Middle East - United Arab Emirates
4

Banking and finance: Corporate finance (including Islamic lending)

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Stephenson Harwood Middle East LLP

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Stephenson Harwood Middle East LLP maintains a broad banking and finance practice, with a notable rise in project and real estate financing mandates, representing both sponsors and lenders across the Middle East. The firm is also active in multi-jurisdictional general lending, acquisition finance, and refinancing and restructuring deals, offering both conventional and Islamic finance capabilities. Department head Rustum Shah advises a diverse client base on a wide range of domestic and cross-border transactions, with a focus on Islamic finance. Murtaza Hussain is recognised as an ‘exceptional young talent,’ particularly for his expertise in debt and securitisation structures. Chinar Zaidi also comes recommended for her broad practice which includes project finance, asset finance and structured finance. Nijoe Joseph departed the firm in October 2023.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Murtaza Hussain stands out as an exceptional young talent in Stephenson Harwood's banking and finance team. He demonstrated a remarkable ability to navigate complex legal and commercial issues, skillfully balancing our interests as the lender with the developer's needs. His in-depth understanding of UAE real estate financing, combined with his innovative approach to structuring the facility, ensured a smooth transaction process.'

  • Murtaza Hussain's attention to detail in drafting and negotiating the financing documents, coupled with his proactive communication style, was instrumental in bringing our high-profile deal to a successful close. His expertise in both conventional and Islamic financing structures adds significant value to our transactions, making him a go-to lawyer for our more complex financing deals. ’

  • ‘Very experienced team in the UAE market.'

  • ‘Rustum Shah and Murtaza Hussain are easy to deal with and assist with finding solutions and working towards getting the deal done.’

Key clients

  • Yellow Door Energy Limited
  • Al Baraka Bank
  • National Bank of Fujairah PJSC
  • Commercial Bank of Dubai PSC
  • Emirates NBD Bank PJSC
  • China Construction Bank
  • ICICI Bank Ltd, Dubai Branch
  • Axis Bank Ltd
  • FIM Bank
  • Bank of Baroda
  • The Omniyat Group
  • Tufton Oceanic
  • Allana International
  • Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC
  • Harbor Group International LLC

Work highlights

  • Acted as legal counsel to Al Dahra Global Treasury Excellence Centre Limited, a financial and treasury management entity for Al Dahra Group, in a US$503 million syndicated facilities agreement.
  • Advised Yellow Door Energy on securing a US$26 million term loan facility from the Arab Banking Corporation.
  • Acted as legal counsel for Al Baraka Bank, Egypt in relation to a US$50,000,000 Working Capital Solution Murabaha Financing from International Finance Corporation.

Lawyers

Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Rustum Shah

Other key lawyers

Murtaza Hussain, Chinar Zaidi