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Middle East

Pragmatic and strategic cross-cultural legal counsel

Investment flow between the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Canada continues to grow, and investors need advice that is strategic, practical, and mindful of the legal, regulatory, business, and cultural challenges relevant to a transaction or matter between the regions. Whether it is investments by sovereign wealth funds from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC) or strategic investments in French and Arabic speaking North Africa, our professionals have first-hand experience working with our clients in order to structure, facilitate, and complete productive international business transactions.

The ways in which we support our clients and add value to their business engagements include:

  • Guiding successful foreign investment into and out of Canada: We regularly advise MENA clients, including sovereign wealth funds, state-owned entities, family offices, and other pools of capital, on their investments and ongoing business activities in Canada. We understand the diverse dynamics of foreign investment into Canada and anticipate the unique regulatory and tax issues, particularly when politically-sensitive or high-visibility sectors are involved. We have demonstrated experience working with international clients to structure transactions that are creative, drive tangible value, mitigate risk, and proactively address regulatory scrutiny. 
  • We have also assisted our clients in navigating a range of outbound investments and development projects, working with leading players in mature Canadian industries, such as infrastructure development, technology, healthcare, energy, mining, and natural resources, in their international expansion efforts.
  • On-the-ground expertise: Lawyers in our MENA practice have years of on-the-ground experience, advising on a full range of work including M&A, joint ventures, real estate transactions, project development and financing, and international trade matters. We are one of only a few Canadian firms with this in-depth understanding of business culture and how deals get done in the region.
  • London, UK presence: Through our London, UK office, established in 1987, we regularly handle major international transactions and projects that involve Canadian assets and entities. Our London office works in close collaboration with our Canadian offices to offer all the advantages of an international platform, including an ability to run matters on an almost 24-hour basis.
  • Language capabilities: We have lawyers who are fluent in Arabic, facilitating a more seamless and comfortable business relationship. We are also able to practice both civil and common law in both English and French - a key advantage in working with French-speaking Arabic countries in Levant or North Africa.

We are at the forefront of issues affecting investment and development in Canada, including in the areas of:

We apply our leading industry expertise in financial servicesoil and gasmininghospitalityconsumer products and retailagribusiness, and other areas, to ensure the advice we offer is reflective of specific industry considerations and challenges.

Publications

Doing Business in Canada

Doing Business in Canada

Navigating opportunities for investment and growth

 

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