Newton Legal > Manama, Bahrain > Firm Profile

Newton Legal Offices

Newton Legal
Floor 48, Harbour Towers - East
Bahrain Financial Harbour,
Bahrain
Visit website 973 17006571

Newton Legal > The Legal 500 Rankings

Bahrain > Projects and energy Tier 1

Newton Legal continues to solidify its presence as a leading firm in the Bahrain projects and energy market, regularly assisting major energy companies and public entities with supply concessions and agreements, oil and gas financing, and joint ventures within the field. Joseph Huse jointly leads the practice and has a particular focus on oil and gas, advising clients on project financing, share and business transfers, and EPC contracts in the energy sector. Aamal Al Abbasi is also a key practitioner, as is associate Maryam Kamal, whose experience includes advising major clients on a wide range of contracts.

Practice head(s):

Joseph Huse;

Other key lawyers:

Aamal Al Abbasi; Maryam Kamal

Work highlights

  • Advised an oil and gas public entity on cross-border disputes, including in a multimillion international arbitration.
  • Advised an international energy company on the construction of a rooftop solar power plant at a large commercial complex in Bahrain.
  • Advised nogaholding, the energy investment and development arm of the Kingdom of Bahrain, on its $200m syndicated revolving credit facility.

Bahrain > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 2

Newton Legal’s corporate and commercial team increasingly advises clients on new pieces of legislation in Bahrain, from the Corporate Governance Code and Personal Data Protection Law to the Law Protecting and Promoting Competition and the Reorganisation and Bankruptcy Law. Jointly heading the offering is the experienced pair of Aamal Al Abbasi and Ahmed Alfardan, both overseeing a practice which has established a solid reputation for M&A, joint ventures, business transfers, share transfers and sales agreements.

Practice head(s):

Aamal Al Abbasi; Ahmed Alfardan

Testimonials

‘Newton Legal team is an outstanding multicultural team with genuine passion to provide exceptional and remarkable legal services, coupled with thorough knowledge and astute attention to details.’

‘Aamal Al Abbasi, Ahmed Al Fardan, and Samar Almahmood extend far beyond their legal expertise, being extraordinarily creative and dedicated lawyers who have consistently been supportive.’

‘Over the years, they have demonstrated an unparalleled degree of proficiency and competence in handling exceptional and complex legal matters in a timely and an organized manner which has amazingly supported the conclusion of unique projects.’

Key clients

Government of Bahrain

Bapco

Investcorp

Mumtalakat

Ahli United Bank

GARMCO

Enoc

Malca-Amit

Ooredoo

Export Bahrain

Mazad

Seapeak

Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (Danat)

Embee Middle East

Savills

Mubasher Capital

Ahmed Mansoor AlAali Real Estate Co.

CEVA Logistics

Inovest

MS Pharma

AF Willis

Eurofins

Euro University of Bahrain

Southern Tourism Company

Work highlights

  • Advised Ahli United Bank on its acquisition, delisting and conversion to a closed company.
  • Advised on the buy-out of minority shareholders in a multinational pharmaceutical company based in Bahrain with several branches across the MENA region.
  • Engaged by the Government of Bahrain to advise on the Covid-19 vaccine supply agreements.

Bahrain > Dispute resolution Tier 2

Considered the go-to firm in Bahrain for bankruptcy and reorganisation claims, Newton Legal has increasingly been instructed by leading banks and real estate companies for representation in disputes related to large commercial properties. Founding partner and co-head Joseph Huse is considered an expert in construction-related disputes, while Aamal Al Abbasi, who jointly leads the group, regularly works with a number of major public and private institutions in Bahrain.

Practice head(s):

Aamal Al Abbasi; Joseph Huse

Work highlights

Lawyer Profiles

Photo Name Position Profile
Aamal Al Abbasi photo Ms Aamal Al Abbasi Managing Partner View Profile
Joseph Huse photo Mr Joseph Huse Founding Partner View Profile

Diversity


Newton Legal is led by its managing partner Aamal Al Abbasi; more than two-thirds of the Newton Legal team are woman. Most law graduates in Bahrain are women and this is reflected in the composition of our team, including in key roles in the firm.

Newton Legal has also taken a number of initiatives to train young Bahraini law graduates, including through the Bahraini Lawyers Development Program supported by Tamkeen. Several Newton Legal alumni, who have participated in the program, hold key roles in a number of in-house teams in Bahrain, including in Bapco, BISB, Gulf Financial House, Investcorp, the National Bank of Bahrain, SICO, Tamkeen and Zain Bahrain.

The firm also supports the PLPC program put in place by the Judicial and Legal Studies Institute that aims to provide training to young Bahraini law graduates.

Client Testimonials


CLIENT: VP – Oil and Gas Company
COMPANY/FIRM: Oil and Gas Company
TESTIMONIAL: “The team is always helpful and available to us and responds to our queries in a timely manner as well as assisting with our local legal requirements and supporting on many initiatives. Newton Legal Group is approachable and dedicated and takes all the necessary steps and goes the extra mile to help us achieve our objectives.”

CLIENT: Acting Head – leading national bank
COMPANY/FIRM: National bank
TESTIMONIAL: “The team at Newton Legal has deep experience and significant expertise in real estate, commercial and dispute resolution matters, as they have shown great commitment and professionalism whilst providing exceptional legal support and client service which, in return, sets them apart from others. We are honoured to have worked with Newton Legal and would highly recommend them.”

CLIENT: Mohamed Rafea
COMPANY/FIRM: Gulf Aluminium Rolling Mill (GARMCO)
TESTIMONIAL: “When the Company filed for voluntary petition for relief under the Reorganization and Bankruptcy Law, we decided to appoint Newton Legal Group to support us through the process. We were fortunate to work with Ms. Aamal Al Abbasi, Managing Partner who is not only highly experienced in the field, but also has extensive knowledge of the applicable legal issues. Her proactiveness helped the Company in finding right solutions at the right time thereby resolving several complex matters swiftly. Newton Legal Group has a team of adept professionals who are approachable, responsive to client needs and are fun to work with, and I would not hesitate to recommend Newton Legal, and wish them a great success.”

CLIENT: Head of Legal, leading bank in Bahrain
COMPANY/FIRM: National bank
TESTIMONIAL: “Excellent technical skills, coupled with a client-friendly approach. A pleasure to work with”.

Interviews

Joe Huse,Founding Partner

What has been your greatest achievement, in a professional capacity?

I was first an associate at Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison and then a partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer for approximately 20 years. I retired as the MENA Regional Managing Partner in 2012. Immediately thereafter, I founded the law firm of Newton Legal in Bahrain. Since that time, I have had the opportunity to mentor approximately 40 young Bahraini lawyers. Notwithstanding my time at Paul Weiss and Freshfields, the positive impact of this mentoring clearly constitutes my greatest achievement.

What do you do differently from your peers in the industry?

My goal is to provide each of my clients with business-friendly solutions to their legal issues. In Bahrain, I work closely with the government, and in particular, the Minister of Oil. I would like to believe that I am recognized as the trusted legal advisor in this market.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

When I was developing my career as a young lawyer, such development efforts were all consuming. For example, during the work week, I would often spend little time with my children. In retrospect, I clearly should have had a better work/life balance.

Can you give me a practical example of how you helped a client add value to the business?

In November of 2017 I was called to the offices of the Minister of Oil in Bahrain. During the ensuing meeting, I was asked to take overall responsibility for the raising of the financing for a new refinery in an amount in excess of USD 4 billion. I could have said no, I am not a finance lawyer and I have never undertaken a significant financing role. Of course, I did not and in May of 2019 the financing was successfully closed. This financing is essential to the development of BAPCO, the Bahraini NOC.

Within your sector, what do you think will be the biggest challenge for clients over the next 12 months?

I work primarily in the oil and gas sector. In this sector clients are confronted with low energy prices, insufficient investment, and the challenges presented by global warming.