Boustany Law Offices

The firm: The foundations of Boustany Law Offices (BLO) date back to 1897. Dr Sélim Boustany, brother of Soliman El Boustany, founded the firm in Cairo. It became a partnership when Maître Philippe R Boustany joined and managed the firm for more than eight years. Flourishing, the firm expanded and an office was founded in Beirut in 1939.

It was when Maître Soliman P Boustany took over the firm in 1953 that the scope of legal activity was broadened into the Gulf countries. The branching out towards Europe was started in 2000 by Maître Reem S Boustany, and then in 2007, with Maître Philippe S Boustany to reach Paris where BLO is domiciled at Carbonnier-Lamaze-Rasle, a well-established French firm.

BLO has become one of the leading regional and international firms in the Middle East and has proven over 110 years to be a pioneer in globalising the legal profession through its global reach from the Middle East, Europe and spanning to North America and south-east Asia.

Since its establishment, BLO has represented and advised several governmental institutions and a large number of influential and ruling families, namely European as well as international American and Japanese companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait, on general legal matters but also on issues related to oil and gas, civil works, dredging and banking.

Building upon this intricate and eminent heritage, BLO has developed high-calibre legal services, conducted by a culturally diverse team dedicated to maintaining a balance between constant innovation and quality-driven standards.

Areas of practice: BLO represents and advises local and international corporations, as well as high-end individuals, on a wide range of issues related to corporate, commercial and international operations and more importantly, oil and gas. In the last 60 years, BLO has been among the first law firms in the MENA region who have provided continual expertise in assisting its clients in the GCC countries and Lebanon in the oil and gas supply chain, and has provided pioneering consultancy for downstream activities, including LNG and Ammonia Plants. BLO lawyers have also acquired proficiency in environmental liability and regulatory compliance affecting clients’ turnover and businesses, in addition to developing expertise on renewable energy.

BLO also has extensive expertise in both local, French and international public law, banking and finance, maritime and air law, and advises on all issues relating to drafting legislation, freight, transport and insurance to shipping liners, ship owners, NVOCC and logistics companies.

BLO provides expertise in the distribution sector and assists its clients in their cross-border distribution agreements between Europe, Lebanon and GCC countries, with long-standing and in-depth experience in advising clients on franchise, exclusive distribution, selective distribution and intensive distribution, and consequently BLO assists its national and international clients in the protection, enforcement and utilisation of their IP rights in both contentious and non-contentious work.

The firm has also established a solid litigation, arbitration and ADR practice. Of particular note, the partner in charge of the arbitration department is a board member of the European Court of Arbitration.

For more information on further areas of practice and detailed relevant information, please visit the firm homepage www.boustanylaw.com.