Mohamed Ghannam is a partner in the Banking & Finance Practice Group of Helmy, Hamza & Partners. He is consistently ranked in the top tier for banking and finance by Chambers Global, and recommended by PLC Which Lawyer? for his project finance and cross-border finance practice. Mr. Ghannam serves as a governor of the African Law Institute.

Practice Focus

Mr. Ghannam focuses on project finance, major projects, mergers and acquisitions, oil and gas, capital market debt and transactional work. He has acted as counsel to many of the world's leading multinational companies and financial institutions in various industries - including those in finance, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and natural resources industries - helping them carry out high-value, precedent-setting transactions in Egypt.

Representative Legal Matters

Project Finance/Banking

• Acted on the USD3.7 billion project financing for the Egyptian Refining Company (ERC) greenfield refinery project in Mostorod, near Cairo. This was named Project Finance Deal of the Year for 2012 by the International Financial Law Review.
• Acted for the Egyptian Ethylene and Derivatives Company SAE (EEDC) in connection with the finance of the construction of an industrial complex, valued at USD1.25 billion, for producing ethylene/polyethylene products in El Amrya District in Alexandria. This deal was recognized as the 2012 African Petrochemicals Deal of the Year by the Euromoney Project Finance Deals of the Year.
• Acted for Egypt Hydrocarbon Corporation in connection with the construction of a USD454 million greenfield olefins complex consisting of a 2.5 MTPA naphtha cracker and 2 x 450,000 MTPA polyethylene complex at Ain Sokhna on the Suez coast of Egypt. This deal was recognized as the African Petrochemicals Deal of the Year by the Euromoney Project Finance Deals of the Year 2011.

Mergers & Acquisitions

• Acted for Promotion et Participation pour la Coopération Économique (PROPARCO) in connection with the USD20 million financing to Wadi Holding SAE.
• Acted for the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in connection with a USD200 million "A" loan and USD125 million "B" loan to the Egyptian Fertilizer Company which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Orascom Construction Industries.
• Acted for Al Mokhtabar Medical Laboratories in connection with its merger with Al Borg Labs.
• Acted for IFC in connection with its indirect investment of EUR80 million in the equity of Alexandria Portland Cement Company (APCC), a subsidiary of the Greek cement manufacturer Titan Group.
• Acted for Tri Ocean Energy SAE in connection with its acquisition from Sahara Oil & Gas Company a net undivided 80 percent participating interest in West Gebel El Zeit Concession.

Capital Market

• Acted as local counsel for the Ministry of Finance in connection with issuance of USD1.25 billion government guaranteed bonds.
• Acted for the New Urban Communities Authority on two issuances of bonds, each for a total amount of USD5 billion.

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Professional Associations and Memberships

• Egyptian Bar Association - Member
• Egyptian Judges Association - Member
• American Chamber of Commerce - Former Co-Chair, Legal Committee
• African Law Institute - Governor
• GAFI (Governmental agency responsible for incorporation of companies in Egypt - Former Member of Board of Directors

Admission

Court of Cassation [Supreme Court]~Egypt (2004)
Egypt (1985)

Education

Chicago-Kent College of Law (IIT)  (LL.M. Dean's List) (1993)
Harvard University  (LL.M.) (1988)
Cairo University  (LL.B. High Honors) (1985)