Mohamed Ghannam

Mohamed Ghannam is the managing partner of Helmy, Hamza & Partners, Baker McKenzie Cairo. He heads the Banking, Projects, and Capital Markets Practice Groups. He has acted as counsel to many of the world's leading multinational companies in various industries — including in oil and gas, renewable energy, finance, real estate, telecommunications and healthcare — helping them carry out high-value, first-in-kind and precedent-setting transactions, including the first project finance undertaking in Egypt more than two decades ago, the first sovereign bond in Egypt, and the first sukuk deal in Egypt. Legal 500, IFLR and Chambers & Partners consistently rank Mohamed and recognize his contributions and distinguished work in the field. Mohamed Ghannam received his B.A. degree with high honors from Cairo University Law School in 1985 and graduated among the top 1%. In addition to his Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School in 1987 and Master of Laws degree from Chicago-Kent Law School in 1993 (Dean's List).

• Acted for the Central Bank of Egypt in connection with a repurchase transaction with a consortium of international banks namely Barclays Bank PLC, Citigroup Global Markets Limited, Credit Suisse AG, London Branch, Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch, HSBC Bank plc, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited, J.P. Morgan Securities plc, Natixis, and Nomura International plc for a total amount of USD 3.1 billion and a maturity of 1 year.
• Acted for Sixth of October for Development and Investment (SODIC) in relation to EGP 2.3 billion refinance with Arab African International Bank (AAIB).
• Acted for the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), a bank that finances and promotes intra- and extra-African trade, with respect to a USD 200 million facility to Telecom Egypt (TE) to enable the telecommunication company finance working capital and investments in its infrastructure.
• Acted as a sponsor counsel for ACWA Power in connection with three solar PV power plant projects under the second round of the feed-in tariff program. The three projects have a total capacity of 165.5 MW at a total investment value of USD 190 mn. 75% of the project cost is financed through a non-recourse project debt from European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.
• Acted for Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (APICORP) with respect to a Murabaha medium term guaranteed facility to Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), amounting to USD 100 million, providing the purchase price for certain petroleum commodities.
• Acted for Sixth of October for Development and Investment (SODIC) in relation to EGP 270 million facility granted by Commercial International Bank (Egypt) S.A.E. to finance the project cost of October Plaza Project. The facility is to finance the total development cost of October Plaza, the first SODIC community in West Cairo outside of SODIC West.
• Acting for AlNowais Investments LLC in connection with a 3,960 MW coal fired power project with an estimate investment cost of USD 4 billion.  Our scope includes advising on the legal framework of the project, reviewing/drafting the project documents and the power purchase agreement and ensuring the bankability of the project.
• Acting as local counsel to Carbon Holdings in relation to its $10 billion mega petrochemical complex by Tahrir Petrochemical Corporation (an Egyptian company established by Carbon Holdings) in the North West Gulf of Suez Special Economic Zone to be financed by the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Export-Import Bank of Korea, the Korea Insurance Corporation and the Italian Export Credit Agency (SACE).The deal is important as part of Egypt's master petrochemicals plan in which also EGPC is shareholder to develop its petrochemicals industry in higher value added products used in basic industries.
• Acted as borrower counsel to Ethydco in connection with a $75 million loan by the Afreximbank. Our work included the intercreditor arrangement between the syndicate lenders and Afreximbank.
• Advised SDX Energy, a Company that develops and operates oil and gas properties in Egypt, on its share acquisition of Circle Oil.

• Banking
• Capital markets: Debt
• M&A
• Project development
• Project finance

• Banking
• Energy
• Oil and gas
• Pharma and life sciences
• Utilities

Member of the Egyptian Bar Association

• Court of Cassation [Supreme Court]~Egypt (2004)
• Egypt (1985)
• GAFI (Governmental agency responsible for incorporation of companies in Egypt - Former Member of Board of Directors
• Egyptian Bar Association - Member
• Egyptian Judges Association - Member
• American Chamber of Commerce - Former Co-Chair, Legal Committee

• B.A. degree with high honors (graduated among the top 1%)., Cairo University Law School, (1985)
• LLM, Harvard Law School, (1987)
• LLM (Dean's List), Chicago-Kent Law School, (1993)