Al Tamimi & Company > Kuwait City, Kuwait > Firm Profile

Al Tamimi & Company
AL DHOW TOWER, 16TH FLOOR
KHALED BIN AL WALEED ST, SHARQ, PO BOX 29551
SAFAT 13156
Kuwait

Kuwait > Banking and finance Tier 1

Al Tamimi & Company's banking and finance team carries broad expertise in Islamic and conventional finance matters, working closely with local Kuwaiti clients in project financing, Shari’a securitisations, and syndicated and bilateral loans, and is a key port of call for cross-border facility transactions. The department is headed by Omar Handoush, a go-to for high-value transactions in the Kuwaiti market. He is supported by the debt capital market, derivatives, and Islamic finance experience of Madhurima Basu. Associates Yomna El Shibawy and Amna Khan are also both key members of the team, especially in transactional matters.

Practice head(s):

Omar Handoush

Testimonials

‘We have found Al Tamimi’s assistance and advice in our dealings with this jurisdiction to be invaluable.’

‘Their practical advice and swift responses throughout our various transactions in the region over the past year have been greatly appreciated.’

‘Omar Handoush is particularly helpful and responsive.’

‘Madhurima Basu is knowledgable, efficient and very responsive.’

Key clients

Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank

Barclays

BNP Paribas

Boubyan Bank

Burgan Bank

Commercial Bank of Kuwait

Emirates NBD

First Abu Dhabi Bank

Goldman Sachs

Gulf Bank

HSBC

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China

JP Morgan

Korea Development Bank

Kuwait Finance House

Kuwait International Bank

Lulu Group International

Mashreq Bank

Morgan Stanley

NAPESCO

National Bank of Kuwait

Shamal Az-Zour Al Oula Power and Water Public Company

Standard Chartered Bank

Warba Bank

Windsor Brokers

Zephyrus Aviation Capital

Work highlights

  • Advised Commercial Bank of Kuwait on the set-up of a KWD100m Bond Programme, the first Tier II Bond Programme by a Kuwaiti bank and in Kuwaiti Dinar denomination.
  • Acted as Kuwait legal counsel for a syndication of commercial banks, Islamic financiers, and hedging banks in the US$1.2bn refinancing of the Al Dur Independent Water and Power Project in Bahrain.
  • Advised Zephyrus Aviation Capital on the leasing of one Airbus A320-200 aircraft to Jazeera Airways K.S.C.P. a Kuwaiti airline operator.

Kuwait > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 3

Al Tamimi & Company‘s corporate and transactional team is praised for its ‘professionalism, responsiveness and international practice’, and includes domestic and multinational clients from the aviation, food, real estate, retail, and defence industries within its portfolio of clients. The team is retained to advise on numerous sensitive transactions, including cross-border acquisitions, asset sales, restructurings, and other commercial matters. Practice head Ola Saab advises clients on various multi-jurisdictional transactions, and is ably assisted by Aaron Dikos, a key port of call for matters involving foreign investors.

Practice head(s):

Ola Saab

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Al Tamimi & Company’s exceptional ability to navigate the complexities of local regulations while aligning with global business practices is a key factor that distinguishes the firm. Their team’s deep expertise in Middle Eastern markets, coupled with a global perspective, enables them to deliver practical and forward-thinking solutions.’

‘We have heavily relied on their outstanding legal expertise on many occasions. They also do mostly pro-bono work with us which is something that we have been quite grateful for.’

‘Even when they do pro-bono work, they’ve always delivered in a timely and efficient manner. They have lent us their expertise many times in the past, and they have always given us proper suggestions on how to manage and navigate legal aspects that we’ve encountered.’

‘They have been available even after hours to resolve ad-hoc cases for us, which really makes them stand out from any other law firm that we’ve worked with.’

‘What makes them unique is their vast knowledge and their local and regional practice – their strength is the diversity of the team where they can easily communicate with various parties, cultures and mentalities. What makes Tamimi stand apart from any other law firm is their professionalism, responsiveness and international practice.’

‘We have dealt with the head of corporate commercial, Ola Saab, on several matters.  She managed to provide legal solutions for a complicated transaction, providing her vast local knowledge, mainly with the government rules and regulations. Her advice was not only legal but practical giving insight to actual local practice.’

‘Responsiveness and capability to handle complex and unheard of cases in KW.’

‘Ola Saab stands out in terms of her responsiveness and knowledge of the legal market in KW.’

Key clients

AstraZeneca

Boeing

Brands for Less

Burberry

Dolce&Gabbana

Fauchon

Joan Al Kuwait Marine Services

Johnson & Johnson

Joyalukkas

Kone Corporation

National Oilwell Company

Zephyrus Aviation Capital

Work highlights

  • Acted as sole counsel to HSBC in its role as financial advisor in the agreed sale of 23 aircrafts by ALAFCO Aviation Lease and Finance Company, a company listed on the Boursa Kuwait, to Macquarie AirFinance, a leading provider of aircraft leasing and financing solutions, for an indicative purchase price of US$1.1bn.
  • Advised Zephyrus Aviation Capital on the leasing of one Airbus to Jazeera Airways.
  • Advised a leading regional F&B operator listed on Boursa Kuwait on securing exclusive perpetual rights to manufacture, sell, and distribute an iconic table sauce historically produced in the United States and on licensing agreements across all global territories except North and South America.

Kuwait > Dispute resolution Tier 3

Al Tamimi & Company's litigation and arbitration department is a notable actor in the logistics, insurance, aviation, and retail sectors, overseeing a range of civil claims and contract disputes. Omar Al Qahtani is praised by clients for his ‘excellent service’, and co-heads the team with Ahmed Rezeik, who is a port of call for matters involving shipping and logistics, as well as transport sector-related disputes.

Practice head(s):

Omar Al Qahtani; Ahmed Rezeik

Testimonials

‘Al Tamimi & Company is proficient in Kuwaiti law. Their responses are swift and the professionals are reliable. Their team has in-depth knowledge of Kuwaiti laws and can provide accurate analyses and solutions.’

‘Omar Al Qahtani stands out for his kindness and reliability. He is committed to providing excellent service and always goes the extra mile.’

‘Their in depth knowledge and understanding of the Kuwait Law earned our trust and how they use this knowledge and understanding to create strategies and ideas to tackle the situation in hand.’

‘The in depth knowledge and understanding of the law helps derive a spectrum of ideas which then leads to more options in dealing with situation.’

‘Very responsive and competent.’

‘Al Tamimi is supporting us in a litigation in Kuwait and is following up very closely with a strong sense of pragmatism. The team is very responsive.’

‘Very good service, prompt response.’

Key clients

Al Sayer Group

Gulf Cryo

Eithad Airways

Zimmer Biomet Holdings

Majid Al Futtaim

Al Ameed Coffee Roasteries

Baker Hughes

Mashreqbank

Emirates NBD

Tamdeen Real Estate

Cigna Insurance Middle East

Air Arabia

British Airways

Maersk

Hyundai Heavy Industries

Hyosung Corporation

Work highlights

The firm: Al Tamimi & Company is the largest law firm in the Middle East with 17 offices across nine countries. Established in 1989, we are a full service commercial firm combining knowledge, experience and expertise to ensure our clients have access to the best legal solutions that are commercially sound and cost effective.

Our clients are at the centre of everything that we do – their business is our business.
Our strength comes from our clients’ trust that we will provide them the quality of service that they deserve. Therefore, we make it our business to find creative and commercial legal solutions whilst focusing on making the law work for them. Over the years, we have acted for a wide variety of clients, including: government bodies; government or semi-government owned entities; local, regional and international companies; banks and financial institutions; along with both international and regional law firms.

We’re not like everyone else.
As a firm, we have the ability to practice local law in each of the nine jurisdictions where we have a presence. This means that each of our licensed litigators have rights of audience before local courts. We are proud of this unique strength, which truly sets us apart from the competition.

Doing Business in the Middle East?
So are we! Our regional footprint means that wherever our clients are doing business in the region, we are there to support them. Our expansion has been strategic and client driven. Our values define who we are and what is important to us. As a firm, we have grown based on a set of core values, which are integral to all that we do.

Areas of practice: As the Middle East’s largest law firm Al Tamimi & Company has vast experience acting for clients across many jurisdictions in the region. Through our full service offering we are able to provide legal advice with a one-stop-shop for all your legal requirements. We offer specialist legal advice in the following practice areas: arbitration; aviation; automotive; banking and finance; capital markets; commercial; construction and infrastructure; corporate services; education; employment and incentives; Expo 2020; family business and private wealth; financial crime; FMCG; healthcare; hotels and leisure; mergers and acquisitions; projects; rail; regulatory; shipping; sports and events management; transport and logistics.

Department Name Email Telephone
Chairman Essam Al Tamimi [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Senior Partner Husam Hourani [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Managing Partner Samer Qudah [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Deputy Managing Partner Mohamed Al Marzouqi [email protected] +971 2 813 0444
Deputy Managing Partner Jody Waugh [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Arbitration Thomas Snider [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Arbitration Hassan Arab [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Aviation Yazan Saoudi [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Banking & Finance Husam Hourani [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Banking & Finance Jody Waugh [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Capital Markets Andrew Tarbuck [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Commercial advisory Willem Steenkamp [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Competition law Omar Obeidat [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Construction & Infrastructure Euan Lloyd [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Corporate governance Andrea Tithecott [email protected] +971 2 813 0444
Corporate structuring Samer Qudah [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Corporate structuring Omer Khan [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Corporate Structuring Izabella Szadkowska [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Debt capital markets Andrew Tarbuck [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Debt capital markets Rafiq Jaffer [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Corporate Services Izabella Szadkowska [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Education Ivor McGettigan [email protected] +971 2 813 0444
Education Ahmad Saleh [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Employment & Incentives Samir Kantaria [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Employment & Incentives Gordon Barr [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Family Business & Private Wealth Richard Catling [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Financial Crime Khalid Al Hamrani [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Financial Crime Ibtissem Lassoued [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Financial services regulation and enforcement Jody Waugh [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Financial services regulation and enforcement Rita Jaballah [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Healthcare Andrea Tithecott [email protected] +971 2 813 0444
Hotels & Leisure Tara Marlow [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Insurance Yazan Saoudi [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
IP Omar Obeidat [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
IP Ahmad Saleh [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Legislative drafting Mohammed Al Marzouqi [email protected] +971 2 813 0444
Legislative drafting Hassan ElTahir [email protected] +971 2 813 0444
Litigation Hussein Eisa Al Shiri [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Litigation Ahmed Allouz [email protected] +974 4 364 1641
Litigation Hassan Arab [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Maritime and shipping Omar Omar [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Maritime and shipping Yazan Saoudi [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Mergers & Acquisitions Abdullah Mutawi [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Private client services Essam Al Tamimi [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Private equity Richard Catling [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Private equity Abdullah Mutawi [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Private Notary Taiba Al Safar [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Projects Mark Brown [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Real estate Tara Marlow [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Real estate Mohammed Kawasmi [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Rail Foutoun Hajjar [email protected] +973 1710 8933
Regulatory Andrea Tithecott [email protected] +971 2 813 0444
Sports & events management Steve Bainbridge [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Tax law Shiraz Khan [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Technology, media and telecommunications Martin Hayward [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Technology, media and telecommunications Fiona Robertson [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Transport & Logistics Yazan Saoudi [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Transport & Logistics Omar Omar [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Automotive Samir Kantaria [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Aviation Yazan Saoudi [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Education Ivor McGettigan [email protected] +971 2 813 0444
Expo 2020 Steve Bainbridge [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
FMCG Samer Qudah [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Innovation, Technology & Entrepreneurship Ahmad Saleh [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
China Group Jody Waugh [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
India Group Samir Kantaria [email protected] +971 4 331 7161
Korea Group Omar Omar [email protected] +971 4 364 1641
Photo Name Position Profile
Omar Al Qahtani photo Mr Omar Al Qahtani Partner, Head of Dispute Resolution Kuwait
Aaron Dikos photo Mr Aaron Dikos Partner  
Omar Handoush photo Mr Omar Handoush Partner, Head of Office Kuwait
Number of lawyers worldwide : 370
:
Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN)
Australian Business Group
ABA (American Bar Association)
British Business Group
Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts
Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Employment Lawyers Association
Energy Institute
International Federation of Industrial Property Attorneys (FICPI)
GCC Commercial Arbitration Centre
International Council for Commercial Arbitration

“In the past three years, we have engaged Al Tamimi & Company for advice on derivatives and repo documents and transactions. The lawyers I’ve worked with are responsive, technically skilled, and possess a deep understanding of the banking and finance sector in Kuwait and the wider region. Their insights have been robust and their advice invaluable. We look forward to continuing and strengthening our collaboration with Al Tamimi & Company Kuwait.”


“I have been working with the Kuwait’s office of Al Tamimi & Company since 2023. They were very well recommended by our local distributor and after we started to interact with Tamimi, we had the same opinion and good impression about their partners and their great experience in some of the topics Lundbeck was facing at that moment. The advisors always show a high-value technical expertise and have an open mindset to try to find legal alternatives that are feasible to the case and that can bring good opportunities to our legal strategy. Their deep understanding about the partnering model relationship is a must. Hope we can build a partnership even stronger in the coming years.”


“I have been working with the Kuwait’s office of Al Tamimi & Company since 2017. Their guidance has been instrumental during the project financing for the construction of the new terminal at Kuwait International Airport.
Over the years, they have become one of the most trusted legal advisors of National Bank of Kuwait, advising the bank on a wide range of matters. In addition to their high-value technical expertise and deep understanding of the banking and finance sector, what truly sets this team apart is their responsiveness and flexibility.  They are always willing to go above and beyond to make sure our requirements are met.”


“Al Tamimi & Company Kuwait are one of the most trusted legal advisors of Commercial Bank of Kuwait. They advise the bank on a wide range of matters, including through several key projects we have undertaken, such as the KD 100 million subordinated tier 2 bonds programme that we concluded this year. This was the bank’s first bond issuance, as well as the first bond program of its kind, denominated in Kuwaiti dinar, and Al Tamimi’s team of experts has been critical in the success of this transaction. All the lawyers I work with possess incredible technical expertise and a deep understanding of the banking and finance sector in Kuwait. We look forward to continuing and strengthening our collaboration with Al Tamimi & Company Kuwait.”


Tim Liu, Partner, Global Law Office Shanghai 

“I started working with Al Tamimi & Company Kuwait office in 2020. As co-counsels, Al Tamimi and my law firm have been assisting Chinese clients handling their litigations in Kuwait. All these litigations went very well. We have Omar, Khaled and Mohammed and other colleagues of Al Tamimi stand with us. In these complex commercial litigation cases, our clients are very impressed by their strategic analysis, skillful advocacy and thoughtful planning. They are our trusted litigators in the Middle East region. We would recommend Al Tamimi Kuwait’s dispute resolution team to any other clients without any hesitation.”


Diversity and Inclusion at Al Tamimi & Company

We have created a workplace that is diverse, open and inclusive and we are committed to creating responsible spaces and practices that breaks barriers and boundaries. As a business we are designing environments where our colleagues feel they belong and there are no differences.

This has impacted our culture of development and growth within the firm, with no boundaries being part of the firm’s fabric. You can see this in action through our Partner development programme, which   focuses on leadership training, personal development, mentoring and coaching. The programme has supported many of our female lawyers to become partners and our male/female ratio statistics are approximately 70:30, greater than the industry norm, however we are determined to meet the 50:50 standard.

Providing equal opportunities sits at the heart of not only the workplaces we create, but it is also vital to our recruitment. As a business, we are committed to ensuring our recruitment policy and process is fair, honest and transparent. This means we make sure that no applicant or employee receives less favorable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, marital status, race, or any other reason, and is not disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.

We want to be at the forefront of making a positive impact within our communities, at our firm and across the legal sector. This can only be achieved through us continuing to evolve and make progress as a firm and letting our actions speak for themselves.