Interview with: Hazim A. Rizkana, Managing Partner

What do you see as the main points that differentiate Rizkana & Partners from your competitors?

This is a difficult question as Egypt has very capable law firms and colleagues at different fields. However, I guess, what I do differently is that I try to apply a practical view to the law based on my various practical experiences. In addition, I try to understand my client’s business and to be available to my team to pass my experiences and empower them in helping them achieve their goals. I have always considered my clients as friends and my team and my office as my extended family.

Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?

Mergers & Acquisitions is on track for a promising growth because of future investments and the need for companies to consolidate to meet customer demands. In addition to the cooperation with private sectors as to encourage investments and strategic industries.

On the other hand, we also believe the area of Construction is growing because of the evident real estate boom. Urbanization also is playing a big role as well as the mega infrastructure growth that comes along with it.

Finally, we also predict the growth of the Financial Technology practice area as the legislator is currently amending and adopting many legislations to adapt and accommodate the market needs.

What’s the main change you’ve made in the firm that will benefit clients?

Our firm has been working on major internal restructuring that comes with promotions and new hires. We are encouraging the R&P team to further their studies and take on specialized courses. As an example, in FIDIC contracts and claims courses, it is being taken by Managing Associate Ahmed Sallam and Associate Youssef Rizkana. We believe that courses like these are a necessity to our market which makes us able to provide better services to our clients.

Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?

Due to the unfortunate pandemic and the safety measures it has required us to implement, we have seen a rise in virtual communication. We were able to conduct meetings, conferences and interviews all online through platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams Meeting. We have also taken advantage of sharing screens online to better facilitate document reviews and to simplify collaborations. We can provide them with the necessary documents almost instantly and be able to discuss them at both our and their convenience while following the safety measures and protocols to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?

In my model of practice, I work as the trusted advisor. I cannot give one example as I am usually close to the business and my clients. When a client requires my help or advice, we discuss issues beyond the legalities of the issue to reach the appropriate reasonable solution to the problem with a combination of practical experience and legal knowledge. This method of thinking and practice aided me in successfully restructuring a number of businesses and resolving a number of conflicts without the parties to the conflict having to enter into a dispute, this has been evident especially with my experience as a CEDR mediator.

Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms – where do you see the firm in three years’ time?

Our clients appreciate when we provide them with direction and trust us to come up with strategies to alleviate their issues. Stability is guaranteed with clear communication and understanding, and this is what we provide to our clients. Additionally, clients approach us when they are met with issues that require results. These results come from being able to conduct ourselves through diligent work. Therefore, our clients trust us, because of the results our firm is able to bring to the table.

In three years, I believe that our firm will be handling various issues from current and new clients. We tend to have long-lasting relationships with our clients, both locally and internationally. Our clientele will be able to expand in multiple jurisdictions, as it has been proven year after year in our databases. In order to meet the client demands in expansion abroad, we are continuously widening our international network whether with law firms or organizations, so we can ensure the best services to our clients. We also believe that the firm will grow in size and experiences, due to the firm’s reputation, and therefore be able to provide a more robust services in new areas and be able to take more complicated and larger assignments, which will benefit our clients at the end.