Professional notice
The Egyptian firm is assisting a Kuwaiti investor at ICSID
People in Who’s Who Legal: | 1 |
---|---|
Pending cases as counsel: | 80 |
Value of pending counsel work: | US$10.9 billion |
Treaty cases: | 2 |
Current arbitrator appointments: | 14 (of which 6 are as sole or chair) |
Lawyers sitting as arbitrator: | 1 |
The Egyptian firm is assisting a Kuwaiti investor at ICSID
Founded in 2009, this Cairo-based firm’s international arbitration practice works on oil and gas, telecoms, finance and banking and IT disputes.
The practice is headed by partners Mohamed Abdel Wahab and Ingy Badawy. As an Egyptian firm, naturally much of its work involves disputes at the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA). But it also has a number of SIAC, ICC and ad hoc proceedings on its books too. Moreover, it is involved in an ICSID case against Egypt, as co-counsel with Clifford Chance.
Abdel Wahab, who also heads the firm’s project management practice, has the biggest international profile of the group for arbitration. He is a member of the CIETAC panel of arbitrators and a recently appointed member of the LCIA Board. He was also nominated at last year’s GAR awards in the category of best speech, for a presentation at the Milan Chamber of Arbitration in November 2013 on “The Domestic Law Basis of International Arbitration”.
Who uses it?
Clients include Cemex, Bechtel, Crédit Agricole, Dragon Oil, Philip Morris International, British American Tobacco, Total, Egyptian General Petroleum Company, Mobinil, Alghanim Industries, Arab African International Bank and APM Terminals.
Track record
The firm has had a number of successes for Egyptian General Petroleum Company (EGPC). In one London-seated case, the client only got the firm involved 18 months into the proceedings, having failed to retain external counsel before that point. Zulficar nevertheless turned things around and won an award with costs in EGPC’s favour.
It also helped EGPC settle a US$200 million claim brought by Egyptian oil company PICO, shortly after filing a statement of defence.
The firm acted for an Egyptian developer, SODIC, in a US$1.6 billion dispute with Lebanese developer Solidere; a favourable decision on jurisdiction was delivered in 2013, which led to the dispute being settled the following year.
It also defended a subsidiary of Orascom in a US$390 million gas pricing dispute brought by two Egyptian state companies, EGAS and Gasco, at the Cairo Centre. Another result was making sure Arab African International Bank was excluded from a US$62 million banking claim by Kuwaiti investment company Osoul Holding Group.
Recent events
Alongside Clifford Chance, it continues to act as Egyptian counsel to Kuwaiti chemical products investor Bawabet Al Kuwait in a US$750 million ICSID claim against Egypt.
It won a partial final award for Egyptian telecoms operator Mobinil, part of the Orange group, in a US$1.8 billion claim against the country’s state-controlled fixed-line operator, Telecom Egypt. The damages phase of the proceedings is still ongoing. It also scored a partial award for a construction client in ICC proceedings.
It is acting for oil and gas clients in CRCICA and SIAC disputes, and in a number of gas pricing arbitrations. The firm is also providing legal expert services on UAE and Egyptian law in a number of high-value disputes, including one US$3 billion ICC case.
Client comment
Egyptian energy distribution company Taqa used the firm in a US$9 million dispute over the termination of a power purchase agreement. It says the firm’s “distinguished” performance was evident at all phases of the dispute and that its memoranda and exhibits were “superb quality and very comprehensive.The firm also provided “honest” advice over amicable dispute resolution.
Abdel Wahab’s “impressive credentials and superb knowledge of winning strategies are simply outstanding and world-class,” Taqa continues. He brings “professionalism, sharpness, hands-on knowledge, strategic thinking, and unparalleled expertise” and enormously impressed the tribunal.
Mobinil’s legal director Ayman Essam praises the firm’s expectations-management, response speed, industry knowledge and easily-understood opinions and advice and calls it “one of the best firms we have dealt with worldwide.”
Abdel Wahab’s methodology and construction of arguments was “truly remarkable”, the client adds: “He project managed the case from A to Z to an interim win in the first arbitration and an expected win in the second.”
Orascom’s contracts and claims director Engy Serag praises the firm’s “swift action” in responding to inquiries and its “credible and knowledgeable” answers. Abdel Wahab displays “profound expertise,” he says.
Our solid and world-class arbitration practice is founded on a combination of knowledge, expertise, creativity, and strategic dispute management. We pride ourselves as market pioneers in the world of arbitration, where we regularly prosecute cases under major institutional rules and in ad-hoc proceedings. The Firm’s Arbitration Group is successfully able to conduct international arbitral proceedings in diverse jurisdictions, under various laws, and in different languages with highest standards of efficiency and professionalism.
The Firm’s Arbitration Group is well positioned and recognized for successfully prosecuting high value and highly complex arbitral proceedings with an exceptional track record of excellence. Amongst its most recent case load are commercial and investment disputes pertaining to telecommunications, power and infrastructure, construction, oil & gas (including gas pricing disputes), hotel management, sale of goods, financial services, real estate development, maritime and transport, commercial representation, and joint ventures.
With a proven track record of success and owing to its unique standing in the region, we are increasingly instructed to represent investors and governmental entities in arbitral proceedings spanning the business and investment spectra under major institutional rules including the CRCICA, ICC, ICSID, LCIA, SIAC, etc., and in the context of ad hoc proceedings governed by the UNCITRAL rules, the English Arbitration Act, the Egyptian Arbitration Law, etc.
The Firm’s Arbitration Group is headed by Prof. Dr. Mohamed S. Abdel Wahab who, in addition to being a Founding Partner of the Firm, is recognized as a world-class leading arbitration practitioner, who regularly features in international arbitration proceedings as arbitrator, counsel or expert. The Arbitration Group also includes more than 18 highly talented associates who specialize in prosecuting arbitral proceedings across the investment and commercial spectra.
Growing at an accelerated pace, the Firm has already established itself as a market leader and precedent maker, where it is regularly ranked as the top tier practice in notable directories including: Chambers & Partners, Global Arbitration Review (GAR), Legal 500, IFLR and IFLR 1000. In 2015 and 2016, the Firm is the only Egyptian firm featuring amongst the GAR 100 Guide to leading international arbitration firms.
Find out more, please visit www.zulficarpartners.com