El-Aref International Law Office

Managing Partner

Aref El-Aref is the Managing Partner of El-Aref International Law Office and, since 2003, has led the firm's most significant cross-border mandates across the Middle East and Africa. He is recognized by Legal 500 as a Leading Lawyer. Uniquely among Beirut practitioners, he bridges common-law and civil-code jurisdictions for Fortune 500 corporates, private equity sponsors, development finance institutions and regional family groups, with decade-long relationships with Fortune500 companies.

His practice spans four closely connected areas. In banking and finance, he acts for international and regional banks, development finance institutions and borrowers on project finance, syndicated lending (conventional and Islamic), trade finance and capital markets transactions, with clients including EBRD, PROPARCO, Qatar National Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD and other DFIs. In mergers and acquisitions, he advises on cross-border share and asset deals, joint ventures, private equity and corporate governance. In energy and natural resources, he advises sponsors, developers, contractors and lenders on IPP, PPP and project-finance mandates across power, LNG, oil and gas and renewables. In commercial contracts and procurement, he negotiates EPC and procurement contracts, teaming agreements for joint bids, operation-and-maintenance and utility contracts, and cross-border distribution, franchise and licensing arrangements.

English, French, Arabic

Admitted to practice before the Beirut Bar. Member of the New York Bar.

Aref El-Aref holds an LL.B from the Lebanese University Law School and an LL.M from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He holds a Negotiations and Persuasion certificate from the Wharton Business School and completed the Executive Program on Leadership in Law Firms at Harvard Law School.

Legal 500 EMEA — Leading Lawyer, Commercial, Corporate and M&A (Lebanon), with a consistent Leading Individual/Leading Partner record across recent cycles. Recognized in the Legal 500 EMEA projects/energy and real estate and construction tables, and by Who's Who Legal as a leading project finance practitioner. His firm was named Legal 500 EMEA Lebanon Law Firm of the Year 2026.