
Mohamed Ghannam
Biography
Mohamed Ghannam is the managing partner of Helmy, Hamza & Partners - Member Firm of Baker & McKenzie International. Mohamed heads the Firm's Banking, Finance & Projects, Mergers & Acquisitions and Capital Markets practices in Egypt. He is consistently ranked in the top tier by Chambers & Partners, IFLR1000 and Legal 500 EMEA for his banking & finance, mergers & acquisitions, capital markets and projects practices.
Mohamed has acted as counsel to many of the world's leading multinational companies and financial institutions in various industries – including those in the finance, telecommunications, healthcare and natural resources industries – helping them carry out high-value, precedent-setting transactions in Egypt. Mohamed Ghannam received his B.A. degree with high honors from Cairo University Law School in 1985 and graduated among the top 1%. In addition to his Master of Laws degree from Harvard Law School in 1987 and Master of Laws degree from Chicago-Kent Law School in 1993 (Dean's List).
Practice Focus
Representative Legal Matters
Banking & Finance and Major Projects
- Represented the Egyptian Government, acting through the Ministry of Finance, on the signing of a USD 2 billion syndicated financing transaction, which was the first sovereign debt that Egypt has raised from commercial lenders (“Debt Market Deal of the Year 2021 by Asian Legal Business (ALB) Middle East Law Awards, and Commodity Murabahah/ Tawarruq Deal of the Year 2020 by Islamic Finance News (IFN) Awards”).
- Represented the National Service Projects Organization (NSPO) on a strategic joint venture with Grifols, one of the world's leading producers of plasma-derived medicines. The collaboration is the first ever of its kind and is a significant opportunity to develop the plasma-derivatives program under the President's Patronage to reach self-sufficiency.
- Represented a consortium that consists of the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SC Zone) and the Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TESFU) along with a private-sector investors, including: Samcreete Investments Holding, Hassan Allam Holding, Orascom Construction, and Connect Information Technology, in relation to the project contracts and for setting up a specialized manufacturing company, the National Egyptian for Railroad Industries Company (NERIC).
- Representing AMEA Power in connection with the development of a 500MW solar plant in Aswan and a 500MW wind farm in Gulf of Suez on BOT basis.
- Representing the Sovereign Fund of Egypt in connection with establishing an SPV to carry out a project comprising the establishment, construction, operation and maintenance of 6 medical supplies warehouses in different geographical locations in the Arab republic of Egypt. First project modernize medical supplies storage facilities using high technology.
- Represented Hutchison Ports, the world’s leading port network, on its agreement with Egyptian Navy to develop and operate a new container terminal in Abu Qir, Egypt. The total investment value in developing the new terminal is estimated to reach USD 730 million.
- Represented Rawasy, a new real estate joint venture established by the National Bank of Egypt (NBE) and Banque Misr, in connection with an acquisition finance to that was divided into two tranches. The first part of the loan was from Banque Misr, Al Ahly Bank and Banque Du Caire to finance the purchase of assets from Talaat Moustafa Group’s (TMG) related to the Craft Zone Project in Madinaty Compound. Such assets are handed back to TMG for operation and investment under an Operation and Investment Agreement. The second part of the loan was in the form of a discounting facility against checks from Nour City owned by TMG. The aggregate amount of both tranches is approximately EGP 9 billion.
- Represented International Finance Corporation (IFC) on the financing package put in place to fund Pasabahce Egypt for Glass Manufacturing S.A.E., a subsidiary of the Sisecam Group and a leading glassware manufacturer.
- Acted on the USD 3.7 billion project financing for the Egyptian Refining Company 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 in connection with the financing of the construction of an industrial complex, valued at USD 1.25 billion, for producing ethylene/polyethylene products in El Amrya District in Alexandria. This deal was recognized as the African Petrochemicals Deal of the Year by the 2012 Euromoney Project Finance Awards.
Professional Associations and Memberships
- GAFI (Governmental agency responsible for incorporation of companies in Egypt - Former Member of Board of Directors
- Egyptian Bar Association - Member
- Egyptian Judges Association - Member
- American Chamber of Commerce - Former Co-Chair, Legal Committee
Admissions
- 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)
Languages
- Arabic
- English
Previous Offices
- Chicago
- Riyadh