Alfahad & Partners (Consultants and Attorneys)
The law firm Alfahad and Partners (Consultants and Attorneys) was established in 2018 and advises clients out of its Kuwait City office. In the financial sphere, the firm has a particular focus on domestic and cross-border M&A work, especially acquisitions in which they work for clients linked with the banking and financial services sectors.
Alfahad & Partners acted as local counsel to Aviation Lease and Finance Co. KSCP (ALAFCO) in the sale of all its assets, including aircraft and order books, to subsidiaries of Macquarie Group. The team was led by Dr. Faisal Alfahad and the transaction closed in August 2024.
The firm also advises the Family Office in its registration and onboarding process before the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) in Kuwait. This includes providing legal guidance on CMA requirements, ensuring the client adheres to local regulations, and addressing any compliance obligations. The firm act as local counsel and advisory is currently ongoing.
Kuwait Finance House (Bank); Warba Bank; ALAFCO Aviation Lease and Finance Co. KSCP; Alghanim & Sons; The Family Office; Al Imtiaz Investment Group KSCP
Al-Hossam Legal
Al-Hossam
Legal
is a Kuwaiti law firm with
vast experience in advising on a wide array of financial and corporate transactions. It has its offices in Kuwait City.
The firm has decades of experience in advising clients on banking and finance, M&A, and capital markets transactions. The firm is particularly active
in advising on M&A deals and
the equity side of capital
markets transactions such as mergers, rights
issues and initial public offerings for clients in the banking sector. The firm also advises on debt capital
markets, especially
bond issuances.
National Industries Holding Company, Kuwait Financial Centre, Gulf Bank, Al-Ahli Bank,
Boubyan Bank,
Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company, Kamco Investment Company, National Industries Group Holdings, Boubyan Petrochemical Company
ASAR - Al Ruwayeh & Partners
Kuwaiti law firm ASAR - Al Ruwayeh & Partners was founded in 1977. The firm has offices in both Kuwait City and Manama, Bahrain. The firm is led by managing partner Ezekiel Tuma.
In the financial and corporate practice, the firm's work focuses on acquisitions for clients connected with financial services, retail and logistics whilst in project development the firm works on both energy and infrastructure projects for clients connected with the financial services, transportation and energy sectors.
ASAR Kuwait acted as Kuwait law counsel to multiple banks acting as the Managers in relation to the issuance by KFH Sukuk Company of U.S.$ 1,000,000,000 5.376% trust certificates due 2030 under its U.S.$4,000,000,000 Trust Certificate Issuance Programme. The transaction was led by Rob Little and John Cunha and closed in January 2025.
The firm also provided legal advice and services to Beyon in connection with its bid for the PPP project launched by the Kuwait Authority for Partnership Projects (KAPP) and the Ministry of Communications for the building, development, maintenance and operation of Kuwait’s fixed telecommunication network. This included reviewing the tender documents, conducting an assessment and producing a legal report, and addressing the client’s queries on tender documents, the PPP framework, and the procurement process. Their work is currently ongoing, but a project a bid was submitted to KAPP in March 2025.
HSBC; National Bank of Kuwait; Engie; Macquarie Air Finance Group; Magrabi Group; WTE Wassertechnik GmbH; ACWA Power; Gulf Investment Corporation; Bahrain Telecommunication Company BSC (Beyon)
“The firm has thorough legal knowledge and good business sense. They are honest, straightforward and easy to deal with.” (M&A)
“They are very responsive and have a good attitude and approach.” (M&A)
“ASAR were very easy to work with. They were approachable and responsive whenever we needed them. They offered a combination of local expertise with an understanding of how a global company such as ours works.” (Project Development)
“I found their approach to be commercial and practical, and they helped us to secure progress despite challenging circumstances. They were often prepared to work on our matters despite being on leave and went above and beyond to help us achieve the desired result.” (Project Development)
“The ASAR team are market leaders in Kuwait. Ezekiel Tuma, Akusa Batwala, and others in the ASAR team were able to point to comparable projects they have advised on in Kuwait in order to explain what terms the Kuwaiti authorities were likely to accept based on precedent.” (Project Development)
“The ASAR team is highly knowledgeable about local Kuwaiti laws and regulations, both as regards what the law currently says, how it is likely to evolve in the future and how it is actually enforced in practice.” (Project Development)
“Akusa Batwala has bas been based in Kuwait for many years and is one of the most experienced lawyers based there on the ground. International law firms and clients are able to depend on her local insights and expertise, which gives considerable comfort to those who are not as familiar with Kuwait.” (Project Development)
“Ezekiel Tuma is very knowledgeable about Kuwait law, but it also able to guide us as to how laws are implemented and enforced in practice. As someone who has been on the ground in Kuwait for many years, he has a very strong read of the market; clients value this a lot and the insights he can offer in this regard.” (Project Development)
“Luis Cunha is responsive and pragmatic.” (M&A)
“Luis Cunha is proactive, commercial and driven. He is solutions orientated and effectively used lateral thinking to achieve solutions to protracted problems. He frequently worked on our file while out of the office which was appreciated.” (Project Development)
“Mustafa Sayed very ably assisted Luis Cunha throughout this transaction. He was diligent and responsive throughout and became a trusted member of our team.” (Project Development)
“Sam Habbas has deep local knowledge, thinks with the business, offers creative solutions, and is service oriented.” (M&A)
GLA & Company
GLA & Company is a regional MENA-based law firm with offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Kuwait, Cairo and Beirut and is led by managing partner Alex Saleh. In the State of Kuwait, GLA & Co operates under Gulf Lawyers & Legal Advisors Company, W.L.L., a Kuwaiti professional limited liability company with full rights of audience in all Kuwaiti courts.
In financial and corporate work, the firm focused on acquisitions and financing for a wide variety of clients including many from the banking sector whilst in projects the firm works on both energy and infrastructure projects.
GLA & Co. acted as local counsel to Zain Group in its acquisition of a 70% stake in IHS Kuwait Limited from IHS Holding Limited, bringing Zain’s total ownership to 100%. The team was led by Rana El Nahal and advised on all local law matters, including legal due diligence, transaction structuring, regulatory approvals, and negotiation of the share purchase agreement. The transaction closed in November 2025.
The firm also advised EnerTech in relation to Project GEO, an integrated green hydrogen project. The team, led by Alex Saleh, served as lead counsel and handled the negotiation and finalization of the term sheet agreement with consortium partners. Phase two of the project was completed in September 2024 and phase three is currently ongoing.
Partner Ashraf Hendi joined the Banking & Finance team from Matouk Bassiouny in October 2024 and partner Rana El Nahal joined the Corporate M&A team from Zulficar & Partners in November 2024.
Partner Yousef Al Amly moved to Norton Rose in August 2024.
ACWA Power Company; Cognita Middle East Holdings Limited; Al Ansari Financial Exchange; Zain Group; ICBC – Industrial and Commercial Bank of China; National Company for Education Services and Training (NEST); National Technology Enterprises Company (NTEC); Enertech; Hayat Communication
“GLA & Company combined strong knowledge of Kuwait Law with international finance standards, offering clear and practical advice that balanced legal risk with business needs. Their responsiveness, bilingual capability, and familiarity with Kuwait requirements and market practice made the process efficient and effective.” (Banking & Finance)
“Overall, I believe GLA's depth of legal expertise, tailored approach, technical legal excellence, client-centric service, and strong industry reputation make them an ideal partner for this type of legal engagement.” (Project Development
"I am confident in their ability to provide high-quality legal counsel and support us in achieving our goals.” (Project Development)
“Alex Saleh is highly respected in Kuwait for his deep expertise in banking and finance. He is known for his impactful role in shaping the framework of financial institutions and for guiding complex transactions with clarity and commercial insight. His combination of local regulatory knowledge and international market practice makes him a trusted advisor on high-profile matters.” (Banking & Finance)
“Mohammed Al Awadhi is highly effective at breaking down complex issues and tailoring his advice to our commercial needs. He is responsive, clear in his guidance, and combines local knowledge with an understanding of international market practice, which makes his input both reliable and practical for our transactions.” (Banking & Finance)
"Nader Al-Awadhi stands out for his depth of legal expertise, strategic thinking, effective advocacy skills, client-centric service approach, and technical legal excellence. These qualities make him a valuable asset to his clients.” (Project Development)
Meysan
Meysan Partners is a Kuwait headquartered corporate law firm. Founded in 2015 it is led by managing partner
Bader El-Jeaan and has operations across the Middle East.
The firm boasts an active capital markets practice, which has experience encompassing the complete spectrum of equity, debt and hybrids instruments. The practice does predominantly issuer side work and advises on financing mandates.
The firm is also present in M&A where it advises on deals of varying size and complexity.
Meysan acted as legal counsel to a Kuwait-based consortium in the acquisition of UK football club, Milton Keynes Dons Football Club (MK Dons) and its associated entities. This included conducting due dilignece, drafting and negotiation the acquisition agreement, and overseeing the legl aspects of the finalization process. The transaction closed in August 2024.
The firm also acted for Agility Public Warehousing Company in the spin-off of core assets, and in a simultaneous de-listing and listing of shares between the Kuwaiti and UAE stock exchanges. The team was led by Bader El-Jean and Tarek Yehya and the transaction closed in May 2024.
Milton Keynes Dons Football Club (MK Dons); Agility Public Warehousing Company KSCP; Beyout Investment Group Holding (BIG); UPayments; Gulf Insurance Group K.S.C.P. (GIG)
Testimonials 2023-2024
“Flexible with approach and scope. Quality of work as well as understanding of local rules and regulations.” (Capital Markets: Equity)
“Meysan is unique in that they only assume lead counsel roles on transactions. Their lawyers all came from senior positions in international firms and so are confident and experienced in negotiating and leading the most complex and high-value transactions, whether M&A or capital markets.” (M&A)
“My experience with Meysan Partners has exceeded my expectations in every aspect. From start to finish, they show unparalleled professionalism, expertise, and dedication. One aspect that particularly stood out was their proactive approach to identifying and mitigating potential issues before they arise. Their strategic planning were instrumental in navigating seamlessly through some of the challenges, ensuring that a particular transaction progresses smoothly and efficiently.” (M&A)
“I enjoy dealing with Bader El-Jeaan and Michel Ghanem. They are always professional, courteous and detail oriented and think outside the box. Also, they are always reachable and ready to go above and beyond to help us solve our legal issues.” (M&A)
“The Meysan team has been extremely pro-active and going above and beyond to meet our needs in a very tight timeline. This includes liaising with the regulators and also coordinating with the local governmental bodies to expedite the process, on several occasions. Moreover, the innovative solutions and expertise regarding how to structure such a transaction on such a large scale since it involved the restructuring of more than 100 companies on a global basis among others were excellent. What really makes them stand out is their level of professionalism, they supported us throughout this transaction which took months to finalise.” (Restructuring)
Bader El Jeaan
“Bader El-Jeaan is perhaps the leading M&A lawyer in the region. He's adept at not only executing high-value M&A deals, but creating precedent transactions for the region. Recently, he's noted as the strategist of our firm’s recent moves, a transaction that's reverberated in Kuwait and which is likely to trigger others to follow.”
“I had the pleasure of working with Bader for several years on various transactions and his out-of-the-box thinking coupled with his in-depth knowledge and experience were every time instrumental in achieving a successful outcome.”
“Bader is an extremely knowledgeable attorney and his attention to detail is remarkable. Bader has worked for our firm on a number of large transactions (in Kuwait and overseas) and his continuous feedback and support, along with his project planning skills and dedication throughout these projects are invaluable. His vision and deep understanding of our business’ needs differentiates him from others.”
Michel Ghanem
“He communicates, responds, assigns, delegates and provides innovate solutions.”
Tarek Yahya
“Provides innovative solutions to issues.”
Abdullah Kh Al-Ayoub & Associates
Founded in 1982, Abdullah Kh Al-Ayoub & Associates is a full-service law firm in Kuwait and is led by its founder and managing partner Mr Abdullah Kh. Al-Ayoub.
The firm advises on financial and corporate transactions including international business transactions, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and finance. The firm has considerable experience in dealing with financial institutions and companies within Middle East and across Europe, Asia and the United States.
Al Markaz Law Firm
Founded in 1983, Al Markaz Law Firm is situated at the heart of Kuwait City.
The firm’s banking offering has wide-ranging expertise in domestic and international work and serves both Islamic and conventional commercial banks, investment companies, funds and other financial institutions.
In project development the firm works on infrastructure project deals for clients connected with the energy or public sectors.
Key clients
Key clients include ABB Utilities, Al Bassam Engineering, Al Masar Leasing & Investment, Arabian Capital Investment and Finance, Bank Muscat, China Export & Credit Insurance Cooperation, Coutts Bank, Gianni, Hyundai Heavy Industries, Kuehne & Nagel, Optima Solutions, RBS International, Skycom Express, Tencent Gaming, Rheinland Kuwait, Xiaomi Corporation and Xpress Money.
Al Yaqout and Al Fouzan Legal Group
With offices in Kuwait and Dubai,
Al Yaqout and Al Fouzan Legal Group is a dynamic Middle Eastern law firm. It was formed in 1954 in Kuwait and is presently led by managing partner Mr, Khalifah Al-Yaqout.
The firm is highly active in the Kuwaiti financial and corporate sphere. It has a track record in industries which had previously lacked legal support in the country such as logistics and TMT, where the firm has advised start-ups in the country’s booming tech sector.
Key clients
Key clients of the firm include NAOS, SRT Marine Systems, Bolt, Jahez, Tamdeen, Kuwait Authority for Partnership Project (KAPP), TIM, J3 for Management and Development of Land and Real Estate, S3 Project for Management and Development of Land and Real Estate, and Mabanee Co.
Al-Hamad Legal Group
Al-Hamad Legal Group is headquartered in Kuwait City and was founded by Ms. Rana Yacoub Al-Hamad in 2003.
The firm’s main specialism is banking and finance, both conventional and Islamic, with expertise in aircraft financing, PPP/PFI financing, capital markets and investment funds.
It has strong capabilities in PPP project work in Kuwait and regionally. Its practice spans the broad area of project development across several sectors.
Key clients
Key clients of the firm include Crimson International Investment, Enertech Holding Company, Alternative Energy Projects Company, Alshahara General Trading & Alhashemia Aviation, V2X, Kuwait Cement Ready Mix Company, and First Group for Trading and Contracting.
International Counsel Bureau
The International Counsel Bureau was established in 1994 by Abdul Rahman Al Haroun. He was later joined by Ghazi Al Qahtani in 1998. The firm is presently led by managing partner Aisha Al Nesef and has an office in Kuwait City.
In financial and corporate work, the firm has been active in a wide variety of work including mergers, restructurings, investments, bond issuances and loan financing for clients.
Key clients
Key clients of the firm include EQUATE Petrochemicals Company, Kuwait Finance House, Talabat, Tabby, and KPC.
Taher Group Law Firm Company for Litigation and Legal Consultation
Taher Group Law Firm was established in 1969 is presently led by Dr Fawaz Alkhateeb the firm’s managing partner. Besides its main location in Kuwait City, the firm also has an office in Cairo.
The firm is active in financial and corporate areas such as banking, capital markets, M&A, regulatory and PPP, with a high volume of transactions completed each year. Its clients operate in several sectors, including healthcare, services, investments and construction.
Key clients
Key recent clients include Marafie Group, Commercial Real Estate Company, Credit and Information Networks, Unicap Investment and Networks, and CBRE Danish RE Holding.
