El-Aref International Law Office

Founded in Beirut in 1942, El-Aref International Law Office brings over 80 years of experience and has undergone sustained expansion across the Middle East and Africa region, earning a reputation for consistent, high-quality and responsive service to leading multinational companies and acting as correspondent firm for several international law firms. The firm is consistently ranked as a top-tier practice and is the only Lebanese firm to hold concurrent Legal 500 Tier 1 rankings in Commercial, Corporate and M&A, Banking and Finance & Capital markets and Real Estate and Construction (including Projects). It was named Legal 500 EMEA Lebanon Law Firm of the Year 2026, and is recognized at major legal directories.

El-Aref International Law Office advises across core areas — Commercial, Corporate and M&A; Banking, Finance and Capital Markets; Real Estate and Construction (including Projects), and Dispute Resolution — for a client base spanning Fortune 500 corporates, private equity sponsors, development finance institutions, and regional family and government groups.

A distinctive feature of the practice is its ability to bridge common-law and civil-code jurisdictions for global clients navigating complex regulatory environments in Lebanon, the Middle East and Africa — a capability delivered by a multi-generational team of internationally trained lawyers.

In Banking & Finance, El-Aref acts for international and regional banks, development finance institutions, sponsors and borrowers on project finance, syndicated lending (conventional and Islamic), trade finance and capital markets transactions across the Middle East and Africa. In Projects, Construction and Energy, the firm advises sponsors, developers, contractors and lenders on IPP, PPP and project-finance mandates across power, LNG, oil and gas and renewable energy, and is a recognized name in the energy sector with a growing presence in wind and solar alongside traditional oil, gas and utilities work. The firm also complements its transactional practice with a strong litigation and arbitration capability across banking, energy, real estate and corporate disputes.

The firm pairs international-standard quality with the flexibility, responsiveness, superior project management and value that clients associate with a leading independent practice.