The Firm’s Government Relations and Public Policy practice has advised key players on numerous high-value first-of-their-kind projects in Lebanon under very complex public-procurement regulations. Major clients rely on the Firm’s advice with respect to relations with governmental authorities.
We combine the know-how and experience to effectively assist clients in the negotiation, structuring and implementation phases of various transactions such as public bids, privatizations and grant of concessions.
We serve as a “one stop shop” in the context of seeking governmental permits and licenses as well as defending enforcement and disciplinary proceedings, and such before all public bodies including municipal, state, and administrative agencies and courts.
The Firm is constantly solicited by public authorities to opine on the enactment of key regulations in Lebanon. The Firm is also a long-standing contributor to the World Bank Lebanon Doing Business Reports on ‘Contracting with the Government’.
Awards & Recognitions
The Firm is consistently recognized as a market leader by the prominent international legal directories Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500.
Band 1 Firm
Chambers Global 2022, Corporate & Finance
“Abou Jaoude & Associates maintains a commanding position at the forefront of the Lebanese legal market. 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, Real Estate and Construction (including Projects
“[…] Abou Jaoude & Associates Law Firm is active in the oil and gas, and renewable energy sectors particularly electricity, and handles a steady stream of procurement matters for clients. The team […] also advises on energy contracts, project financings, and PPP projects. Regulatory work also features in the workload”.
Lebanon Law Firm of the Year
Chambers Middle East Awards, 2021
Band 1 Firm
Chambers Global 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015
Corporate & Finance
“This full-service firm is an important player in Lebanon […].”
“Abou Jaoude & Associates impresses clients with the ‘360-degree coverage’ provided by its pool of experts […].”
“The firm is best known for its regional and international reach.”
Top Tier Firm
The Legal 500 EMEA 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015
Real Estate and Construction (including Projects)
“The firm is focused on PPP work and major energy projects in Lebanon.”
“Abou Jaoude & Associates Law Firm has handled a number of big-ticket energy projects in the region.”
“Abou Jaoude & Associates handles significant public project work […]."
The Firm’s recent notable representative experience in Government Relations and Public Policy includes:
- Advised the Lebanese Government represented by the Ministry of Energy on a US$300 Million crucial project to address Lebanon’s crippling electricity crisis through a tripartite gas import agreements between Lebanon, Syria and Egypt, where Lebanon will receive 650 million cubic meters of natural gas, involving a highly complex structure and regulatory framework, including the conditional financing by the World Bank subject to the fulfillment by the Lebanese government of a comprehensive Reform Matrix, and the approval of the United States for compliance with its Syria sanctions regime.
- Advised the Central Bank of Lebanon and the Special Investigation Commission on first-ever highly complex capital control legislation with critical impact on the national economy amidst Lebanon’s unprecedented financial crisis.
- Advising the major Danish-German consortium between leading Danish power plant contractor and operator Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor A/S (BWSC) and leading German MAN Diesel on two €270 Million EPC contracts for the installation of two medium speed reciprocating engines at the thermal plants in Zouk and Jiyeh owned by Electricity of Lebanon (EDL).
- Advised the leading energy group Debbas on the circa US$1 Billion Distribution and Service Provider Contract (DSP) contract for the rehabilitation and modernization of the electricity power grid in Lebanon, including the design, implementation, operation and maintenance of the distribution network and the installation of an advanced metering infrastructure.
- Advised Novatek, Russia's largest independent natural gas producer (and the seventh largest publicly traded company globally by natural gas production volume) (part of the Total/ENI/Novatek consortium) on the first-ever Exploration and Production Agreement with the Lebanese Government.
- Advised the developer and the international syndicate led by Audi Bank (the largest bank in Lebanon), including major international development finance institutions OPIC and EIB, on the first-ever Power Purchase Agreement with the Government of Lebanon for the development of the 200MW first utility-scale wind power plant in Lebanon.
- Advised the joint venture between the leading German renewable energy group BayWa r.e. Solar Projects GmbH and the energy arm of Lebanon’s major INDEVCO group on the tender organized by the Ministry of Energy and Water for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of Phase 2 of the first grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) plant in Lebanon's history, the Beirut River Solar Snake (BRSS).
- Advising three different joint ventures, including leading regional players in the renewable energy sectors, on the bids submitted in response to the tender organized by the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water for the execution of the 180MW first solar photovoltaic energy generating facilities in Lebanon.
- Advised major energy group Debbas on the US$200 Million highly complex renewal and extension of the DSP Contract with the Lebanese Government.
- Advised the Lebanese private operator of the postal sector LibanPost on multi-million highly complex renewal and extension of the contract with the Lebanese Government.
- Advised the joint venture led by Lebanon Wind Power Sal, including a leading German renewable energy company, on the bid submitted in response to the tender organized by the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water (with the support of the UNDP-CEDRO project), for the development, design, procurement, construction, testing, commissioning, operation and maintenance of the first-ever wind farms in Lebanon.
- Advised a prominent Lebanese-Italian investment consortium on the highly complex application and negotiations with the Ministry of Energy and Water and the Council of Ministers for the obtainment of a license by decree for the industrial exploitation of a mineral water source in West Lebanon.
- Advised on the regulatory framework and legal documentation to govern the plans for circa 500MW IPP projects to be carried out by the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water and other public authorities in Lebanon on a public-private partnership basis.
- Advised the Municipality of Beirut on the regulatory framework and the preparation of the tender documents, PPA and other project documents for the development of a number of power plants aimed at increasing the power generation capacity of the capital Beirut through IPPs.
- Advised the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on the legislative framework study for the transport and energy sectors in Lebanon, a component of the Sustainable Oil and Gas Development Project in Lebanon (SODEL).
- Advised the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and the Higher Council for Privatization of the Lebanese Republic on the highly complex project for the privatization of the telecom sector in Lebanon, involving the sale of two GSM licenses to build, own and operate mobile telecom networks and provide mobile telecom services in Lebanon, and the acquisition of existing mobile network operators.
