Ifriqya Online Directory

• SENIOR LEGAL COUNSEL : VESTAS MED, VESTAS WIND SYSTEMS A/S 2020-Present
  World leader in wind energy, Vestas Wind Systems makes, sells, installs, services 66K+ turbines, generates 169+ GW in 88 countries, employs 29K.
  Handpicked as expert in renewable energy transactions, litigation, contract risk and corporate matters for MENA, EU, Africa.
  Reporting directly to the Managing Director for transactions and to the Head of Mediterranean division for business support; supervising two lawyers.
  • Business support: Support international business units, sales, commercial, construction, operational and procurement, in global onshore and offshore opportunities globally. Analyse and advise on private and public tenders, project finance documents, PPA, EPCs (in and out of FIDIC models), S&I, PSA, O&M, B2B segment, business development and local content. With bid management team, ensuring tendering and offers are competitive and compliant internally and externally, and with sourcing and engineering.
    Provide advisory on civil law, new technology law, IP rights, data protection, GDPR, and commercial law.
  • Transactions: Master leader in both internal and external negotiations for transactions ranging from 50MW to 1.5 GM. As the lead for the Sales & Commercial team, analyze, review, structure, draft, and negotiate, running due diligence. Played a key role in driving the tendering and delivery of projects spanning 50MW to 2GW across MENA, South Africa, North, and Central Europe.
  • Risk and governance: Support the Global Risk Management team in evaluating, comprehending, predicting, and minimizing legal, financial, technical, commercial, and political hazards, including those regarding accessing markets for intricate onshore and offshore deals. Offer optimized solutions to the regional team for PSA, JV and Framework Agreements
  • Compliance: Ensure regulatory compliance by managing corporate and compliance aspects for six companies in the MENA region and Africa through direct collaboration with the Group Compliance team. Manage the governance and compliance program for a large-scale wind power project by implementing sufficient policies, procedures, and controls.
• SENIOR LEGAL COUNSEL : STORENGY SAS, GROUPE ENGIE, PARIS 2018-2020
  An Engie subsidiary with 1K+ employees, leading in natural gas storage/security, renewables, and low-carbon geothermal energy, across EU/UK.
  Headhunted to provide renewable energy sector contracts and compliance expertise.
  • Business support: Supported management and operational teams in complex legal negotiations, legal notes, presentations.
    Provided daily advisory to business development and management. Interpreted business decisions as legal frameworks and documentation. Ensured compliance and managed risk, optimizing legal and strategic protection, including GDPR.
  • Contract management: analysis, drafting, negotiation, and advisory for LNG and gas sales, transport contracts, EPC, R&D, PPA, GPA, M&O, E&P NDAs, joint development and JV agreements, shareholding agreements, grouping agreements, subcontracts, inter alia.
    Follow-up of public tenders in France and abroad: drilling, gas storage, and geothermal exploration and exploitation. Related legal documents: IP and industrial property, R&D projects with French, EU and international partners across the private and public sectors and educational institutions.
  • Compliance: Ran legal and ethics due diligence processes, internally and with external counsel, for energy sector company acquisition projects in Eastern/Southern EU, Africa and MENA. Negotiated, drafted and concluded EPC/O&M for gas storage in MENA, France, UK and Germany (USD50M-USD700M).
• ATTORNEY-AT-LAW : CURTIS, MALLET-PREVOST, COLT & MOSLE LLP, PARIS 2017-2018
  Global AmLaw-200 firm of 300+ diverse attorneys across 16 offices, giving counsel on transnational transactions and multijurisdictional disputes.
  Hired to support cases under ICSID, ICC and UNCITRAL arbitration rules, in oil & gas, environment and DFI disputes (among states and state-owned entities in MENA region, EU and Africa) and those related to Energy Charter Treaty interpretations, applications, and litigation questions, including for intra-EU investment arbitration and cross-border projects. Supported domestic and international investment transactions: M&A, private equity, infrastructure and restructuring.
• LEGAL COUNSEL : BNP PARIBAS (IRB), LEGAL DEPT. INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, PARIS 2017
  International Retail Banking covers BNP Paribas’ global subsidiaries across retail banking, leasing, digital, investment, private banking, inter alia.
  Hired to manage advisory on wide-ranging banking and corporate law issues, cross-border litigation, mediation and dispute resolution, in line with the Organisation for the Harmonization of Corporate Law in Africa.
  • Ensured OHADA Bank branch functions, goals and governance and ethics policies align with BNP Paribas and regulations.
  • Completed and published a study and training on IBOR EU regulations and the implications for project financing.
• PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT : ALKILANI LEGAL CONSULTING, PARIS 2010-2017
  Specialist consultancy firm providing legal, commercial and human-rights business advice on inter-jurisdictional activity across Europe and MENA.
  Advised legal firms, international institutions, governmental agencies, multinational oil and energy firms, multilateral organizations and French business associations with MENA interests or clientele. Led analysis including risk mitigation, both in host-state relations and commercially, to facilitate investment decisions for energy, oil & gas JVs and investments.
  • Analyst for Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, on Energy Program and Political Risk for Oil Exports index.
  • Trained and mentored 200+ lawyers on key issues in human rights, democracy, the rule of law, constitutional law.
  • Invited to membership of CREDIMI for the Extractive Industries Source Book Project, a CEPMLP initiative.
  • Major clients: Freshfields, Eversheds, MEDEF France, Total France, ENI Italy, French Institute of Petroleum, International Energy Agency, Paris Chamber of Commerce, Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP.
• ATTORNEY-AT-LAW : AUGUST & DEBOUZY, PARIS 2007-2009
  Tier 1&2 French law firm with 180 lawyers in EU and MENA region, specialized in Corporate, Finance & FDI transactions
  Working with corporate, arbitration and project finance. Advised French and international clients on M&A, JV, JDA and FDI agreements. Reviewing, drafting and negotiating PPP, EPC, EPSA, PPA contracts in energy and infrastructure.
  • Commended for advisory to sovereign wealth funds (North Africa OHADA region).
  • High-profile successes with JVs and inward FDI, by navigating local laws, regulatory compliance, and risk management.
• PARTNER : AL KILANI & GHEBLAWI LAW FIRM, TRIPOLI 2000-2007
  Alliott Group member with Band 1 Chambers & Partners ranking, the firm was a regional specialist serving global oil and gas clients.
  • Leading a team of 7 lawyers to provide regional and cross-border legal advice in energy, foreign investment, corporate law, international business law, labour law and tax law. Petroleum and foreign investment clientele, incl. representation for tribunals and govt./EU agencies. Clients included: Total, ENI, Schaumberg, Noble Drilling, Repsol, OMV, RWI, Shell, Tidewater.
• LEGAL ADVISOR : UNITED NATIONS Geneva 1996-1999

• PhD in Law (Private and Comparative Law) : Université Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne School of Private Law 2017
  Research thesis: Petroleum Investment Contracts Stability – very honourable distinction with unanimous jury accolade. Supervisor: P. Delebecque
• LLM in International Business Law : University of Western Sydney, Australia 2002

Professional Development:

• Admitted to Bar : Paris Bar Association, France (Focus: Business & Public Law) 2018
• Admitted to Bar : Libyan & Arab Bar Association 2010
• Academic fellow : Centre for Energy, Petroleum & Mineral Law and Policy :Dundee University, 2013
• Cert. International Upstream Petroleum Licensing: Strategies for Host Govts. & Oil Companies : CEPMLP 2012
• Cert. Practical Contracting and Dispute Management in the Energy Sector : CEPMLP 2012
• Cert. Int’l Contracts: Negotiation, Drafting, Dispute Resolution, Different Cultural & Legal Approaches : PIDA, ICC Paris 2008
• Cert. Int’l Contracts: Drafting & Negotiation Dispute Resolution Clause : PIDA, ICC Paris 2007
• International Law Application & Implementation Difficulty : UN Humanitarian Law, San Remo Round-Tables 1998-2002

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