Alain Sfeir

Full Profile

Alain has twenty four years' experience in the Middle East with over eighteen of them in the Saudi market specialising in all aspects of corporate matters including foreign direct investments, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, joint ventures, and investment funds. Alain also advises on corporate finance matters including securities and capital markets and he has handled more than 14 capital market transactions including IPOs, rights issue and private placements involving leading groups in Saudi Arabia.

Alain advises clients of all business sizes from small and medium size institutions to multinational corporations providing them with a comprehensive full legal service. He has also assisted a large number of clients across all industries in connection with setting up and franchising their business in Saudi Arabia.

Prior to joining Clyde & Co, Alain was practicing in Saudi Arabia as partner at Abdulaziz Al Assaf Law Firm in Association with Norton Rose Middle East LLP.  He is a member of the Beirut Bar Association and is fluent in Arabic, English and French.

Experience

• Advising noon on its AED 1.23 billion (USD 335.2 million) acquisition of Namshi from Emaar Malls.
• Advised a leading Saudi real estate company on its SAR 64 million increase of capital by way of private placement for the implementation of its real estate project; advised the same group in respect of drafting its standard real properties sales agreement and relevant documents in accordance with key Saudi regulations including the recent Off-Plan Property Regulation, in connection with its mega real estate project in Saudi Arabia.
• Advised a major Saudi consortium in connection with the privatization of the catering division of the Saudi Arabian Airlines.
• Advised on the pre-offering phase (SAMA and SAGIA licensing processes), the offering phase and the post-offering phase - set up, incorporations and final registrations of ten (10) over 32 listed Insurance companies in Saudi Arabia.
• Advised two listed insurance companies on their day to day corporate and insurance legal issues.
• Advised a leading Saudi healthcare company, in respect of its private placement arrangement to raise capital amounting to SAR 500 million for the construction of one of the biggest hospitals in Saudi Arabia to be managed by a multinational leading healthcare group.
• Advised Saudi Fisheries Company on its SAR 335 million increase in capital by way of rights issue.
• Advised a Saudi leading industrial company on its full acquisition of its two subsidiaries and the conversion of the mother company from a limited liability company into a joint stock company and assisted the company in its pre-IPO processes in preparations for its initial public offering of 30% of its share capital.
• Advised Amana Cooperative Insurance on its initial public offering of 40% of its share capital equivalent to SAR 12.8 million and listing on Tadawul.
• Advising United Wires Factories on its initial public offering of 30% of its share capital equivalent to SAR 9.7 million and listing on Tadawul;
• Advised numerous multinational companies in respect of their foreign direct investments or joint ventures arrangements in Saudi Arabia through licensing and incorporation of various types of entities/branches under the foreign investment act to carry out their activities under the following sectors: services activities (IT, testing, maintenance, insurance TPA, brokerage …), industrial, trading and contracting activities.
• Advised a subsidiary of Global Investment House in respect of its acquisition of the Al Sawani Group.
• Advised a Saudi company in respect of its acquisition of leading IT Group headquartered in Cyprus with its 10 subsidiaries around the MENA region.