BLK Partners

BLK Partners offers its clients a comprehensive legal service in the Middle East through a team of specialist experts who combine international experience with a deep understanding of local legal regimes, customs, and markets. BLK Partners serves as a unique legal platform composed of client-centric professionals, united by our "Glocal" concept, and dedicated to creating the best legal platform.

Our team of multilingual lawyers understands cultural sensitivities and the complexities of doing business in the Middle East region, and delivers tailored and sophisticated legal services, enabling clients to navigate the regulatory, legal, economic, and business landscapes.

BLK Partners is at the forefront of trends in more than forty business sectors and encompasses six main legal practice groups: Corporate, Commercial & M&A, Dispute Resolution, Projects, Construction, Insurance/Reinsurance, and Health & Life Sciences. Our diverse client base includes state-owned entities, large multinational corporations, public entities, governmental bodies, financial intermediaries, institutional investors, high-net-worth individuals, family offices, high-growth ventures, Fortune 500 companies, and SMEs.

Chairman: Dr. Mohamed Ben Laden

Chief Executive Officer: Ziad El-Khoury

Number of partners: 20

Number of lawyers: 50

Languages: Arabic, English, French, Russian, German

Main Areas of Practice:

1- Commercial, Corporate & M&A:

Head of Practice: Jeffrey J. Greene

Email: [email protected]

https://blkpartners.com/partners.php?id=48&name=Jeff%20Greene

BLK Partners' experienced team of corporate lawyers understands the intricacies of doing business under local regimes and can easily identify potential risks, recommend ways to address them and close transactions accordingly. BLK's experience includes advising local and foreign investors on M&A, joint ventures and corporate structuring and set-up from negotiations to completion. We also provide advice on all forms of commercial contracts and arrangements to support our clients' day-to-day and strategic business activities.

Key Clients: Agility Group, Sinopec, Systra, HUMA, EI Technologies, WPP, First Solar International Middle East FZ LLC, MAN Enterprise

2- Projects:

Head of Practice: Hadi Melki

https://blkpartners.com/partners.php?id=7&name=Hadi%20Melki

Email: [email protected]

BLK Partners stands out as a rare firm deeply immersed in projects and PPPs, particularly excelling in advising government entities and project sponsors on limited or non-recourse financing ventures. Our comprehensive support spans the project's entire lifecycle, from initial bid through operation and handover. Our expertise spans diverse sectors including city development, healthcare, transportation, and telecoms. Our competitive edge lies in offering a full spectrum of regulatory services, leveraging extensive local regulatory knowledge and robust relationships with regulatory bodies. Our approach combines a profound understanding of legal landscapes with a practical, commercially focused outlook. We are adept at bolstering compliance within existing frameworks and swiftly adapting to new regulations, contributing significantly to shaping laws, regulations, and policies across the Middle East. Our involvement includes gap analysis, benchmarking, advising on local legislation, and engaging stakeholders to grasp practical implications, emphasizing the pivotal role of regulatory compliance in successful business strategies.

Key Clients: Tatweer Educational Technologies (TETCO), The Saudi Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MOMRA), Aggreko Middle East Limited, Ministry of Investment KSA (MISA), Ministry of Environment Water and Agriculture KSA (MEWA), STC, Central Bank of UAE (CBUAE), Municipality of Beirut, Beirut Port Authority, etc.

3- Dispute Resolution:

Head of Practice: Wissam Hachem

https://blkpartners.com/partners.php?id=10&name=Wissam%20Hachem

Email: [email protected]

BLK Partners offers an all-encompassing approach to litigation (local and cross-border) and arbitration (domestic and international) in the Middle East.

Our qualified lawyers have rights of audience before the the local courts in all jurisdictions in which they operate.

BLK Partners has the technical expertise and capability to advise clients and conduct all types of litigation in the region including commercial, construction, real estate, insurance, employment, aviation, IP, and criminal cases. Being a regional law firm while having the international expertise is one of the great pillars of our success. Clients rely on our global perspective and on our in-depth knowledge and understanding of local and regional laws.

BLK Partners has been traditionally involved in dispute resolution covering several sectors and is well-recognized for representing clients in cross-border disputes.

Key Clients: Saudi Arabian Airlines, Al Balagha Holding Group, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC, and many other leading clients encompassing various industry sectors including aviation, real estate, construction, maritime, F&B, healthcare, banking, etc.

4- Construction:

Head of Practice: Scott Hutton

https://blkpartners.com/partners.php?id=34&name=Scott%20Hutton

Email: [email protected]

BLK’s team of experienced lawyers can provide the support you need at all levels of the contracting chain and can assist you with all of your construction needs on both the front-end and back-end. We regularly represent developers, funders, owners, operators, contractors, subcontractors, facility managers, consultants, and suppliers.

Our experience covers all major sectors including transport infrastructure (airports, ports, roads, rail, and water), power, petrochemicals, and commercial property.

We offer a single point of contact for project development, contract administration and dispute resolution advice. Our lawyers are equipped to deal with both project development and dispute resolution, giving them a unique understanding of the full life cycle of a construction project. Our disputes team are specialist in both arbitration (local and international) and local court litigation. Our team also works regularly with litigation funders and we understand the dynamics of the funding model.

Key Clients: Damac, Cayan Group, ZP Drilling, Sinopec, The First Group

5- Insurance/Reinsurance:

Head of Practice: Simon Isgar

http://www.blkpartners.com/partners.php?id=89&name=Simon%20Isgar

Email: [email protected]

BLK Partners' insurance/reinsurance legal practice boasts top-tier regional expertise and knowledge, delivered by renowned regional and international lawyers recognized in Chambers & Partners and Legal 500.

BLK's team provides international-standard legal services to a global clientele, including major risk carriers, (re)insurance intermediaries, other market participants, and leading international insurance law firms. They offer pragmatic, holistic solutions to help clients mitigate risk and avoid unnecessary costs through commercial strategies, particularly given the risks of local litigation in the Middle East. Their expertise spans coverage, claims, disputes, advisory, regulatory, corporate, commercial, and cross-border matters.

BLK is fully committed to the regional (re)insurance market, collaborating with regulatory bodies, government ministries, and insurance associations, such as the Emirates Insurance Association and the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Insurance Association.

Key Clients: Arabian Shield Insurance, Walaa Cooperative Insurance Co., Deraya, Al Rajhi Takaful, GlobeMed, Medgulf, Tokio Marine Insurance Group, Munich Re, Swiss Re, Qatar Insurance Group (QIC)

6- Health & Life Sciences:

Head of Practice: James Clarke

https://www.blkpartners.com/partners.php?id=98&name=James%20Clarke

Email: [email protected]

We collaborate closely with our clients’ in-house teams, aligning with their patient-centric culture and values to ensure seamless integration and effective integration.

Our expertise encompasses advising start-ups on market entry within the region, engaging with regulators and governmental bodies to refine and enhance regulations, and supporting large hospital networks and pharmaceutical companies throughout the entire process from drug development to commercialization and reimbursement within systems.

Key Clients: Rentokil, CMC, Pierre Fabre, Globalpharma, Hill Dickinson, CareTech, Clinart MENA, Medik, Mazen Pharmacy, Ecolab