Hani Naja
Biography
Hani has been practicing since 2007 with a focus on M&A, reorganizations and post-acquisition integration as well as corporate structuring in the Middle East with a particular focus on the UAE and Qatar. His experience also covers general commercial contracts and advice on corporate governance and compliance.
Hani holds an MBA degree and a Master's in Management alongside his law degree. He is fully trilingual and practices in English, French and Arabic, all three at a professional level. Prior to joining Baker McKenzie’s UAE offices in April 2012, Hani worked as a corporate associate at an international law firm in both Dubai and Doha between 2008 and 2012 and prior to that worked at an FMCG company and a private equity group in Kuwait.
Practice Focus
Hani focuses on the technology and the retail sectors but he also gained substantive experience advising both companies and government agencies in the defense sector and had significant exposure assisting governmental authorities with developing their internal structures and drafting legislations. Hani also advised many diplomatic missions in the UAE with their overall legal needs including commercial and employment matters.
Representative Legal Matters
- Advising the world's leading company in electric cars and sustainable energy solutions with their GCC market entry and managing its special trading status.
- Advising the world's leading shipping and logistics company on the post-acquisition reorganization of its UAE and GCC business.
- Lead counsel for the Middle East and Africa region for one of the world's largest computers and software manufacturers. Advising on full retail operations in the UAE and coordinating wider region advice on matters including licensing, regulatory, consumer protection, leases, pricing, displays, and employment. Providing strategic legal advice to its business leadership on geo-expansion, product launches, compliance, commercial contracts, and risk.
- Advising one of the world's leading e-commerce platforms on a wide range of consumer related matters, regulatory and compliance issues.
- Advising the world's leading provider of medical equipment, products and services for dialysis and kidney failure.
- Advised one the world's leading defense manufacturers on their market entry in the UAE and managing its special status.
- Advising the world's leading security, safety and electronic locking manufacturer on their acquisition of a UAE company in a supplementary industry.
- Advising Christian Dior in respect of the restructuring of its joint ventures in the GCC.
- Advising Abercrombie & Fitch on its establishment and continuing business operations in the GCC in addition to advising on employment matters.
- Advised Mubadala on its joint venture with IBM to bring IBM's Watson cognitive technology to the Middle East.
Professional Associations and Memberships
- North Lebanon Bar Association
Admissions
- Lebanon (2010)
Education
- ESA (Beirut) in affiliation with ESCP-EAP (Paris-Europe) (Master's degree Management) (2006)
- ESA (Beirut) in affiliation with ESCP-EAP (Paris-Europe) (M.B.A.) (2006)
- Filiere Francophone de Droit Lebanese University (LL.B.) (2005)
Languages
- Arabic
- English
- French
Baker & McKenzie LLP.