsidiaries of international groups, central administrations and ministerial departments, state-owned corporations and institutions as well as commercial and industrial undertakings, assisting them with their complex transactions in the areas of foreign direct investment, corporate/M&A, energy, and with any resulting disputes.
In particular, LPA-CGR avocats provides services in Algeria both on complex transactions in M&A, oil & gas, banking and finance, project, arbitration or in specialised regulated sectors (tobacco, pharmaceuticals, automotive, etc.) as well as on general matters with which foreign companies established in Algeria are faced on a day-to-day basis.
LPA-CGR in Algeria is one of the few international law firms on the ground that is fully integrated to the head office in Paris. Our Algerian office is mainly composed of western-educated lawyers trained in top international law firms and can rely on our specialized teams in Paris and worldwide.
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
---|---|---|---|
Mme Fatima-Zohra Bouchemla | Partner accredited to the Supreme Court and to the State Council | View Profile | |
Mr Samir Sayah | Partner specialized in mergers and acquisitions and corporate law in North Africa… | View Profile |
Staff Figures
At this address : 10 in this country : 10 worldwide : 230Languages
English French German Spanish Arabic Italian Japanese Russian MandarinMemberships
International Bar Association Medef InternationalDiversity
First of all, we can say that our international dimension illustrates our diversity :
- 13 foreign offices (in Asia, Africa, Middle East and Europe (with women as partners and associates)
- 5 foreign desks in Paris (German, Africa, Japan, Middle-East and China)
- 1st Franco-German Law Firm
- More than 15 nationalities are represented within the firm
Secondly, we have achieved parity, with 50% women partners, more than 50% women heads of departments, and at our Comex, a Chairwoman, 50% women heads of support functions. This situation reflects our constant collective vigilance to implement a genuine gender equality policy.
This successful gamble is undoubtedly explained by the fact that the firm, founded on the initiative of two men, were led by three female associates during more than 35 years ago. They were committed to carrying and transmitting this diversity.
Our objective is to maintain this parity within the firm and to enable women to take on responsibilities by ensuring that the balance between professional and private life is respected.
A series of concrete measures implemented by the management ensure this objective : an equal salary policy, flexible meeting hours, access to mobility, the right to disconnection, the right to replace women on maternity leave, support for women returning from maternity leave, access for talent to partner positions and to management bodies, the promotion of talent in support functions, feminization of names, etc.
Our Firm published its 2nd CSR report in early 2020. We were the first Law Firm to publish a CSR report, aware very early of the spine that this could represent within an organization.
This 2020 Report, which aims to gather and illustrate our approaches, particularly in terms of governance, diversity, environment, etc., reflects the commitments in which the firm’s women and men find themselves.
Finally, our law firm is engaged in associations. For example , the firm is a partner of the Relay Night (la Nuit des relais) organized by the Women’s Foundation (Fondation des Femmes) at the Grand Palais (Paris). It is a festive, supportive and a sporting evening of fundraising for the Women’s Foundation, whose main action is to financially and legally support associations working to promote gender equality and combat violence against women. Our lawyers are also doing some probono : for example, during the covid-19, some lawyers contributed to the drafting of a partnership agreement, at the end of which Gecina made available free of charge to the associations of the Fédération Nationale Solidarité des Femmes network several equipped and vacant dwellings in its student residences to accommodate women victims of domestic violence for a period of four months.
To conclude, our diversity and commitment values allows us to attract great talent by offering an international platform open to the world and other cultures.
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