Licensing agreements occupy a structurally ambiguous position in merger control, sitting between asset acquisitions and ordinary commercial contracts. This client brief examines how European Commission precedent may inform the treatment of licensing agreements under the COMESA merger control regime, given the limited guidance and decisional practice from the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission.

The ancillary restraints doctrine, originally developed by the European Commission, validates restraints objectively necessary to implement legitimate transactions with neutral or positive competitive effects. This analysis examines how Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, and Tunisia approach ancillary restraints in economic concentrations, revealing significant jurisdictional variations in regulatory frameworks and enforcement practices across the Levant and North Africa region.

Bahrain's Personal Data Protection Authority has licensed five entities to provide External Data Protection Officer services, creating new compliance options for businesses. This development raises practical questions about when DPO appointment is mandatory, how to choose between internal and external models, and what wider obligations remain under the Personal Data Protection Law.

Bahrain offers one of the most tax-friendly environments in the Gulf.

The Kingdom of Bahrain ("Bahrain") has become the second country within the Gulf Cooperation Council, after the United Arab Emirates, to allow crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is the use of small amounts of capital...

Bahrain has enacted a range of measures to foster a secure and transparent business environment, which is vital for building investor confidence and encouraging economic development.

Our Senior Associate, Neha Sachde explains the Inheritance Law in Bahrain for both Muslims & Non-Muslims.

Over the past several years, Bahrain has undertaken significant incremental reforms to open its economy to foreign investment.

Our Associate, Hisham Almansoor provides an overview of the amendment to the Law of Evidence with a focus on provisions relating to expert evidence.

Decree 28 of 2020, issued on 28 September 2020, has set out various amendments to certain provisions of the Bahrain Commercial Companies Law (Law 21 of 2001) (the "BCCL").

Our previous volume in the Raees + Co Knowledge Series (Volume III) examined the key execution provisions against individuals and juristic persons under Chapter Two of Decree Law...

In the intricate landscape of corporate joint ventures, the allocation of control between majority and minority shareholders holds significant implications.

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism (MOICT) has recently issued Ministerial Order No. 83 of 2020 regarding the Standards, Controls and Rules of Disclosing the Ultimate Beneficial Owner.

On 8 September 2025, the Kingdom of Bahrain enacted Decree-Law No. 38 of 2025, introducing significant amendments to the Commercial Companies Law of 2001.

Formation of trusts is an effective way of succession planning, as it helps with distribution of any form of property, moveable or immoveable, tangible, or intangible, without affecting the continuity of the business.

The EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR, Regulation (EU) 2022/2560) is a tool adopted to address distortions in the EU internal market caused by subsidies from non-EU governments.

Shareholders are described as Partners in Limited Liability Companies and Shareholders in Joint Stock Companies. In the interests of clarity, we adopt the term ‘Shareholder' in this article...

Bahrain has approved a comprehensive Secured Transactions Law establishing a unified, modern framework for creating, perfecting, prioritising, and enforcing security rights over movable assets.

On 8 September 2025, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa has issued Decree-Law No. 38 of 2025, introducing a comprehensive package of reforms to Bahrain's Commercial Companies...

Bahrain has significantly expanded its SME definition, increasing the medium enterprise threshold to 250 employees or BHD20 million in annual revenue. More businesses can now qualify for SME status, opening access to government support, preferential financing, procurement advantages and programmes designed to help companies grow and expand.