Meysan

Firm Overview:

Managing Partner: Bader El-Jeaan

Number of partners: 15

Languages: Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish

Contacts

Firm Summary

Launched in 2015, Meysan is an innovative and ambitious international law firm, comprising leading legal experts from the Middle East and the UK, serving those territories and beyond.

With a team of over 60 lawyers covering all key areas of corporate and finance law, the firm has advised on more mergers and acquisitions (M&A) transactions by value than any other law firm in Kuwait, completing over 30 deals exceeding US$30 billion in total value over the past seven years. Meysan is a top adviser on corporate financings and capital markets transactions in Kuwait, working across the full spectrum of equity, debt, and hybrid instruments, including numerous market-first innovations. Its boutique approach, limiting the number and type of matters handled, ensures a focus on high-value work, while a lower partner-to-associate ratio guarantees hands-on partner attention. The firm's clients include some of the largest Kuwaiti and Middle Eastern blue-chip companies and family groups.

Main Contacts:

Kuwait

• Bader El-Jeaan (Corporate) | M: +965 91118111 - E: [email protected]
• Waleed Al Tattan (Dispute Resolution) | M: +965 92226660 - E: [email protected]
• Abdulaziz Albisher (Dispute Resolution) | M: +965 99616254 - E: [email protected]
• Ahmed Awni (Dispute Resolution) | M: +965 69999503 - E: [email protected]
• Tarek Yehya (Corporate) | M: +965 67767704 - E: [email protected]
• Michel Ghanem (Corporate) | M: +966 593933332 - E: [email protected]
• Dr. Abdulwahab Sadeq (Corporate) | M: +965 67772211 - E: [email protected]
• Dr. Tarek Diab (Litigation) | M: +965 99180563 - E: [email protected]
• Mohammad Abdulwahed (Litigation) | M: +96594088021 - E: [email protected]

Egypt

• Tarek Badawy (Dispute Resolution, Competition, TMT) | M: +20 1501022211 - E: [email protected]
• Murad Haggag | M: +20 1501022230 - E: [email protected]
• Muhammad Nassef (Corporate) | M: +20 1501022215 - E: [email protected]

UAE

• Bader El-Jeaan (Corporate) | M: +965 91118111 - E: [email protected]
• Hassan Rizvi (Corporate) | M: +971 4 5016015 - E: [email protected]
• Abdullah Alnajjar (Dispute Resolution) | M: +965 99616254 - E: [email protected]

Lebanon

• Salwa Abdallah | M: +961 70777868 - E: [email protected]

London - UK

• John Reynolds | M: +44 20 3840 9965 - E: [email protected]

Main Areas of Practice

Corporate

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A):

In the last seven years the firm's lawyers have advised on more than 40 multimillion-dollar M&A deals, exceeding $40 billion in total value. This accumulated deal value makes Meysan the undisputed leader and the number one law firm in Kuwait in M&A practice, and one of the leaders in the region. As a testament to its strength in M&A, in the first half of 2021, Meysan was ranked 16 on the Mergermarket Middle East and Africa League Table (By Value) with combined transaction value of $4.1 billion for deals executed, surpassing or on par with significantly larger competitors in the region such as Linklaters and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom. Meysan was the only regional firm ranked on the league table.

Some of our representative matters include:

• Acted as legal counsel to a Kuwait-based consortium in the acquisition of Milton Keynes Dons Football Club (MK Dons) and its associated entities. Meysan provided end-to-end legal advisory and services throughout the transaction, ensuring the process was seamless and adhered to all regulatory frameworks.
• Handled the largest private M&A deal in the region: DSV’s $4.1 billion acquisition of Agility’s logistics business.
• Advised the National Mobile Telecommunications Company Ooredoo on its partnership with Zain telecom to form MENA’s largest tower company, valued at US$2.2 billion. We assisted in reviewing and negotiating the transaction documents, including the share purchase agreements, the assets transfer agreement, the transitional services agreement, the master lease agreement and the local sub-lease agreements.

Capital Markets:

Our firm is recognized as one of the top advisers on corporate financings and capital markets transactions. Its experience encompasses the complete spectrum of equity, debt, and hybrid instruments. No firm in Kuwait matches us for the depth of our capital markets experience.

Some of our representative matters include:

• Acted as legal advisor to Agility on its direct listing of shares in subsidiary, Agility Global PLC, on the main market of the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), a groundbreaking $4.5 billion transaction.
• Advised Ahli Bank of Kuwait on its $600m issuance of AT1 sukuk.
• Advised the underwriters on the $250 million Tier 2 capital issuance by Warba Bank.

Banking & Finance

Our lawyers represent lenders and borrowers in some of the largest and most complicated financing transactions in the region.Our clients include many of the region’s largest commercial banks, investment banks, insurance companies, and other institutional lenders and investors, as well as private equity sponsors, strategic buyers, borrowers and issuers of securities.

Some of our representative matters include:

• Acted as legal counsel to Warba Bank K.S.C.P. in updating the USD 2 billion Trust Certificate Programme of Warba Sukuk Limited.
• Represented Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait KSCP in a $326 million rights issue.
• Represented Warba Bank in connection with a sukuk, which was issued via private placement with a three-year tenor.

Competition & Regulatory

With a profound understanding of competition laws, our lawyers adeptly navigate the regulatory landscape, ensuring compliance while facilitating these transformative deals.

Some of our representative matters include successfully representing the Confederation of African Football (CAF) before the COMESA Competition Commission and Appeals Board, securing key victories, including the closure of investigations into high-value contracts, the elimination of significant financial penalties, and establishing landmark precedents in African competition law.

Some of our representative matters include:

• Managed the merger filing before the Competition Protection Agency (CPA) for the joint acquisition of AlRajhi Steel and Hadeed by the Public Investment Fund and AlRajhiInvest in Kuwait.
• Advised on the merger filing before the CPA and Ministry of Commerce and Industry in connection with the sale of 100% of the shares in Gulf Ready Mix Concrete Company W.L.L.
• Advised Ooredoo Kuwait on obtaining approvals from CITRA, CMA, KDIPA, and the Competition Protection Agency in connection with the USD 2.2 billion tower company joint venture with Zain.
• Advised Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA) on the preparation of a feasibility study for the establishment of three special economic zones in Kuwait.

Dispute Resolution

Our dispute resolution team combines extensive experience with a client-focused approach to deliver successful outcomes in litigation and arbitration. In the Middle East, our unique blend of linguistic capability and deep understanding of local laws, along with rights of audience before regional courts, makes us a leading firm for high-stakes disputes. Internationally, our London team specialises in complex commercial disputes, while our arbitration practice, recognised in both the Middle East and London, has a strong track record in Investor-State and international arbitrations across multiple jurisdictions.

Some of our representative matters include:

• Represented Iraq Telecom limited in a number of matters worth more up to AED 6 billion.
• Advising Agility in a landmark victory in its expropriation claim against the State of Iraq, leading to the annulment of a prior ICSID tribunal award.
• Secured a landmark judgment for Alcazar Capital against the Kurdistan Regional Government, overcoming jurisdictional complexities to win the full claim amount, legal interest, and fees.

Our Offices

Egypt: North Tower, Floor 17, 2005C Corniche El Nil, Cairo, 11221

Kuwait: Al Hamra Tower, 59th Floor, Al Shuhada Street, Sharq, P.O. Box 298, Safat, 13003

Lebanon: 109 Marfaa Building, 2nd Floor, Allenby Street, P.O. Box 116-2496, Downtown, Beirut

Saudi Arabia: Akaria 3, Al Olaya Street, 5th Floor, Office 514, P.O. Box 12213, Riyadh

United Arab Emirates (Dubai): Al Fattan Currency House, Office 2501, 25th Floor, DIFC

United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi): Unit 8, 3rd Floor, Al Maryah Tower, Abu Dhabi Global Market Suqare, Al Maryah Island

United Kingdom: The International Dispute Resolution Centre, 100 St. Paul's Churchyard, London, EC4M 8BU