Qatar

Firm overview

A 140 year old, leading Middle-East based law firm, specialised in banking and finance, corporate, commercial, M&A and capital markets law. The firm is also known for being innovative, and for its strength in technology, privatisation and oil and gas work.

Firm overview

Sharq Law Firm is a full-service law firm servicing the Qatari local market as well as international organisations outside of Qatar. Sharq Law Firm brings together a group of seasoned professionals who share a passion for law and a knack for quality and customer service to offer clients legal services at the highest standard. The firm is driven by client needs and has a wealth of experience in many disciplines. Furthermore, the team is a diversified one with members from different corners of the globe. The official languages of the firm are Arabic and English and most of the lawyers are fully bilingual. The team is led by senior partner Mr Rashid Al Saad, who has a wealth of experience leading and managing major and complex projects.

The corporate department of Sharq Law Firm deals with all corporate and commercial matters which range from provision of legal advice and opinions to representing clients on major transactions within Qatar and internationally. The team are well versed in Qatari law and greatly sought for by International Law Firms for their expert advice on issues related to Qatari Law. The department has worked on almost all the major transactions in Qatar, either solely or jointly with International Law Firms. They are highly knowledgeable in M & A, capital market and financing matters, bonds issuance, company incorporation & restructuring, IPO, provision of legal advice and opinions, general corporate and commercial matters, advise on tax issues, drafting and reviewing of different types of agreements, JV incorporation and financing. In addition, the team members provide regular advice to the major governmental organisations where Sharq Law Firm sits on their legal panels. Members of the Corporate team at Sharq Law Firm are fully bilingual, with some of them trilingual. The geographically diverse nature of the team enables them to assist our clients over several jurisdictions, as they possess not only extensive knowledge of Qatari law but they are also highly knowledgeable of the applicable laws in their various home jurisdictions. The combined strength of the team makes them truly unique and highly knowledgeable. Their approach to issues is holistic in manner and they work with clarity and efficiency in delivering the required services to our clients.

Litigation Department at Sharq Law Firm handle major cases either before the local courts or before the ADR panels such as the International Chamber of Commerce and Qatar Chamber of Commerce. The department provides diversified, top-end and cost effective legal services to major companies and businessmen in the Qatari Market such as major energy and construction companies, oil and gas companies, major companies listed in the Capital Market, Companies in the automobile industry, real estate and property management companies. Our Litigation Department is made up of diversified and multi-jurisdictional attorneys who are capable of analyzing and delivering successful solutions to different kinds of multi-jurisdictional disputes and investigations including but not limited to civil and commercial disputes, labour, criminal, personal affairs disputes and regulatory investigations. Moreover, our attorneys have extensive and significant experience and are able to represent clients before local courts, International panels and settlement negotiations.

The Arbitration & Construction team of Sharq Law Firm have extensive experience in the real estate sector. They have assisted several government bodies in and outside Qatar on devising various development schemes involving Public Private Partnership (PPPs) related to the energy sectors (PWPA) as well as real estate (PPPs) on master developments, sub-development, investment structures, guarantees, etc. and SPAs. The team have advised many governmental and high-end companies in devising master developments and SPAs. Our role also involved evaluating feasibility studies, carrying out executive negotiations with related partners and execution of business models with clear and legitimate contracts in place. Our senior team members have been advising various government and semi-government authorities on public procurement strategies, policies and procedures. They have acted as members of the strategic tendering and procurement executive committees on various projects which included commercial aspects such as the owner’s finance structure, letters of credits, repay and hedging with London Metal Exchange Market (LME) as well as currency hedging formulas, procurement frame contracts with major suppliers, guaranteed price contracts and call-off contracts.

Sharq Law Firm clients include all the major governmental organisations and noteworthy private companies, family businesses and high net-worth individuals in Qatar, regionally and internationally. The team’s expertise cuts across multiple sectors such as Governmental organisations; Oil & Gas; Retail; Shipping; Construction; Hospitality; Pharma & Life Sciences; Defence; Education, Telecommunications; Transportation; Sports; Utilities and Real Estate.