Our Licensing, Agency and Distributorships team has extensive experience advising on the structuring and operation of licenses, commercial agencies, and distributorships, and we represent brands throughout their life cycles: from start-up and middle market stages to mature systems.
We help our clients expand by advising them on negotiating and drafting agreements involving international factors and different business models for expansion, such as agency, distribution, commercial representation, and foreign direct investments.
The team’s practice involves legal advice to manufacturers, exporters and importers in connection with their contractual relationships with domestic and international customers, suppliers and distributors, as well as on other matters, including customs, export control, antitrust and competition laws, and environmental and product safety regulations.
Our international trade experts rely on their strong expertise and knowledge of the regional and international bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements and the WTO rules to guide and counsel our clients on managing the risks associated with the increasing regulation of international trade in goods and services. Our team has broad experience in Incoterms’ features, as well as in counseling on and drafting documentary letters of credit under the UCP 500 Rules, standby letters of credit under the ISP 98 Rules, and all types of bank guarantees under local and international regulations.
Awards & Recognitions
The Firm is consistently recognized as a market leader by the prominent international legal directories Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500 and IFLR1000.
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, Commercial, Corporate and M&A
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
“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 […].”
“An impressive international clientele, [and a] long-established presence in the commercial sphere.”
“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
Commercial, Corporate and M&A
“Abou Jaoude & Associates Law Firm is a top name […] valued for its 'excellent communication skills, and high level of know-how'.”
Top Tier Firm
IFLR1000 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015
Financial & Corporate
“Highly professional, skilful and dedicated team, with a high level of expertise; they’re responsive, and efficient.”
The Firm’s recent notable representative experience in Licensing, Agency and Distributorships includes:
- Advised the renowned Cherfan group on major exclusive distributorship and agency agreements with the global leader in consumer electronics Samsung for the import and distribution of Samsung products in Lebanon.
- Advised the renowned Tewtel group on major exclusive distributorship and agency agreements for global automotive brands Land Rover, Honda and Ford.
- Advised the regional leader in FMCG Sioufi group on major exclusive distributorship agreements for international brands, including Danone, Bic and Elvir.
- Advised major diversified group Malia on major exclusive distributorship agreements for international brands, including Shiseido and Paul & Shark.
- Advised global leading pharma group Moderna on the regulatory framework governing the distribution of their novel Covid-19 vaccine in Lebanon.
- Advised the renowned Radisson Hotel Group on a major international license agreement with Les Dunes Hospitality for the opening of the Radisson Blu hotel in Lebanon.
- Advised leading DJSI-listed German healthcare company Fresenius SE on a major distributorship agreement with renowned Lebanese pharmaceutical company MacroMed for the import and distribution of dialysis medical products under complex healthcare sector regulations.
- Advised the leader in Lebanese sweets Hallab 1881 on a major distributorship agreement with UAE retail powerhouse Majid Al Futtaim in the context of a strategic regional expansion plan of the brand.
- Advised on the multi-million complex merger of the two biggest F&B groups in Lebanon Sioufi and Massoud involving complex approvals processes under major exclusive distributorships with international brands in Lebanon, KSA, Jordan and Syria.
- Advised the exclusive distributor of the Opel automotive brand in Lebanon Technocars SAL on the sale and transfer of its inventory and distributorship license to the A.N.BouKather Group, the distributor of Mazda and Vespa in Lebanon, involving a complex approvals process in Germany and Japan.
- Advised leading UK developer of industrial and commercial printing machines Domino International on a major distribution agreement with renowned Lebanese printing press company Industrial & Printing Systems (IPS).
- Advised leading healthcare group Hitachi Medical Systems on a major lawsuit against the Saint-Joseph Medical Center involving highly complex medical equipment issues.
- Advised leading pharmaceutical group BENTA on 3 high-profile lawsuits in relation to distributorship agreements against French global pharmaceutical company ROCHE, Irish global NYSE-listed pharmaceutical company Allergan, and German global medical technology company KLS Martin.
- Advised the exclusive distributor in Lebanon of the global leader in consumer electronics Samsung on a major lawsuit related to the commercial distributorship of the TCL TV brand.
- Advised leading FMCG group Bocti on an unlawful competition lawsuit brought against major distributors in Lebanon under exclusive distribution agreements of food brands.
- Advised leading Al Sultan group, one of top ten FMCG distributors of international brands in Lebanon, on a major commercial lawsuit against Indian manufacturer under exclusive distribution agreements of food brands.
- Advised the largest meat processing company in the world JBS Brazil on major exclusive distribution and service agreements with Lebanese and Egyptian counterparts.
- Advised the renowned Armenian specialty F&B group Mayrig on licensing agreements for three novel-concept cloud kitchen projects in the UAE and France with pioneer startups Ikcon, Kaykroo and Food7Go.
