SAAS is widely recognised for its depth of experience in both general litigation and specialised fields, from cross-border arbitration and banking disputes to mediation, employment, restructuring, insurance and tax matters. Several of our senior practitioners––each with over twenty years of experience––regularly appear before higher courts both locally and internationally and have been involved in landmark cases reported in leading legal journals.

Our clients include individuals, corporations and state-controlled enterprises. Many of the cases we handle arise from large-scale construction, infrastructure or development projects undertaken by multinational companies or consortia, as well as from international commercial transactions in sectors such as telecommunications, distribution, banking, financial markets and shipping. We also act in shareholder disputes and in investor–state disputes under a range of bilateral and multilateral investment treaties.

International Arbitration

Experience:

• Counsel, CRCICA arbitration for a Lebanese contractor in disputes with an Egyptian owner over two hotel and tourism projects in Dahab (Cairo, Egyptian law).
• Counsel, ICC arbitration for a Lebanese mobile operator in a dispute with a Danish data clearing provider over alleged contract breach (Geneva, Swiss law).
• Counsel, ICC arbitration representing a Lebanese subcontractor against an American main contractor in a major Beirut infrastructure project, involving the Group of Companies doctrine, incorporation by reference and arbitration clause extension to non-signatories (Paris, French and Lebanese law).
• Counsel, ad hoc arbitration under Lebanese Code of Civil Procedure for a Lebanese chemical distributor in a dispute with its Saudi agent over agency agreement breach (Beirut, Lebanese law).
• Counsel, BCCI arbitration for a mobile network manager against a telecom distributor over a distribution agreement dispute (Beirut, Lebanese law).
• Counsel, BCCI arbitration in a real estate purchase dispute between Lebanese and British parties (Beirut, Lebanese law).
• Counsel, ICC arbitration for an Arab client in a dispute with a French defence company over wrongful termination of an agency agreement (Paris, French law).
• Member of Tribunal, ad hoc arbitration under Lebanese Code of Civil Procedure between a design firm and a hotel franchisee concerning construction of a five-star hotel, including IP and architect’s rights issues (Beirut, Lebanese law).
• Counsel, ad hoc arbitration under Lebanese Code of Civil Procedure for heirs of a deceased author in an IP dispute with a publishing house (Beirut, Lebanese law).
• Counsel to a German investor in a potential ICSID arbitration against Lebanon under the Lebanon–Germany BIT, settled during cooling-off negotiations.
• Counsel, ICSID arbitration as part of a team representing a foreign investor against the Republic of Lebanon.
• Member of Tribunal, ad hoc arbitration under Lebanese Code of Civil Procedure between a contractor and subcontractor on a luxury housing project in Beirut Central District (Beirut, Lebanese law).
• Counsel, ICC arbitration for a Lebanese–Qatari JV contractor in a FIDIC dispute with a Qatari developer (Doha/Paris, Qatari law).
• Sole Arbitrator, BCCI arbitration between a private bank and an investor on a fiduciary investment contract (Beirut, Lebanese law).
• Counsel, ad hoc arbitration (UNCITRAL) representing a Lebanese contractor in a construction dispute with a Qatari employer (Doha, Qatari law).
• Counsel, BCCI arbitration in a shareholders’ dispute over an industrial JV and ownership of a European-registered patent (Beirut, Lebanese law).
• Member of Tribunal, ICC arbitration between a Lebanese contractor and a UAE bank (Beirut, Lebanese law).
• Expert Witness (party-appointed), ICC arbitration between German and Saudi parties in a commercial dispute involving Arab contract law (Frankfurt, German law).
• Sole Arbitrator, ICC arbitration between Saudi and Kuwaiti parties on breach of a hospitality joint venture agreement (Geneva, Luxembourg law).
• Counsel, ad hoc arbitration (UNCITRAL) between a French defence group and a UAE company over wrongful termination of an agency agreement (Paris, Lebanese law).
• Expert Witness (tribunal-appointed), ICC arbitration between a German company and Libyan sovereign fund (Paris, Libyan law).
• Counsel, ad hoc arbitration (UNCITRAL) between a French defence group and an African counterparty over wrongful termination of an agency agreement (Beirut, Lebanese law)
• Counsel to a Spanish investor in a potential ICSID arbitration against Lebanon under the Lebanon–Spain BIT regarding a North Lebanon power station tender.
• Sole Arbitrator, ICC arbitration between Saudi and French parties in an IP dispute (Dubai, Swiss law).
• Counsel, BCCI arbitration for a Lebanese engineering contractor in a dispute with a property developer (Beirut, Lebanese law).
• Adviser to a Lebanese investor on ICSID arbitration issues relating to a potential claim under the Lebanon–Cyprus BIT.
• Counsel, BCCI arbitration between a design firm and a Lebanese employer in a construction dispute (Beirut, Lebanese law).
• Counsel, BCCI arbitration between Lebanese and Kuwaiti parties over breach of a franchise contract (Beirut, Lebanese law).
• Chairman of Tribunal, BCCI arbitration between a Lebanese contractor and Kuwaiti employer in a FIDIC construction dispute (Beirut, Lebanese law).
• President of Tribunal (ICC-appointed), ICC arbitration in a multi-million USD construction dispute between RAK and Dubai parties (Dubai, UAE law).
• Counsel, ICC arbitration in a joint venture dispute in Qatar between Lebanese and Qatari parties (Beirut, Qatari and Lebanese law).
• Counsel, BCCI arbitration in a FIDIC dispute between a Lebanese contractor and a property developer (Beirut, Lebanese law).
• Counsel, DIAC arbitration for a Lebanese hospitality franchisor against a UAE franchisee (Dubai, UAE law).
• Counsel, QICCA arbitration for a Lebanese contractor in a construction dispute with a Qatari employer involving lis pendens and anti-suit injunctions (Doha, Qatari law).
• President of Tribunal (ICC-appointed), ICC arbitration in a USD 30 million construction dispute between Bahraini, Korean and Dubai parties (Dubai, UAE law).
• President of Tribunal (ICC-appointed), ICC arbitration in a complex multi-million USD banking dispute with multi-party and non-signatory issues (Dubai, UAE law).
• Member of Tribunal, ad hoc arbitration in a multi-million USD dispute in the healthcare and medical sectors in Lebanon.

Domestic and Cross Border Litigation

SAAS commercial and civil litigation practice remains a core area of service. We regularly advise clients on dispute resolution strategies both domestically and internationally. Our expertise covers corporate and commercial matters, banking and insurance, shareholder actions, partnerships and joint ventures, takeovers and mergers, construction, employment, intellectual property and other specialised areas.

We provide full representation before all courts, as well as in administrative proceedings, pre-trial attachments, interlocutory proceedings, enforcement and insolvency matters. Our resources allow us to handle the full spectrum of disputes, from high-profile and complex cases to routine matters. For multinational disputes, we coordinate closely with local counsel when necessary, in order to ensure compliance with local law and best practices.

Experience: