SAAS advise international and domestic financial institutions across the full spectrum of banking, finance and insurance. Our expertise covers:

• Development of new financial instruments
• Loan, security structures and enforcement
• Capital markets and financing transactions (syndicated loans, bond issues, convertible bonds, equity capital, securitisations, covered bonds and restructurings)
• Derivatives and structured products (structuring, documentation, issuance, marketing and listing)
• Investment funds and other financial products

In the field of Islamic finance, our experience covers both financial services and Takaful, supporting banks, insurers and other organisations in developing Sharia-compliant products and practices. We also provide broad advice to (re)insurance companies on corporate, licensing and regulatory matters, and represent them before courts, regulatory authorities and arbitral tribunals.

Our litigation and dispute resolution work includes:

• Recovery and foreclosure proceedings
• Complex international disputes
• Banking liability
• Restructuring and insolvency
• Insurance regulation
• Broker contracts

We also assist with the structuring, issuance, and distribution of innovative insurance products, drawing on our recognised strength in regulatory, tax, and corporate aspects of the sector.

Experience:

• Advising a major Austrian bank on a large factoring operation in France, including contract review and guidance on French and European law.
• Advising a Swiss financial institution on loan agreements and security arrangements with clients in the Arab Gulf region.
• Assisting a leading Lebanese bank in a pool financing scheme for equipment leasing, including drafting the syndicated loan agreement, guarantees, and financial leasing contract, as well as reviewing commercial agreements with the manufacturer.
• Advising a French investment bank on a real estate asset-backed debt securitisation in Lebanon, including legal opinions, agreements, and the Offering Memorandum.
• Advising the professional body of the Lebanese insurance industry on establishing a legal framework for bancassurance operations, drafting comparative legal opinions and proposed legislative amendments.
• Providing recommendations to the Central Bank of Lebanon on the creation and regulation of the unpaid cheques department and drafting its internal regulations.
• Advising the Ministry of Finance of Lebanon on financial, public finance, and tax matters, including drafting and reviewing laws on life insurance and pension products (adopted by Parliament), financial markets, insider trading (adopted by Parliament), and lending interest rates.
• Representing a major Lebanese insurance company in a wide range of insurance disputes.
• Representing clients in multiple banking disputes involving professional liability, performance bonds, bank guarantees, insolvency, and restructuring.
• Representing a French credit insurance company in the enforcement of a French judgment against assets in Lebanon.
• Acting for a client in a dispute over wrongful execution of a bank transfer.
• Representing a Lebanese NGO before the UK Legal Services Ombudsman in a dispute with a UK bank over a wrongful transfer.
• Acting as sole arbitrator in proceedings between a bank and client concerning credit card legal issues.
• Representing the Lebanese Deposit Insurance Agency in litigation connected to the collapse of a major bank, including prosecuting former directors, executives, and debtors.
• Acting as president of an ICC tribunal in Dubai in a multi-party dispute involving several banks and insurers in relation to a credit insurance policy.