Commercial, corporate and M&A

Helmy, Hamza & Partners (member firm of Baker & McKenzie International)

Helmy, Hamza & Partners (member firm of Baker & McKenzie International) is widely recognised for its expertise in managing complex corporate M&A transactions. The team diverse caseload also spans compliance, commercial contracts, competition law matters, strategic alliances and post-acquisition integration. Recently, the team assisted The Sovereign Fund of Egypt on an unprecedented privatisation transaction. Ghada El Ehwany leads the corporate and commercial team, bringing extensive experience in structuring, reorganisation, corporate advisory and post-merger integration. The M&A practice is spearheaded by Hani Nassef, a specialist in major private equity acquisitions, government-led disposals and high-end equity investments. The team is further strengthened by managing partner Mohamed Ghannam, who is renowned for his expertise in executing precedent-setting transactions.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘They are people focused which makes the projects run smoother and better, they are highly attentive to details making them exceptional at what they do as well’
‘They are bright, charismatic, and driven individuals, with excellent people skills. Especially Hani Nassef and Omar Zaki.’
‘The team is extremely competent legally, abreast of all regulatory changes and has a solid command of both the letter and the spirit of the law coupled with a high degree of commercial acumen that makes working with them quite smooth.’
‘Aside from the depth of his technical and commercial knowledge, Hani Nassef has the best quality one would expect from a high stakes lawyer; he always picks up the phone no matter what and provides cut through advice.'
'Bassem Abdelrahman is an up-and-coming lawyer; great technical depth, with pleasant demeanor makes him a tough negotiator out to bring the best deal for his clients.’
‘Given the firm's reputation and individuals' experience on similar projects/assignments, counterparts did show relatively better flexibility in accommodating many of their requests.’
‘Hani Nassef is the go-to advisor for complex transactions and one-off advice, always a quick phone call away.'
‘Mohammed Ghannam is the key reference and the rock of that law-firm with the reputation that is really making a difference in Egypt. Whenever he gets involved, things are progressing really fast and things are getting untangled.’

Key clients

Accenture
AfricInvest
Al Faisaliah Group Holding Company.
Al Nouran Financial Investments Hol.
Al Rajhi International for Investments.
Al-Babtain Power & Telecommunication.
AlWatania Information Systems (WiSys).
Al-Watania Poultry.
Amethis Fund.
Aquatherm GmbH.
Arabia For Investment & Development.
ArcelorMittal International FZE.
Archer-Daniels-Midland Company.
Arrow Electronics Inc.
Banque Du Caire.
Banque Misr SAE.
Barminco Egypt Underground Mining.
Bechtel Limited.
BLOM Bank SAL
Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.
Boston Scientific Corporation
British American Tobacco Co., Egypt
Edita Food Industries SAE
Egypt Education Platform
Egypt Kuwait Holding Co., SAE
Emirates NBD
Fluence Corporation LLC
H.B. Fuller Adhesives S.A.E.
Haier Appliances Group
Halliburton Overseas Ltd.
Hikma Pharmaceuticals plc
Hitachi Global
Iberdrola Ingenieria Y Construccion
Indorama Ventures
J.P. Morgan Trust Company (Bahamas).
Johnson Controls, Inc.
Jones Apparel Group Inc.
Lorax Capital Partners
McKinsey & Company Inc.
Raya for Advanced Manufacturing
Reliance International Holding (Reliance Egypt)
Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries & Medical Appliances Corporation (SPIMACO)
ServiceNow
Shell International Ltd.
Sheraton Hotels
Shibaura Machine Co., Ltd.
Shoura Chemicals.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation.
Sinopec International Petroleum.
Sixth of October Development and Investment Company (SODIC)
SK Plasma Co., Ltd.
Smith & Nephew FZE.
Societe Generale.
Sojitz Corporation.
SONY MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA FZE.
SPE Capital
Spectrum Brands, Inc.
Spotify AB.
Starbucks Corporation.
STG Partners, LLC.
Storytel Sweden AB.
Suez Methanol Derivatives Company.
Suez Water Technologies & Solution.
Swvl for Smart Transport Application.
Takeda Pharmaceuticals FZE.
Talaat Moustafa Group Holding.
The British University in Egypt.
The Central Bank of Egypt.
The Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE)
Toyota Tsusho Corporation.
Transmar
Transcargo International

Work highlights

Advised on the granting of development rights to Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company PJSC ("ADQ") for the coastal region of Ras El-Hekma, with an investment of $24bn.
Advised The Sovereign Fund of Egypt on a share acquisition by Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company PJSC (ADQ), utilizing an SPV to secure stakes in three state-owned enterprises: The Egyptian Linear Alkyl Benzene Company (ELAB), the Egyptian Ethylene and Derivatives Company (Ethydco), and the Egyptian Drilling Company (EDC).

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