Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy > Cairo, Egypt > Firm Profile
Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy Offices
12 MOHAMED ALI GENAH STREET
GARDEN CITY
CAIRO
Egypt
Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy > The Legal 500 Rankings
Egypt > Banking and finance Tier 1
‘The team understands what the client wants and appreciates the commercial drivers to transactions’, remarks a client about the banking & finance team at Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy, which supports banks with regulatory matters and advises lenders or borrowers on numerous types of transactions. Practice head Mahmoud Bassiouny ‘provides excellent strategic guidance and empowers his very able team to take ownership of client instructions’. Ashraf Hendi is particularly experienced in syndicated and bilateral facilities, project finance, and equity finance transactions. Also recommended for her involvement in high-profile transactions is senior associate Nadia Abdallah.Practice head(s):
Mahmoud Bassiouny
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team understands what the client wants and appreciates the commercial drivers to transactions. They each work both as a trusted advisor and team player in delivering results.’
‘Mahmoud Bassiouny sets exactly the right tone from the top. He provides excellent strategic guidance and empowers his very able team to take ownership of client instructions.
‘Nadia Abdallah provides tireless support to her clients and her ability to provide clear, concise advice is outstanding.’
Key clients
Sonker Bunkering Company
Arab African International Bank
Mashreq Bank PSC
DP World
National Bank of Egypt
Banque du Caire
Banque Misr
Al Dau Al Haram for Hotel Operations
TCI Sanmar Chemicals S.A.E.
Export Development Canada
Vantage Capital
Citibank Europe plc
Work highlights
- Acted as local counsel to DP World Sokhna in connection with a financing of up to USD 300,000,000 for the purpose of refinancing existing facilities and funding capital expenditure in relation to the design, development, construction, supervision, operation, management, maintenance, insurance and repair of the container terminal and bulk cargo terminal project located at Basin 2 in the Ain Al Sokhna Port.
- Represented Al Dau Al Haram for Hotels Operations SAE in connection with the financing of an amount of USD 12,000,000 extended by EBRD (the only tourism sector financing by an international financial institution during the peak of COVID in Egypt).
- Represented TCI Sanmar in connection with the restructuring of its senior and mezzanine debt.
Egypt > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 1
With 11 partners Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy’s corporate and M&A practice is one of the largest in the Egyptian market. The firm advises a number of blue-chip clients on complex cross-border deals, foreign direct investments as well as joint ventures and has recently established a start-up legal incubation practice that assists start-ups beginning with incorporation and fundraising. Tamer El Hennawy and Omar Bassiouny jointly lead the team, both having extensive experience in this field having been involved in major deals in the past years. Corporate, M&A, and capital markets are also part of Amr Baggatto’s specialisations.Practice head(s):
Omar Bassiouny; Tamer El Hennawy
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team is very cooperative and react fast with the right knowledge – reliable and can count on their advises with comfort.’
‘Always available, speed is key element and accuracy of information and opinion.’
‘Broader services to cover all aspects of client needs from M&A, capital markets and dispute resolutions in addition to cross border capabilities which make them a signal point of contact for dealing with multiple stakeholders.’
‘Problem solving, reachability, business understanding, fast response, professional advice and support in every step of the execution.’
Key clients
CDC Group
ABB
First Abu Dhabi Bank
DPI
EBRD
ADQ
Agthia Group
Ezdehar Management
Alameda Healthcare Group
Olympus Victory Limited
Aleph Holding
Hassan Allam Holding
Taleem Management Services
National Energy Services Reunited Corp
Work highlights
- Acted as the Egyptian counsel to First Abu Dhabi Bank in its 100% acquisition of Bank Audi SAE, Bank Audi’s subsidiary in Egypt.
- Acted as legal counsel to Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company PJSC “ADQ”, in its acquisition of Amoun Pharmaceuticals Company, one of Egypt’s leading manufacturers, distributors and exporters of pharmaceutical and animal health products, from Bausch Health Companies.
- Represented CDC Group Plc in its minority stake acquisition of Alfa Medical Group. CDC Group’s investment is valued at USD 100 million, marking CDC Group’s largest impact led equity investment in Egypt to date.
Egypt > Dispute resolution: arbitration Tier 1
Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy ‘have strong capabilities in a variety of areas and have a wide network of relationships outside of the firm’, says a client about the arbitration practice. The firm’s large team is able to negotiate in English, French and Arabic and represents a number of blue-chip clients from sectors such as telecoms, energy, pharmaceuticals, and construction. John Matouk and Amr Abbas jointly head the team, with the former having advised clients before local courts and major arbitral institutions. Amr Abbas is described by a client as having ‘impressive advocacy skills’.Practice head(s):
John Matouk; Amr Abbas
Testimonials
‘Great law firm, very responsive partners and associates; many lawyers fluent in English if not bilingual, which makes it easy to communicate with them.’
‘All very knowledgeable, smart, and responsive. They know the law, their advice can really be relied on.’
‘MBH have strong capabilities in a variety of areas and have a wide network of relationships outside the firm. They are able to draw on a range of different expertise within the firm as needed and are proactive in developing solutions as problems arise.’
‘The partners and associates are extremely capable and hardworking, providing comprehensive local advice and resolving issues when needed. Ahmed Abdel Hakeem led our complex negotiation and achieved a satisfactory result on our behalf.’
‘We were highly impressed with the team members’ high qualifications, exceptional professionalism, excellent dedication, and ethics. Regarding the diversity, the team members who handled our dispute were very diverse, and they comprised two females out of five lawyers. They are also flexible in billing and considered our financial situation and preferences. I can say they are excellent and superstars in what they are doing. They have the expertise, knowledge, skills, and capabilities to defend their clients’ interests. I do vote for them for any complicated and massive dispute.’
‘MB team was formed of several impressive individuals. They are dedicated and worked with us very long hours, and they were always very organized and focused on details and on how to preserve our interest throughout the dispute. They always gave practical advices during several complicated situations that happened.’
‘Dr. Amr Abbas managed the dispute strategically and always gave us practical advice. I attended the hearing and witnessed Dr. Amr Abbas’s impressive advocacy skills before the tribunal. His abilities in presenting our claims and in questioning the witnesses and experts, and defending the opponent’s statements were exceptional and remarkable. He is knowledgeable and has impressive analytical skills and can expect the opponent’s moves and prepare us for that. Dr. Amr Abbas is honest and straightforward with his clients. He understands our business and is very responsive and available when urgent and prompt advice is needed. ‘
Key clients
Union Fenosa GAS (“UFG”)
International Holding Project Group and Other Kuwaiti Investors
Inertia Egypt
Spanish Egyptian Gas Company (“SEGAS”)
Chengdu Design & Research Institute of Building Materials Industry Co. Ltd.
Nogoom Football Club (“NFC”)
The Producers
Work highlights
- Successfully secured a favorable CRCICA arbitral award for CDI, a global market leader in cement engineering, procurement, and construction. The dispute arose from an EPC Contract for Clinker Grinding and Packaging Department for a cement plant owned by a well-known cement manufacturer in Egypt.
- Assisted UFG, a prominent Spanish Gas Company, in the ICSID annulment proceedings that the Arab Republic of Egypt initiated against the ICSID Award rendered in favor of UFG on 31 August 2018 as well as in the underlying disputes.
- Successfully secured a favorable award for NFC at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (“CAS”) in Lausanne, Switzerland. The arbitration was a consolidation between two cases filed by NFC against ISMAILI Sports Club and the Egyptian Football Association in a contractual sell-on fees dispute.
Egypt > Dispute resolution: litigation Tier 1
Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy counts a number of international blue-chip corporations amongst its litigation clients from sectors such as telecoms, hospitality, automotive, and media. The practice covers all essential matters including competition and antitrust cases, contract disputes, and product liability. The team is led jointly by John Matouk and Mohamed Shehata. Matouk benefits from a New York law qualification and extensive experience in cases before local courts and major dispute institutions. Telecommunication, finance, and energy are meanwhile part of the industry focus of Shehata who further specialises in major commercial disputes before Egyptian courts, tribunals and regulatory bodies. Associate Momen Rezk is also recommended.Practice head(s):
John Matouk; Mohamed Shehata
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Skoda Auto (Volkswagen Group)
Huntleigh Nesbit Evans Limited
Etisalat Misr
Uber
Telecom Italia Sparkle
Reliance Heavy Industries
Egyptian Resorts Company
Ahram Beverages
AXA
Soyven
Cargill
Hilton
Nissan
Inertia
Alcazar Energy Egypt Solar
Kuwait Wadi Elnile Urban DevelopmentCompany (Kuwadico)
Orascom Construction Industries (OCI)
Novartis
Clarks
TCI Sanmar
SolmaxGeosynthetics
Work highlights
- Successfully represented Orascom Construction Industries to seize more than 250 trademarks owned by a leading Real Estate and Touristic Projects Developer in Egypt in execution of an arbitral award issued in favor of the client with an amount exceeding EGP 1 Billion.
- Successfully represented Egyptian Resorts Company, a major Egyptian real estate developer listed on the Egyptian stock exchange, before the Egyptian Court of Cassation against an Egyptian investment company owned by a Jordanian investor in connection with rescission of a land sale agreement. The Court of Cassation upheld the Court of Appeal judgment in our client’s favor putting an end to a US$ 200M exposure.
- Successfully represented Airbus before the Egyptian courts and successfully blocked two complex airline accident compensation claims in connection with a major aviation accident.
Egypt > Energy Tier 1
The lawyers at Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy’s energy sector group ‘each work both as a trusted advisor and team player in delivering results’ says a client. The team’s service portfolio covers projects, transactions, and disputes relating to conventional and renewable power, as well as oil and gas. The cross-departmental group is led by Mahmoud Bassiouny who ‘provides excellent strategic guidance and empowers his very able team to take ownership of client instructions’. As a partner of the firm’s finance & projects practice group, Ahmed Agamy is specialised in the finance and acquisition of energy assets.Practice head(s):
Mahmoud Bassiouny
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team understands what the client wants and appreciates the commercial drivers to transactions. They each work both as a trusted advisor and team player in delivering results.’
‘Mahmoud Bassiouny sets exactly the right tone from the top. He provides excellent strategic guidance and empowers his very able team to take ownership of client instructions.
‘Nadia Abdallah provides tireless support to her clients and her ability to provide clear, concise advice is outstanding.’
Key clients
Alcazar Energy Partners
Actis
Future Clean Energy
National Petroleum Construction Company PJSC (NPCC)
Union Fenosa Gas (UFG)
Maridive Oil & Services
Union Fenosa Gas
Spanish Egyptian Gas Company S.A.E (SEGAS)
Hassan Allam Utilities
Lekela
Work highlights
- Advised Union Fenosa Gas in connection with Sale of UFG entire stake in SEGAS.
- Advising Alcazar Energy Partners in connection with ongoing operations of four 50MW solar power plants under round 2 of the Feed-in Tariff programme.
- Advising Future Clean Energy in connection with the establishment of a 3.5 MW solar power plant in favour of a hotel located in Sharm El Sheikh.
Egypt > Projects and infrastructure Tier 1
The finance and projects team at Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy ‘understands what the client wants and appreciates the commercial drivers to transactions’, according to a client. The firm predominantly works with private sponsors and project devleopers, however also advises governmental institutions, contractors as well as suppliers, with a focus on the sectors power, oil and gas, utilities, and transport. Practice head Mahmoud Bassiouny ‘provides excellent strategic guidance’. Ahmed Agamy is noted for his expertise in the oil and gas industry.Practice head(s):
Mahmoud Bassiouny
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘The team understands what the client wants and appreciates the commercial drivers to transactions. They each work both as a trusted advisor and team player in delivering results.’
‘Mahmoud Bassiouny sets exactly the right tone from the top. He provides excellent strategic guidance and empowers his very able team to take ownership of client instructions.’
Key clients
DP World Sokhna
National Petroleum Construction Company PJSC (NPCC)
Alcazar Energy Partners
Sonker Bunkering Company
Future Clean Energy
Union Fenosa Gas (UFG)
Lotus Gold Corporation (“Lotus Gold”)
Wanbao Mining
La Mancha Holding
Work highlights
- Advised Union Fenosa Gas in connection with Sale of UFG entire stake in SEGAS.
- Advising Alcazar Energy Partners in connection with ongoing operations of four 50MW solar power plants under round 2 of the Feed-in Tariff programme.
- Advised Lotus Gold on the first gold mining tender following the amended mining regime.
Egypt > TMT Tier 1
Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy is one of the leading TMT practices, with a strong footing in the media, technology, and telecommunication sectors. Counting mobile operator Etisalat Misr, Sony Pictures and Uber to its client roster, the firm’s services include handling day-to-day operations, regulatory work, and contentious matters. Practice head Mohamed Shehata specialises in handling major commercial disputes and has extensive experience in arbitration disputes. Counsels Ahmed Abdel Hakeem and Amr Ehab are also recommended, with the former focusing on blue-chip clients, while Ehab is well versed in major litigation and regulatory matters.Practice head(s):
Mohamed Shehata
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘We were in need of a renowned regulatory practice, and Matouk Bassiouny have a reputation for being the leaders in their field in Egypt. They were able to deliver advice that was clear, appropriate to our needs, and prompt.’
Key clients
Halan for Technology and Services
Etisalat Misr
Uber
Sony Pictures
NymCard
Ashtar
Money Fellows
IHS Towers
Digital Virgo
Telecom Italia Sparkle
Work highlights
- Represented Etisalat Misr before the Egyptian State Council courts against the Information Technology Industry Development Agency “ITIDA”, challenging the latter’s imposed fees. The firm successfully managed to reach a favourable settlement for Etisalat Misr and put an end to Etisalat Misr’s historical disputes with the ITIDA.
- Representing Sony before the Egyptian State Council courts challenging the Trademark Office decision in respect to the opposition denial of one of their famous trademarks against an Egyptian entity.
- Advised Nymcard on the incorporation of their Egyptian branch, operations in Egypt, FinTech licensing, and banking agreements in addition to general corporate work.
Egypt > Employment Tier 2
A particular specialisation of Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy’s employment department lies in labour law related matters in the context of corporate restructuring and M&A transactions, including due diligences. Led by Tamer Fawki, the team also covers aspects such as contracts, layoffs, work permits, and social insurance issues. Fawki combines expertise in labour law with longstanding experience in the fields of corporate, commercial, and finance. Senior Associate Susan Romana is well-versed across all day-to-day employment matters in addition to cross-border transaction related labour law issues.Practice head(s):
Tamer Fawki
Other key lawyers:
Testimonials
‘Have always had a great experience with the team in Egyptian employment matters for various clients.’
‘Matouk Bassiouny’s employment team are always responsive. They provide timely and pragmatic advice.’
‘I have worked with Tamer Fawki who provided commercial and prompt advice.’
‘Great efforts to maintain client relationships, over the top use of technologies, excellent communication, accuracy on the information provided.’
‘Tamer Fawki and Susan Romana deliver superb quality of employment related work, they assist in ongoing matters related to employment and they have been great to deal with.’
Key clients
Dragon Oil
Latham and Watkins
IVL Dhunseri
CISCO
Work highlights
- Assisted Dragon Oil in hosting the HR training workshop on Egyptian labour laws and regulations.
- Advised Latham & Watkins on the employment work stream of the restructuring of DXC Technology.
- Assistes IVL Dhunseri in employment related legal compliance and conducting workplace investigations.
Egypt > Intellectual property Tier 2
Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy advises clients on a host of IP-related issues, especially in regard to the sale and acquisition of intellectual property. Additionally, the team is also experienced in handling due diligences, trademark portfolios and applications, as well as infringement and enforcements. Omar Bassiouny, Tamer El Hennawy and Menna Elsherif are the key contacts, with the latter having vast experience in this field including handling licenses, plant varieties, copyrights, and industrial designs.Practice head(s):
Omar Bassiouny; Tamer El Hennawy; Menna Elsherif
Key clients
Al-Ahram Beverages Company
Merichem
Transport for Cairo
Netflix
Sony pictures Television
Dentsu MEA
Blink Finance
Gianaclis vineyards Company
Zed sports Investments
Ora Developers Egypt for real estate investments
Zed Entertainment
Zed for north coast development
Prostacare for information technology
Work highlights
- Assisting Al-Bahram Beverages Company in handling over five hundred trademark applications, in addition to the court cases relating the registration of trademarks and court cases filed to defend the rights of the client against the infringement of third parties.
- Acting as the intellectual property consultant of Dentsu MEA by advising them on all their ongoing contractual arrangements with clients and service providers to ensure that their rights over their productions are protected, and that they are not infringing any rights of third parties.
- Handling the trademark portfolios of Ora Developers Company and its affiliates, namely Zed Sports investments and Zed entertainment.
Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy > Firm Profile
The firm: Matouk Bassiouny was officially established in 2002 as a partnership between John Matouk and Omar Salah Bassiouny; and became part of DLA Piper’s global network of offices shortly afterwards.
Since establishment, the firm has been providing full legal services to clients in corporate and M&A matters; banking and project finance; capital market matters; as well as dispute resolution, whether in litigation or arbitration.
The firm is now an independent law firm, and has significantly grown as regards the number of lawyers and clientele size, with a leading position in Egypt and regionally; and has built on its name and expanded by opening offices in Dubai, UAE, and Khartoum, Sudan. The firm also has offices in Algeria and Libya.
Areas of practice
Corporate and M&A: The corporate/M&A group can assist with all aspects of corporate transaction, from initial term sheets and due diligence to negotiations, drafting and completion. The team specializes in providing general corporate and M&A advice to a wide range of multinational corporations, private equity firms, fund managers and blue-chip investors in Egypt and the region.
Capital markets: The capital markets group specializes in securities-related transactions involving the Egyptian Exchange and the Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority (including bond issuings), funds management, IPOs, listing and dual securities listing.
Dispute resolution: The dispute resolution group’s primary goal is to effectively manage risk and resolve disputes pursuant to our client’s strategic interests – be it through amicable negotiation, litigation and arbitration.
Finance and projects: The finance and projects group has substantial experience in providing local legal advice on asset-based finance, infrastructure finance, project finance and real estate finance, as well as on the strengths and weaknesses of local security available to lenders in the Egyptian market.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate and M&A | Omar Salah Bassiouny (Founding Partner and Head of Corporate/M&A) | ||
| Corporate and M&A | Tamer El Hennawy (Partner and Co-Head of Corporate and M&A) | ||
| Capital Markets | Mohamed Abd El Fattah (Partner and Head of Capital Markets) | ||
| Dispute Resolution | John Matouk (Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution) | ||
| Finance and Projects | Mahmoud Bassiouny (Managing Partner, Head of Finance and Projects) |
Staff Figures
Partners : 16 Fee Earners : 137 Support Staff : 82Legal Briefings
Employees vs independent contractors under Egyptian law
Employers often find themselves in need of hiring independent contractors to meet certain business needs. Moreover, independent contractors are generally attractive to employers, as they offer flexible working arrangements without the responsibilities that arise from hiring employees. However, as an in-house lawyer, you are always apprehensive of the risk of misclassification of contractors as employees, …
- Banking and finance
- Commercial, corporate and M&A
- Dispute resolution: arbitration
- Dispute resolution: litigation
- Energy
- Projects and infrastructure
- TMT
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Employment
- Intellectual property