Practice areas
Practice areas
We advise on Lebanese law across five areas. Many matters touch more than one of them, and the lawyers concerned work on them together.
Business & Corporate Law
We advise Lebanese companies, their shareholders and directors, and foreign groups doing business in Lebanon, from incorporation through the life of the company to its restructuring or winding-up.
Much of our corporate work is the steady, recurring kind that keeps a company in good standing: annual general assemblies, board resolutions, commercial register filings and the special reports the Code of Commerce requires. We also act on the moments that change a company, such as a new shareholder, a transfer of shares, a change of management or a liquidation.
What we handle
- Incorporation of SAL, SARL, holding and offshore companies, and registration of branches and representative offices of foreign companies
- Drafting and amending articles of association, including bilingual articles
- Ordinary and extraordinary general assemblies, board minutes, delegations of authority and the special reports required by law
- Commercial register filings, amendments and circulars of signature
- Share transfers, capital increases and reductions, and changes of directors and managers
- Shareholders' agreements and joint ventures
- Legal due diligence for acquisitions and investments
- Dissolution and liquidation of companies
- Commercial agency and distribution, including registration of exclusive agencies
Key texts
- Code of Commerce (Decree-Law 304/1942)
- Holding companies (Decree-Law 45/1983)
- Offshore companies (Decree-Law 46/1983)
- Commercial representation (Decree-Law 34/1967)
Maritime, Shipping & Freight Forwarding
Maritime and freight forwarding law is a core area of the firm's practice. We act for freight forwarders, shipping agents, logistics companies, cargo owners and their insurers.
Goods moving through the Port of Beirut and Lebanon's other ports raise questions that combine contract, transport and customs law. We handle both the documents that allocate risk before shipment and the disputes that follow when cargo is lost, damaged, delayed or held.
What we handle
- Cargo loss, damage and delay claims, for and against carriers and forwarders
- Liability of carriers, freight forwarders, NVOCCs, warehouse operators and shipping agents
- Bills of lading, sea waybills and other transport documents
- Freight forwarding and logistics service agreements and standard trading conditions
- Demurrage, detention and storage charge disputes
- Goods held or seized at port, including counterfeit goods intercepted in transit
- Ship arrest and other measures to secure maritime claims
- Charter parties and agency agreements
- Incorporation and corporate governance of shipping and logistics companies
Key texts
- Maritime Commerce Code (1947)
- Code of Obligations and Contracts
- Lebanese customs legislation
IP, IT & Data Protection
We help businesses protect their names, brands and creative work, contract for technology, and handle personal data lawfully, whether they operate only in Lebanon or also serve customers in the European Union.
Lebanon's Law No. 81 of 2018 on Electronic Transactions and Personal Data sets the local framework for e-commerce and data processing. For clients with European customers, staff or partners, we also advise on the GDPR, so that one set of documents and practices can satisfy both regimes where possible.
What we handle
- Trademark clearance, registration, renewal and recordal of assignments and licences
- Action against trademark infringement and counterfeiting
- Copyright and software protection, and patent filings
- Licensing, franchise and technology transfer agreements
- Software development, SaaS, hosting and IT outsourcing contracts
- Website and app terms of use, and e-commerce compliance
- Data protection compliance under Law 81/2018, including declarations to the competent authorities where required
- GDPR compliance: privacy notices, records of processing, data processing agreements and cross-border transfers
- Data breach response and internal data policies
Key texts
- Law 81/2018 on Electronic Transactions and Personal Data
- Copyright Law 75/1999
- Patent Law 240/2000
- Trademark Order 2385/1924
- EU GDPR (Regulation 2016/679)
Contract Law
A large share of our work is drafting and reviewing contracts, and advising on them when something goes wrong. We draft in Arabic, French and English, and prepare bilingual versions where the parties need them.
We draft with the Lebanese Code of Obligations and Contracts in mind, and with the realities of enforcement in Lebanon. For international transactions we also work with contracts governed by foreign law, including common-law agreements, and advise on choice of law and dispute resolution clauses.
What we handle
- Sale, supply, distribution and agency agreements
- Service, consultancy and outsourcing agreements
- Commercial and residential leases
- Employment contracts, confidentiality and non-compete undertakings, and internal policies
- Investment, management and operating agreements
- Memoranda of understanding and protocols of agreement between future partners
- Choice of law, jurisdiction and arbitration clauses
- Formal notices, settlement agreements and pre-litigation advice
Key texts
- Code of Obligations and Contracts (1932)
- Code of Labour (1946)
- Lease legislation
Criminal Law
We assist individuals and companies in criminal proceedings, whether they are bringing a complaint as the injured party or defending against one.
Criminal proceedings in Lebanon move through several stages, from the public prosecution and the investigating judge to trial and appeal. We guide clients through each stage and coordinate the criminal aspects of a matter with any related civil or commercial claim.
What we handle
- Filing criminal complaints and civil-party claims for injured parties
- Representation before the public prosecution and investigating judges
- Defence before the single criminal judge and the criminal courts
- Requests for release and appeals
- Complaints for counterfeiting and infringement of intellectual property rights
- Complaints related to online offences and misuse of personal data
- Defamation and offences against persons and property
Key texts
- Penal Code (Decree-Law 340/1943)
- Code of Criminal Procedure (Law 328/2001)
Tell us about your matter
Write to us or call the office. We will tell you who at the firm will handle it and what we need from you to get started.