Ibrahim & Partners > Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates > Firm Profile

Ibrahim & Partners
24th Floor, Al Sila Tower, ADGM Square
Abu Dhabi
United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates > Capital markets Tier 2

Ibrahim & Partners' team has close connections with the government of Dubai, acting on the landmark IPOs of DEWA, Empower and Tecom. The team also provide transactional counsel on deals structured through the issuance of convertible bonds. Ahmed Ibrahim has vast experience advising on equity capital markets and has an impressive portfolio of work across the Middle East and GCC. Malack El Masry assists with IPO and rights issues, alongside general corporate and commercial matters. Senior associate Nour Al Jafari leverages nine years of in-house experience at a publicly listed insurance company to advice on a range of queries.

Practice head(s):

Ahmed Ibrahim; Malack El Masry

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The team is quite knowledgeable when it came to navigating local markets regulatory system. They have always come up with practical solutions. This was felt across the board from associates to partners. In addition, they have managed timelines quite effectively.’

‘The dedication and experience we saw from Ahmed Ibrahim was extraordinary. He always provided creative, yet workable solutions to balance between our needs as a client and the regulators. He more often than not goes the extra mile when giving advice, building client trust.’

Key clients

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)

Empower Colling District

Americana Restaurants International PLC

Al Ansari Group

Ethmar

Peninsula

Dubai Holding

Investcorp

Polymetal International plc

Taaleem Holding

Ajman Bank

Burjeel Holding

Prophase Lap

Meraas

Emirates NBD

Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries (Julphar) PJSC

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)

Tristar Transport LLC

TECOM Investments

Work highlights

  • Advised Emaar Properties on an innovative structure that allowed Emaar to acquire a strategic subsidiary owned by Dubi Holding in consideration for issuance of new shares worth AED7.5 billion.
  • Advised ADNOC in respect of the sale of 19% equity stake in ADNOC L&S by way of an IPO and listing on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (“ADX”).
  • Advised Americana Restaurants International PLC on its IPO.

United Arab Emirates > Dispute resolution: local litigation Tier 3

Ibrahim & Partners represents regional and international companies active in sectors including banking and finance, real estate, construction and insurance before the UAE local courts. The team also has notable strength representing clients in financial and organised crime disputes, as well as anti-money laundering issues. Team lead Mohamed Abdelrehiem is active across a wide-array of litigation and arbitration proceedings. Associate Hazem Elbagoury supports on a range of disputes and senior associate Hany Zaid has cross-border disputes expertise.

Practice head(s):

Mohamed Abdelrehiem

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Dispute resolution team are very professional. ’

‘They can solve and determine the best alternative to win the lawsuits.’

Key clients

Ismail Ali Mohamed Ahmed

Omnix International Co. LLC

Sherif Razek

Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries (Julphar)

Oren Hydrocarbons Middle East FZCO

Noon E Commerce Owned by Noon AD Holdings One Person Company LLC

AOL FZE

Corplease Emirates LTD

Work highlights

  • Representing over 15 ex-employees of IBM Middle East FZ-LLC in labour cases against IBM.
  • Advised Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries (Julphar) in a dispute with two shipping companies relating to the damage to ship medications being delivered from the UAE to Lebanon.
  • Acting for CorpLease Emirates Ltd. in multiple cheque execution cases against four of its clients.

United Arab Emirates > Commercial, corporate and M&A Tier 4

Ibrahim & Partners has recently handled several significant mergers in the insurance sector as well as M&A deals in the maritime industry. The group also has a strong track record in restructurings, with recent work in the healthcare and utilities space, as well as general commercial and regulatory issues. Practice head Malack El Masry is routinely instructed by clients in a range of sectors for a variety of corporate deals. Other practitioners to note are Ahmed Ibrahim, who is equally well versed in corporate, commercial, capital markets and employment work, and counsel Mohamed Madi, who has supported on a range of matters.

Practice head(s):

Malack El Masry

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The team is very well aware of the market practice and knows very well when to highlight the risks and protect the client’s interests. The firm has a diversified team that speaks multiple languages and have experiences in wide range of areas.’

‘The team has outstanding negotiation and communications skill. All documents drafted by the firm are accurate and precise. The team is reliable and flexible.’

Key clients

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)

Al Ramz Corporation PJSC

Corys Environmental Investments LLC

Emirates Refreshments PJSC

Dubai Holding Group LLC

Emirates NBD

Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries (Julphar) PJSC

Meraas

Tristar Transport LLC

Wilo Middle East FZE

Creek Capital

BHM Capital PrJSC (previously BH Mubasher PrJSC)

Burjeel Holding PLC

Dar Al Takaful

International Holdings Company PJSC

Abu Dhabi University/ Amanat PJSC

Work highlights

  • Acted for Dar Al Takaful PJSC on a merger.
  • Advised Emaar Properties on a structure to acquire a strategic subsidiary owned by Dubai Holding.

United Arab Emirates > Banking and finance: Corporate finance (including Islamic lending) Tier 5

Ibrahim & Partners has strengthened its practice over the past twelve months with an array of hires across a range of experience levels, including three partners. The group regularly receive instructions from both lenders and borrowers and have a considerable cross-border focus, especially regarding other Middle Eastern states. Added to this, strong regulatory knowledge underpins the practice, allowing the team to advise on multiple aspects of complex transactions. Managing partner and team head Ahmed Ibrahim is the leading figure on the majority of practice mandates, exhibiting broad competency across the full range of financing issues. May El Ghamry excels in project finance and syndicated loan transactions.

Practice head(s):

Ahmed Ibrahim; May El Ghamry

Key clients

Latham & Watkins

Amanat Holdings PJSC

Banque Misr

Commercial International Bank

Linklaters

Meraas

Shearman & Sterling LLP

Work highlights

  • Acting for Arab African International Bank on a raft of legal advice, including syndicated loans and project financings.

IBRAHIM & PARTNERS is an independent MENA-region law firm, led by our managing partner, Ahmed Ibrahim, and is comprised of a team of lawyers that are experts in advising on all aspects of UAE law. We advise both local and international companies on a full range of issues from contentious and non-contentious corporate and commercial matters, including major project work, establishing, and conducting business across the Emirates, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, equity capital market, legal due diligence/audit, employment matters, property, structuring, distributions and franchise arrangements.

Our Dubai and Abu Dhabi offices are also well placed to provide local legal support across the GCC. We are also happy to announce that we have expanded our regional footprint to cover KSA and Lebanon. Our firm is organized into four regional practice groups including corporate and M&A, capital markets, finance and projects and dispute resolution.

We strongly believe in combining legal knowledge with sector awareness. Our philosophy is based on consistently ensuring that all lawyers are dedicated to their own practice area and specialty. We believe that this brings an added value to our clients through our lawyer’s understanding of key issues particular to their sector, which is reflected through practical solutions addressing our clients’ expectations.

Why IBRAHIM & PARTNERS?
Almost all of our UAE office is fully bilingual including legal, paralegal and support staff (English/Arabic) with several trilingual members (French), and they possess over 10 to 20 years of experience amongst them. We have enhanced our English and US law capabilities by having senior members of our corporate commercial team who are qualified to advise on English and US laws, giving our clients both civil and common law competences.

Capital markets: Our capital markets team is the most active capital markets team in the UAE, having led almost all the IPOs and rights issue which have taken place in the UAE, including two UAE issuers listed on London Stock Exchange. Dubbed as “the UAE ECM guru” by Chambers & Partners and “the first choice when it comes to UAE IPOs”. Ahmed Ibrahim is ranked as tier 1 capital markets lawyer by The Legal 500 in 2018 and has a second-to-none and hands-on capital markets experience.  He also continues to maintain his ranking by Chambers Global as a leading individual up to this day in the UAE and the Middle East.

Corporate and M&A: Our corporate and M&A practice group’s primary goal is to provide services to a wide range of local, regional, and international companies. Our UAE team has in a short span of time been part of large-scale M&A’s across the various Emirates, the region and globally. Our M&A team is one of the most active in public acquisitions in the UAE with members of our team having led many acquisitions and disposals of private and public joint stock companies, which is rare in the UAE being that most companies are formed as limited liability companies. These transactions are very specific in nature and require a different set of qualifications and experience giving our team unrivalled expertise of these transactions. We are also active in advising a variety of clients in private merger and acquisition transactions involving UAE companies with operations in the UAE and abroad, in various sectors and different regions.  Further, we are the preferred local counsel of many international/magic circle law firms and banks in their cross border and local M&A transactions.

Finance and projects: Our finance and projects team has considerable experience in the region and provides invaluable assistance to our clients in the UAE.

Litigation and disputes: Our litigation/disputes practice extends to many industries, including banking, finance, insurance, real estate, construction, technology, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, retail, government contracts and healthcare. Not only do we understand the UAE local courts proceedings in and how they function, but we have the substantive knowledge in these and many other industries that allows us to understand how basic commercial disputes function before the courts to the peculiarities of a particular industry or contracting relationship. Our partners and litigators, across our offices’ jurisdictions, are highly experienced in handling large and complex investigations and claims, both domestically and internationally, and are regularly instructed by some of the largest financial institutions in relation to their most substantial and sensitive disputes. We are equally comfortable litigating before all UAE courts in the seven Emirates, DIFC courts and ADGM courts as well. Additionally, our team brings in a wealth of specialised experience in transnational organised crime, financial crime, Anti Money Laundering and international judicial cooperation via their track record and previous position such as senior prosecutors. Our team regularly advises on and provides training in relation to compliance, corporate governance, GDPR, FCPA, AML and UK Anti Bribery and works closely with governmental agencies and law enforcement authorities in relation to those areas which brings tremendous value to our clients.

Our clients rely on our global experience, personable approach and on our in-depth knowledge and understanding of local and regional laws in the UAE, and all the jurisdictions in which we operate. With lawyers from the biggest regional firms ensures our clients trust that they will get a first class experience without the price tag in handling their complex cross-border disputes.

Tax: It is also worth mentioning our tax practice as led by Abdelhamid Attallah, who is one of the most experienced and well-regarded tax experts in the region with more than 35 years of experience. Mr Attallah has worked as a senior tax partner at KPMG and a regional tax chief of other multinational conglomerates.

IBRAHIM & PARTNERS was awarded rising star law firm of the year in the IFLR Middle East Awards 2019 and was nominated in the category of UAE national law firm of the year alongside two of the oldest and largest law firms in the UAE in a span of less than two years.

IBRAHIM & PARTNERS has been ranked recently by The Legal 500 for Capital Markets in the UAE and “is now at the top of the market for ECM”.

IBRAHIM & PARTNERS is also ranked in the UAE for Corporate, commercial and M&As, the firm is a “highly regarded firm [that] regularly advises on the UAE aspects of significant cross-border deals, often working alongside leading international firms. In particular, the firm is well versed in acquisitions and disposals of private and public joint stock companies”.  Managing partner Ahmed Ibrahim and partner Malack El Masry are recognized practitioners in the UAE. Ahmed Ibrahim is also a long-standing ranked lawyer in Chambers and Partners in the UAE and Middle East.

Department Name Email Telephone
Capital Markets Ahmed Ibrahim ahmed.ibrahim@inp.legal +971 50 557 3162
Corporate and M&A Malack El Masry malack.elmasry@inp.legal +971 50 397 7689
Photo Name Position Profile
Malack Elmasry photo Mrs Malack Elmasry Partner Head of Corporate, Commercial and M&As
Ahmed Ibrahim photo Ahmed Ibrahim Managing Partner
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