Corporate Advisory Team

Nazih Abdul Hameed

Senior Associate

Email: nazih@markazlaw.com

Tel: +965 2246-4640

Practice Focus:

Mr.  Hameed is a Senior Associate in the firm’s Corporate Advisory Department. He joined Al Markaz Law Firm in January 2010. Mr. Hameed is an English qualified barrister.  He emphasizes his practice in corporate and commercial law, construction law, mergers & acquisitions, Islamic finance, portfolios, Kuwait Stock Exchange (K.S.E), intellectual property, arbitration and general consultancy. Mr. Hameed holds over 18  years of PQE between UK and Kuwait.

Representative Legal Matters:

• Acted for and advised on a well renown real estate development projects in the region consisting of a group of islands in the United Arab Emirates, with a base line transactional value already in excess of KWD 1 billion (approx. US$ 3 billion). The value of the project has now been estimated as having quadrupled. The project consists of a group of islands created off-shore connected by waterways and consisting of multiple types of properties (residential & commercial).
• Advised a globally known company on the alienation of the franchise from the local sponsor, including avoidance of payment of compensation.
• Advised and acted in a number of multi-jurisdictional cases that included the development of the relevant business structures and execution of cross border transactions. This entailed advising on the incorporation of local entities with foreign participation, and the utilizing the clients’ sister companies in the respective business structure as components to facilitate the ability to provide diverse business objectives without any conflicts of interests between the multiple foreign parties and the client.
• Advised and acted on behalf of a client in the re-negotiation and renewal of a contract with a foreign government, which was subject to foreign government regulations.
• Advised a leading company on the establishment of an independent corporation by converting an existing commercial establishment license into a limited liability company license.
• Advised a Spanish insurance company on the most optimal structure suitable, in accordance with their business objectives including providing multiple forms of insurance to households and corporations, on entering the Kuwaiti market.
• Advised a major foreign entity on the establishment of a waste paper and metal processing plant in Kuwait, including but not limited to the mechanism by which the local party’s involvement in the business can be reduced, and the protection of the asset distribution in the event of dissolution of the business.
• Advised a client and its international subsidiaries on a potential claim against a listed Kuwaiti company (and its international subsidiaries) with due consideration to existing proceedings in various jurisdictions in different continents (Africa, Europe & Asia) associated with the same claim. This required navigating through multi-jurisdictional rules in relation to on-going litigation and other court proceedings, and assessment of the feasibility of initiating proceedings against the local parent company based on a guarantee issued by the listed parent company. The advice has led to commencement of the litigation.
• Advised and participated in the negotiation of inter-company agreements to eliminate any conflict of interest implications and successfully reduce the tax liabilities on behalf of a client that has several companies under its corporate structure, which are predominantly active in the oil and gas industry and desired partnering with a great many international corporations within the same field from jurisdictions of different continents (Africa, North America, Canada, China, Korea and Europe).
• Acted on behalf of leading medical company in the sale of its stake in a specialized maternity and pediatrics hospital in Kuwait. The stake is worth KWD 9 million whereas the hospital itself is valued at KWD 13 million. His role includes advising on the legality, suitability and adequacy of the deal, and negotiating on behalf of the seller.
• Advised a leading company in the oil and gas, energy and industrial sectors in Kuwait, on the purchase of a Drilling and Workover rig for the purposes of leasing it to other entities in the GCC region, in accordance with the applicable laws and the client’s permitted company activities

Languages : English, French and Arabic

Professional Association and Memberships:

• Middle Temple UK
• Law Society Kuwait

Education:

• LLB (Hons) University of Wolverhampton UK
• BPP Law School (Bar Course)
• Holborn College of Law (New York Law)