Large projects demand guidance from lawyers who are thoroughly proficient not only in real property, power and oil & gas laws, but in many other fields, including corporate, banking, structured finance, and tax. Formulating smart legal solutions to complex issues that arise in connection with multilateral projects is a hallmark of the Project Development and Finance team.
Our team advises clients on structuring, negotiating and documenting the full array of project and financing agreements, including:
- Initial development and financing of a project;
- Restructuring and refinancing of projects;
- Project mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions by both buyers and sellers of individual projects and project companies;
- Sovereign and project restructurings, political risk insurance, and other novel split-risk arrangements, with export credit agencies and multilateral lending institutions.
With our multinational experience and multilingual abilities, we meet the demands of all types of clients, including sponsors, project companies, lenders, private commercial and investment banks, placement agents, underwriters, export credit agencies, suppliers, contractors, off-take purchasers and advisors.
Awards & Recognitions
The prominent international legal directories Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500 and IFLR1000 consistently rank our Project Development and Finance practice at the top.
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 & Construction (including Projects)
“The projects team at 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.”
Top Tier Firm
IFLR1000 2022, Financial & Corporate
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
“The team, which is one of the largest in Lebanon, impresses clients with its ability to handle complex, cross-border finance deals.”
“The firm is best known for its regional and international reach.”
“This sizeable team has an impressive practice [… and a] solid deal-making team. Its members handle a number of mandates of significant value […].”
“Their flexibility, broad expertise and negotiating skills left a very good impression.”
Top Tier Firm
The Legal 500 EMEA 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015
Real Estate & Construction (including Projects)
“Abou Jaoude & Associates Law Firm is regularly instructed to […] assist with major development projects and project finance.”
“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 and real estate mandates.”
Top Tier Firm
IFLR1000 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015
Financial & Corporate
“Abou Jaoude & Associates Law Firm is strong and experienced in […] project related work.”
“They delivered the best, great experience.”
“The firm covered all legal and financial aspects of the project.”
“They own their files and they are always prepared.”
The Firm’s recent notable representative experience in Project Development and Finance includes:
- Advised the international syndicate led by Audi Bank, the largest bank in Lebanon, including major international development finance institutions OPIC and EIB, on the US$300 Million multi-jurisdictional syndicated facility to finance the 200MW utility-scale wind power plant in Lebanon under the first-ever Power Purchase Agreement with the Government of Lebanon.
- Advised a joint venture between the leading real estate developer GZA Group (Highland Sal) and the biggest UAE property developer Emaar on the development of the multi-million real estate mega-project Beit Misk, built over 655,000 sqm and financed through a hybrid mechanism of convertible debt and equity instruments.
- Advised the consortium between two leading energy companies, Denmark’s BWSC and Germany’s MAN Diesel, on the €270 Million project financing for the installation of medium speed reciprocating engines at the thermal plants in the Zouk and Jiyeh power plants tendered by the Lebanese government under two FIDIC EPC contracts.
- Advised Brazilian multinational construction conglomerate Construtora Andrade Gutierrez SA on the development and construction of the US$250 Million Jannah dam and lake project in Lebanon.
- Advised UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK’s export credit agency and a ministerial department of the UK government, on a multi-million cross-border facility to the leading MENA construction group Arabian Construction Company (ACC) for the construction of the landmark ministerial city in Cotonou (Republic of Benin), involving a Lebanese entity as an exporter parent and complex Lebanese regulations governing related-party transactions.
- Advised leading diversified group Malia on a US$10 Million acquisition of a real estate company for the development of the Deir/Natour project, a unique tourist village in Anfeh.
- Advised leading construction company Batimat Architects on the major mixed-use Dakar Business Center Project in Senegal in partnership with the SANE CONSULTING Group, which includes a hotel, an office tower, a convention center, and residential facilities.
- Advised French public agency Expertise France in consortium with the prominent René Mouawad Foundation (RMF) on the pioneer multi-million “Minjara project” in the context of the EU-financed Private Sector Development (PSD) Programme, consisting in establishing and financing a first-of-its-kind platform under a PPP legal structure to support the wood processing and furniture sector in Tripoli-Lebanon, involving a wide array of public stakeholders, including the Business Incubator Association of Tripoli (BIAT), the Carpenters’ Union, the Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI), and the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture of Tripoli (CCIAT).
- Advised a global leading energy trading company B.B. Energy Group in joint venture with Siemens on a Distributed Power Generation project for the design and installation of gas turbines at designated power plants in Lebanon.
- 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 prominent contracting firm LACECO on joint venture to bid for Phase 1 of Saudi Arabia’s AMAALA land and property mega-project managed by The Red Sea Development Company, which forms part of the Saudi Vision 2030 program.
- Advised leading consulting firm Mores SARL on the feasibility study for a first-of-its-kind Integrated Sustainable Waste Management (SWM) network to be implemented by the Union of Municipalities of Jurd El-Kaitee in Lebanon’s Akkar governorate, where a 15-year strategic master plan for SWM was developed with the support of an EU-funded development cooperation project.
