Dating back to the 19th Century, the Beirut-based Badri Salim El Meouchi is one of the pre-eminent firms in Lebanon. For clients, the firm offers a benefit the majority of it's peers cannot claim, an international practice....
[more]
Dating back to the 19th Century, the Beirut-based Badri Salim El Meouchi is one of the pre-eminent firms in Lebanon. For clients, the firm offers a benefit the majority of it's peers cannot claim, an international practice. The firm launched in Qatar in 2007 and has established a solid presence on the market there.
M&A is the firm's key strength according to the market, with the consensus being that the firm is almost unrivalled in this capacity.
Peers suggest the firm's finance practice is more focussed on banking regulatory, and excellent at it, rather than transactional work and the firm's portfolio of recent work supports this thinking.
On the transactional side the firm had a role in a capital markets deal advising Bank Misr Lebanon, as subsidiary of Egypt's largest bank, which has been a client of the firm's since 1933. Practice head Salim El Meouchi, who currently sits on the bank's board and audit committee, assisted Misr with the $48 million capital increase in the autumn of 2010.
In an ongoing basis the firm is also advising CGI, part of the Audi Saradar Group, Lebanon's largest banking group, on the structuring and establishment of various real estate investment funds.
In a cross border deal, managing partner Chadia El Meouchi is heading the team advising a group of GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council)-based bankers, high net worth individuals, a Kuwaiti company and a Swiss financial group in the structuring, establishment and incorporation of a financial institution in the Qatar Financial Centre.
Another notable deal sees the firm assisting a central Asian State in tracing illegally obtained funds. The firm is advising on Lebanese banking regulations concerning anti-money laundering and banking secrecy in Lebanon.
The firm's deals on the M&A side are spread across a range of sectors from finance to leisure, to technology. Chadia El Meouchi has taken the lead on all the firm's highlight deals. In the financial services arena, the team is advising on the merger between two Lebanese audit and consultancy firms, which will result in a rebranding and a further expansion in the Middle East.
A major regional telecommunications operator has also mandated the firm to acquire the majority shareholding in another regional company with operations in Lebanon.
A further deals sees the firm active for a major hospitality development company in its acquisition of 60% of a holding company that will own, develop and operate well established restaurants and clubs in Lebanon.
[hide]