Corporate Law Firm in Lebanon | Abou Jaoude & Associates

Corporate Law

Our Corporate practice is one of the cornerstones of the Firm’s reputation.

Within the umbrella of our corporate law services, our practice is broad and often intersects with closely related practices, particularly M&A, private equity, and tax.

The Firm is the exclusive author of the Lebanon chapter of the ‘Inward Investment & International Taxation Review’ published by The Law Reviews and edited by Latham & Watkins USA. The Firm is also a long-standing contributor to the World Bank Lebanon Doing Business Reports on ‘Starting a Business’.

Company Formation, Secretarial & Advisory

Our corporate lawyers in Lebanon counsel for corporations and groups of companies and represent them in all aspects of their life cycle, from the original formation of the legal entity through its evolution and day-to-day operations, including:

  • Incorporating all types of companies in Lebanon and abroad and drafting the incorporation documents and minutes of meetings of their decisional bodies (board of directors and general assembly).
  • Handling the notarization, legalization and registration before the commercial registrar.
  • Preparing calls and minutes of meetings, and attending the same.
  • Handling company matters before the relevant fiscal and social security authorities.
  • Company secretarial.
  • Company administration and safekeeping.
  • Structuring the initial capitalization and other corporate finance transactions of companies, such as recapitalizations and the issuance of private debt and equity instruments.
Corporate Governance

The Firm pioneered in specializing in the legal and regulatory aspects of the dynamic area of Corporate Governance with the aim of helping senior management and boards of directors achieve their business objectives within the framework of best practices for directors and officers.

Our corporate lawyers in Lebanon counsel corporations, banks and other legal entities on all aspects of corporate governance matters, including board and committee membership and operation issues, executive and director compensation and liability, conflicts of interest and audit committee responsibilities and requirements, internal controls, compliance matters and disclosures.

Taking into consideration the tax implications and other shareholder-related matters, the Firm helps both executives and companies structure incentive and compensation packages that keep key managers satisfied and motivated including severance and change-in-control agreements, stock options, equity and other incentive compensation plans.

Commercial Contracts

As a premier corporate law firm in Lebanon, we rely on a combination of sector-specific knowledge and technical expertise to advise our clients on all forms of commercial contracts and arrangements underlying their day-to-day business activities.

Corporate Transactions and Strategic Alliances

The Firms' corporate team has extensive experience in structuring and implementing various corporate transactions and is supported by teams of tax, real estate, employment, litigation, capital markets, and reorganization experts. Our corporate transactions services include:

  • Structuring the initial capitalization and other ongoing corporate finance transactions;
  • Structuring capital increases by issuance of new shares, capitalization of reserves/retained earnings, and/or increase of the nominal value per share;
  • Structuring capital increases by recourse to a wide range of public and private debt and equity instruments; and
  • Structuring corporate change of control transactions and implementing the same.

Our corporate lawyers in Beirut also supports their corporate clients pursuing joint ventures and other strategic alliances, from inception to exit, thus ensuring an alignment of the client’s legal and commercial interests and a mitigation of the risks they may encounter.

Awards & Recognitions

The prominent international legal directories Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500 and IFLR1000 consistently rank our Corporate practice at the top.

Band 1 Firm
Chambers Global 2022, Corporate & Finance
“Abou Jaoude & Associates maintains a commanding position at the forefront of the Lebanese legal market. Its lawyers are often called upon for their expertise in […] M&A transactions. The team […] has a strong track record of acting for big-name clients on a wide variety of cutting-edge matters.”
“A fine law firm with fine lawyers.”

Top Tier Firm
The Legal 500 EMEA 2022, Commercial, Corporate and M&A
“Abou Jaoude & Associates Law Firm is well placed to handle large cross-border transactions and complex restructurings for large multinationals.”

Top Tier Firm
IFLR1000 2022, Financial & Corporate 

Lebanon Law Firm of the Year
Chambers Middle East Awards, 2021 

Lebanon Law Firm of the Year
IFLR Middle East Awards, 2019 

Band 1 Firm
Chambers Global 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015
Corporate & Finance
“Abou Jaoude & Associates impresses clients with the ‘360-degree coverage’ provided by its pool of experts in the corporate and finance sectors. The Firm is very active in the market, with involvement in a number of large cross-border M&A transactions.”
“This sizeable team has an impressive practice in the corporate market [and a] solid deal-making team. Its members handle a number of mandates of significant value involving restructurings and M&A deals.”
“An impressive international clientele, [and a] long-established presence in the commercial sphere.”

Top Tier Firm
The Legal 500 EMEA 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015
Commercial, Corporate and M&A
“Excelling in cross-border transactions, Abou Jaoude & Associates Law Firm is a top name for corporate work in Lebanon and is valued for its 'excellent communication skills, and high level of know-how'. In addition to cross-border M&A, its corporate work spans areas such as transaction structuring, pre-acquisition due diligence, licensing, compliance and post-acquisition integration.”
“The ‘exceptional’ and ‘impressive’ team at Abou Jaoude & Associates Law Firm is noted for its ‘supportive’ service and its ‘extremely ethical conduct, which is of utmost professionalism’.”
“The firm’s professionalism and timeliness makes it our main source of legal advice. The team is readily available to resolve and guide us through any situation as they have abundant knowledge and experience in a wide variety of industries.”

Top Tier Firm
IFLR1000 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015
Financial & Corporate
“The team is accessible, knowledgeable and dedicated to their clients.”
“Highly professional, skilful and dedicated team, with a high level of expertise; they’re responsive, and efficient.”
“They always provide impeccable service.”
“The team is described as ‘meticulous in their work and providing solutions in a timely manner’ and ‘really nice to work with: helpful and extremely professional, friendly and highly dedicated’.”

The Firm’s recent notable representative experience in Corporate Law includes:

  • Advised on the corporate structuring of numerous prominent local, regional, and international groups involving complex intra-stakeholders and intra-group equity and contractual ties, as well on the establishment of the corporate presence in Lebanon of several international groups.
  • Advised Fortune500 American multinational conglomerate 3M on the establishment of its branch and business operations in Lebanon.
  • Advised renowned IT group Midis on its global 60-company complex corporate and tax group restructuring in the context of new BVI economic-substance regulations involving 5 jurisdictions and Big Four audit firm Deloitte.
  • Advised prominent contracting group LACECO as lead counsel on a highly complex cross-border corporate and tax structuring and international expansion plan covering 5 jurisdictions, namely Lebanon, Cyprus, KSA, Jordan and the UAE, and involving Big Four audit firm PwC.
  • Advised leading regional FFA Private Bank Group on the highly complex strategic seat migration to the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) based on a five-year strategic plan, involving licensing and regulatory approvals from the Central Bank of Lebanon (BDL) and the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), and an internal corporate reorganization with multi-tier change of control transactions of the DIFC-based FFA Group Holding, the Dubai-based FFA Private Bank Dubai Ltd and the Beirut-based FFA Private Bank SAL.
  • Advised global NGO Doctors Without Borders on the setup of their presence in Lebanon and the obtainment of the necessary licenses under industry-specific regulations.
  • Advised on the major alliance between pioneer media and advertising companies M&C Saatchi and Quantum Group.
  • Advised leading multi-industry Malia Group on a multi-million joint-venture with Saudi Arabia’s prominent hospital operator Al Rashid Group on the development of a major pharmaceutical plant in the King Abdallah Economic City.
  • Advised prominent UFA Insurance Group on a US$100 Million complex corporate structuring in the context of its international expansion plans.
  • Advised a high-net-worth private client on highly complex tax matters related to the corporatization of the ownership of his movable and immovable assets across 7 jurisdictions in the context of inheritance planning.
  • Advised pioneer US-based Elanco Foundation, the first private corporate foundation of its kind focused advancing sustainable growth of people and animals around the world named to FORTUNE’s “2021 Change the World list’ of companies that do well by doing good”, on the setup of its business presence in Lebanon while complying with its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework.
  • Advised a major group in the wig industry in Africa on its corporate restructuring in the context of its US$300 Million multi-phased total divestment to investors, involving a partial sale of assets.
  • Advised major telecom group Africell on the contemplated multi-million total divestment of its telecommunications operations in Sierra Leone, Gambia and DRC, involving a group consolidation and the issuance and private placement of preferred stock organized by prominent financial advisors Lazard Frères.
  • Advised leading pharma group Benta on the corporate structuring of the US$30 Million joint venture with a prominent Egyptian pharma group to build and operate a high capacity drug manufacture in Egypt.
  • Advised GZA Mining on the corporate structuring of the US$30 Million joint venture with GAZPROM, Russia's largest natural gas producer, to perform exploration activities in Eritrea.
  • Advised prominent investment groups on the multi-million acquisitions of a stake in the leading Lebanese newspapers Assafir and Al Balad, involving complex pre-acquisition corporate restructurings and combined transfers of assets and equity arrangements.
  • Advised the regional leader in the coffee brewing industry Café Younes on a major joint venture with the leading Saudi retail group Alhokeir to develop a factory and multiple outlets across KSA.
  • Advised on the corporate structuring of the pioneer start-up CGreen, the developer of a patented sludge treatment solution for the production of organic fertilizers in compliance the FAO guidelines.
  • Advised renowned businessman Carlos Ghosn on the highly complex corporatization and consolidation of equity investments in Saradar Bank.
  • Advised on the settlement of a major shareholder dispute in the leading multinational UK alcoholic beverage company Diageo, involving complex shareholders’ agreements and executive compensation plans.
  • Advised on several joint ventures between prominent groups in the media, retail, FMCG, automotive and pharmaceutical industries, involving complex corporate restructurings and combined transfers of assets and equity arrangements.
Corporate Law