Legalcommunity MENA Awards 2022, winners announced
The winners of the Lgalcommunity MENA Awards 2022 were announced during the gala ceremony held at the Hilton Cairo Heliopolis Hotel in Cairo.
The legalcommunity MENA Awards recognised the excellence amongst In-House and law firms teams and professionals in the MENA Area.
The winners were the following:
IN-HOUSE CATEGORIES
INNOVATION & MENTORSHIP
Mohamed Elmogy – Siemens Energy
The lawyer has worked in the last period on prominent operations alongside companies and the Egyptian government; being considered a point of reference for the market and its major players, the professional has confirmed his influence and expertise.
IN-HOUSE TEAM OF THE YEAR AUTOMOTIVE & TRANSPORT
Mercedes-Benz
The legal department has proven in the field its technical skills, showing a strong business-oriented vision, allowing the in-house team to assist the company in the several challenges of the market.
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL OF THE YEAR AUTOMOTIVE & TRANSPORT
Mohannad Alaaeldin Abo-Zaghla – General Motors
The lawyer has gained during the years a remarkable experience in the automotive industry, he brilliantly leads the legal department, obtaining with his team relevant results.
IN-HOUSE TEAM OF THE YEAR BANKING & FINANCE
National Bank of Egypt
The bank is well known for selecting the best professionals to be part of the legal team, which, during the last 12 months worked in several deals remarkable for their economical values and the names that were involved.
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL OF THE YEAR BANKING & FINANCE
Mohamed Hashem – Banque du Caire
The lawyer has developed an enviable experience in the banking field, effectively leading the legal team of the bank, he has obtained the appreciation of the market.
IN-HOUSE TEAM OF THE YEAR CONSUMER GOODS MANUFACTURING
PepsiCo
The legal department is always focusing on the brand interests and needs, affirming its knowledge and influence in the field during the numerous matters which the in-house team faced in the last year.
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL OF THE YEAR CONSUMER GOODS MANUFACTURING
Mahmoud Shaarawy – HSA Group
The professional stands out for his experience and skills, gained during the years of a brilliant career, he is one of the most appreciated professionals by the market. The lawyer led the in-house team of the company during the last year obtaining great results.
IN-HOUSE TEAM OF THE YEAR E-COMMERCE & RETAIL
Majid Al Futtaim
The legal team actively advised the company on numerous deals, very important for their impact on the market, such as a recent partnership operation with the purpose of enhance the awareness and knowledge of environmental matters.
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL OF THE YEAR E-COMMERCE & RETAIL
Alexandre Boules – Amazon
The lawyer is a very specialized figure in the MENA market, appreciated by the principal players of the legal field. He assists the company with his team always fulfilling the needs and obtaining remarkable results.
IN-HOUSE TEAM OF THE YEAR ENERGY
ELSEWEDY ELECTRIC
The legal department is formed multilingual speaking professionals which, during the least year followed numerous deals with significant economical value. The professionals are very active also in the alternative energy area.
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL OF THE YEAR ENERGY
Mostafa Wahsh – Saudi Electricity Company
The lawyer is considered as a multidisciplinary expert in several practice area with a wide experience in the utilities industry. The professional achieves extraordinary legal projects with a considerable attention to the efficiency of cost and time.
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL OF THE YEAR FASHION & LUXURY
Lina Baraka – Fawaz Al Hokair Group Fashion Retail
The lawyer is active in different practices, providing a 360° assistance to the company, managing the legal side of the expansion of the brand through registration and incorporation of subsidiaries and branch offices across several countries.
IN-HOUSE TEAM OF THE YEAR FOOD & BEVERAGE
Al Ahram Beverages Company
The legal department has developed the five main pillars such as litigation, contracts, intellectual property rights, licenses, and corporate governance, to the point to be able to operate as a small internal law firm, being remarkably successful on various operations.
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL OF THE FOOD & BEVERAGE
Mohamed Shalaby – Nestlé
The professional possesses a relevant experience in several practice areas such as skilled in negotiation, legal compliance, litigation management, arbitration, and dispute resolution. He brilliantly advices the company proving his wide legal skills.
IN-HOUSE TEAM OF THE YEAR INFRASTRUCTURE & CONSTRUCTION
MNHD
The legal department operates globally for companies and projects all over the world proving to be formed by skilled and very motivated professionals affirming themselves as leaders in the legal market.
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL OF THE YEAR INFRASTRUCTURE & CONSTRUCTION
Khaled Ghazy – CEMEX
The lawyer is recognized by the market and competitor as one of the most skilled professionals in the field, he has proven his effective leadership managing the legal department, through various successful operations.
IN-HOUSE TEAM OF THE YEAR INSURANCE
Chubb
The legal department is composed by a cohesive group of motivated professionals, which is able to successfully advices the company on several kinds of legal matters.
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL OF THE YEAR INSURANCE
Adel Anwar – Bupa Global
The professional has an outstanding history in the field, working for prominent companies in several practice areas. He efficacy applied his experiences in successfully advise Bupa on various matters.
IN-HOUSE TEAM OF THE YEAR LIFE SCIENCES & PHARMA
Novartis
The legal team is composed by skilled professionals with different experiences and backgrounds, capable so, to manage several kinds of matters and support the business goals of the company keeping improving in expertise and efficiency.
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL OF THE YEAR LIFE SCIENCES & PHARMA
Mohamed Ezz Elden Osama – Novo Nordisk
The professional gained during the years a wide experience in several areas, he has been very active in the last period on several prominent operations for MENA market such as deals of significant economic value.
IN-HOUSE TEAM OF THE YEAR OIL & GAS
Eni
The legal department has been involved in prominent international operations, such as an agreement with a very important company in the field for gas production and exportation in which the in-house lawyers successfully managed every aspect.
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL OF THE YEAR OIL & GAS
Taher Mostafa – Egyptian Petroleum HH Rig Manufacturing
The professional has proven strong legal professional skills in legal affairs, petroleum, patent Law, environmental awareness, and appeals, that were used to develop the projects and challenges that the market presents.
IN-HOUSE TEAM OF THE YEAR REAL ESTATE
Palm Hills Developments
The legal department has proven its skills achieving remarkable goals, always maintaining a business-oriented vision that allows the professionals to support properly the company.
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL OF THE YEAR REAL ESTATE
Mohamed El Hennawy – Talaat Moustafa Group
The lawyer led the In-House team advising the company on various deals, affirming once again his position on the market. He concluded during the last period several operations by the relevant economical values.
IN-HOUSE TEAM OF THE YEAR TMT
Vodafone
The legal department of the company is one of the most consolidated in the telecommunications sector, in the past months the lawyers concluded relevant operations and contributing to the company success.
IN-HOUSE COUNSEL OF THE YEAR TMT
Mohamed Salim – Telecom Egypt
The lawyer has a consolidated experience in various fields of the telecommunications industry, such as corporate governance, contracts, compliance and M&A. He is well appreciated by the market for his ability in coordinating the legal department obtaining excellent results.
BEST PRACTICE CORPORATE TRANSACTIONS
The Sovereign Fund of Egypt
The company, during the research period, coordinated several operations relevant for their economical values and the impact on the market mostly in the fields of energy and infrastructure, proving to be one of the most active and influential player in the MENA area.
DIVERSITY & INCLUSION MIDDLE EAST
Florian Koemm – Siemens Energy
The lawyer leads a team composed by diversified professionals, he participated in several inclusion initiatives enhancing in-house legal community in various aspects and promoting the female lawyers in the Middle East.
RISING STAR
Ahmed Baraka – Gennecs Pharmaceuticals
Despite his young age the professional occupies a very influent position, he cleverly managed business challenges, obtaining the esteem of the market and its major players.
Abdelrahman El-Serafy – Bayer
The professional achieves remarkable results in the field, he is affirming himself as an influential professional capable of relevant results understanding the business.
BEST PRACTICE SUSTAINABILITY
BEEAH Group
The professional is very active on the sustainability field, leading his team through the several challenges of the market presents, always keeping as priority the main values of the company, such as improving quality of life through a diverse group of companies that push the boundaries of digitalization and raise the bar for sustainability.
BEST PRACTICE CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS
Mohamed Abaza – Evergrow Group
The professional is well known for his experience and legal skills, he is an expert of the field, the lawyer led the legal department of the company with a business-oriented attitude obtaining outstanding results.
BEST PRACTICE TELECOMMUNICATIONS & MEDIA
Yosr Hamza – Gartner
The professional built the middle East legal team and make it grow and improve, he successfully coordinated various operations with a multidisciplinary mentality being appreciated for his leadership.
PRIVATE PRACTICE CATEGORIES
MARKET LEADER
Baker McKenzie
The law firm is composed by skilled and experienced lawyers that make a very cohesive and efficient team capable to successfully face several kinds of operations in all the expertise areas, proving to be one of the prominent players of the MENA market.
LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR
Bahaa-Eldin Law Office in cooperation with BonelliErede
The team is the successful result of the cooperation between the Italian firm BonelliErede and the Egyptian firm Bahaa-Eldin. The lawyers assist mostly international clients with a focus on the Egyptian market providing high standard services.
LAWYER OF THE YEAR
Mahmoud Bassiouny – Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy
The lawyer has over of a decade of experience in various practices and fields; due to the remarkable results he obtained alongside the team of the firm, he earned the credibility in the market and the appreciation of international clients.
LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR ARBITRATION
Essa Al Sulaiti Law Firm
The law firm, in the last period, has been involved in several complicated matters of arbitration regarding both national and international companies, proving a strong capability of adaptation and a competitive attitude, that places the firm among the top ones of the market.
LAWYER OF THE YEAR ARBITRATION
Girgis Abd El-Shahid – Shahid Law Firm
The lawyer coordinated some of the most complicated arbitration matters in Egypt and Middle East, he is appreciated by the market for his knowledge to successfully manage many kinds of corporate and commercial disputes.
LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR BANKING & FINANCE
Dreny & Partners
The law firm in the last period stood out in the practice for the several consistent deals concluded advising clients from a business perspective, proving the deep knowledge of the field and the technical competences.
LAWYER OF THE YEAR BANKING & FINANCE
Hossam Gramon – Adsero – Ragy Soliman & Partners
The lawyer has two decades of practical experience as a professional finance, M&A, corporate and capital markets legal counsel in Egypt. He leads the banking and finance practice in the firm being recognized by the market as one of the prominent professional in the field.
LAWFIRM OF THE YEAR CAPITAL MARKETS (DEBT & EQUITY)
Dreny & Partners
The law firm is composed by skilled and reliable professionals with a broad experience in various types of capital markets operations. The innovative and problem-solving attitude demonstrated during the matters faced, allow them to make the difference.
LAWYER OF THE YEAR CAPITAL MARKETS (DEBT & EQUITY)
Tarek Yehya – Meysan Partners
The professional has taken a lead role on most of the key capital markets matters in Kuwait in recent years. He has successfully concluded very important deals for a highly elevated economical value working alongside first profile companies.
LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR ENERGY
Bahaa Eldin in coooperation with BonelliErede
the law firm advised first profile companies in the energy field on prominent cross border operations, being an example of synergy between the team’s professionals, achieving outstanding results in term of economics and impact on the market.
LAWYER OF THE YEAR ENERGY
Donia El-Mazghouny – Mazghouny & Co
The lawyer has a wide expertise in the energy law field, particularly in the renewable and solar deals. She uses to follow many aspects of the energy and infrastructure projects in Egypt, obtaining remarkable results and the market recognition.
LAWYER OF THE YEAR INFRASTRUCTURE & CONSTRUCTION
Essa Bin Mohammed Al Sulaiti – Essa Al Sulaiti Law Firm
The lawyer brilliantly led the team through very complex transactions regarding infrastructure’s deals involving high profile companies and ambitious projects. The professional successfully coordinated the legal department with effective leadership.
LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR LABOUR
Shehata & Partners
The law firm assisted first profile clients on delicate employment matters, having built a dynamic and efficient team, that affirmed itself in the practice as one of the major players in labour matters, mostly related to M&A deals.
LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR LITIGATION
Meysan Partners
The law firm has a very efficient and cohesive litigation team formed by skilled professionals, which has managed, during the last period, prominent and complex cases for a significant economic value, confirming the high profile of the law firm in the practice.
LAWYER OF THE YEAR LITIGATION
Girgis Abd El-Shaid – Shahid Law Firm
The professional is specialized in dispute settlement, he was involved in multi-million-dollar deals which he successfully concluded proving during the years to be a prominent practician and a reference point in the legal industry.
LAW FIRM OF THE YEAR M&A
Adsero – Ragy Soliman & Partners
The team is formed by very skilled and experienced lawyers active in the various aspects of the practice, they are able to structure and execute complex M&A transactions across several geographic regions maximizing the clients’ benefits.
RISING STAR
Imane Raouf – Dreny & Partners
The professional is recognized as talented and innovative, she rapidly excelled in the law firm advising major international transactions. The lawyer stands out in the field for her track record which proved her expertise and proficiency.
BEST PRACTICE ENERGY
Adsero – Ragy Soliman & Partners
The law firm can count on the vast experience of the professionals, developed in various fields of the industry, from oil and gas to renewables. They advised first profile clients on relevant projects.
