The Middle East M&A Summit 2020, organized by The Legal 500, convened over 100 leading in-house counsel from across the region to discuss the latest developments affecting the in-house profession. The event took place on February 5, 2020, at the Shangri-La Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The summit's agenda covered a range of pertinent topics, including investments in the booming healthcare and education sectors, recent advancements in M&A processes such as due diligence and risk mitigation, and strategies for managing risks in M&A transactions within the Middle East. Additionally, sessions delved into the psychology of deal-making and the impact of disruptive innovation and technological convergence on the role of in-house counsel.
Attendees had the opportunity to engage in networking sessions and hear from notable speakers such as Adjou Ait Ben Idir from Norton Rose Fulbright, Dean Sheehan of PepsiCo, and Mohammad Tbaishat from Pinsent Masons LLP. These sessions provided valuable insights into the evolving landscape of mergers and acquisitions in the region.
The summit was particularly beneficial for in-house legal professionals seeking to stay abreast of current trends and challenges in M&A within the Middle East. It offered a platform for sharing experiences, discussing best practices, and exploring strategies to navigate the complexities of the regional M&A environment.
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Speakers(9)
Adjou Ait Ben Idir
Corporate Finance Lawyer at Norton Rose Fulbright
Adjou Ait Ben Idir is a corporate finance lawyer based in the Dubai office of Norton Rose Fulbright, covering the Middle East and Africa, particularly North Africa and OHADA countries in West and Central Africa. She is recognized for her experience in advising on mergers and acquisitions, privatisations, private placements, and international joint ventures across various sectors. Previously, she was based in Norton Rose Fulbright’s Paris and Casablanca offices and is fluent in French, English, Arabic, and Berber.
Arvind Mathur
Former General Counsel at GEMS Education
Arvind Mathur, formerly General Counsel of GEMS Education, the largest private school operator in the world, emphasized the stable returns offered by the education sector. He noted that parents prioritize the quality and continuity of education, making it a non-discretionary expense, and discussed the challenges new entrants face in building a brand and reputation in the market.
Chadi Salloum
Partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
Chadi Salloum is a partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, where he presented an overview of deal activity in the healthcare and education sectors during the summit. He noted that transactions in these sectors are being fueled by population growth and rapid technological developments, with each sector having unique drivers shaping the types of deals pursued and the approaches taken by lawyers.
Dean Sheehan
Vice President and General Counsel, Middle East and Africa at PepsiCo
Dean Sheehan joined PepsiCo in 2012 as Senior Legal Director and assumed his current position as Vice President and General Counsel for the Middle East and Africa in 2015. He leads a diverse legal team of 20 lawyers from eleven countries, 70% of whom are women. Formerly an M&A and corporate finance partner at a major UK law firm, Sheehan has worked on numerous major transactions since moving in-house, acting as project leader on both legal and non-legal aspects of M&A transactions with a combined value exceeding $1 billion.
Joanna El-Khoury
Senior Associate at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
Joanna El-Khoury is a senior associate in Morgan Lewis’s corporate team. During the summit, she moderated discussions to gain insights into why education has become a significant business in the Middle East, engaging with panelists to explore the factors driving investment and growth in the sector.
Mayank Dhingra
Senior Education Business Leader at HP
Mayank Dhingra is the Senior Education Business Leader at HP. He highlighted that the UAE is the largest education market globally, with over 600 international schools catering to more than 600,000 students. He discussed the attractive returns for investors in the GCC's education sector, noting profit margins of 20% to 30%, significantly higher than the global average.
Mohammad Tbaishat
Partner at Pinsent Masons LLP
Mohammad Tbaishat specializes in public and private M&A, joint ventures, and UAE regulatory work. He has acted for a range of clients, including banks, financial institutions, corporates, and private equity firms. Fluent in Arabic and English, Mohammad holds a B.A. degree in Law from the University of Jordan and a Master in Law degree from Harvard Law School. Prior to joining Pinsent Masons in October 2016, he spent ten years at a magic circle firm in Dubai.
Nadim El Haj
Head of Legal at Abu Dhabi National Hotels
Nadim El Haj joined Abu Dhabi National Hotels Company (ADNH) in October 2016 and currently serves as Head of Legal and a member of the Executive Management Committee. During his tenure at ADNH, he has been involved in the negotiation and closing of the AED2.2 billion acquisition of five Emaar Hotels in Dubai, one of the largest M&A transactions in the UAE hospitality sector, as well as multiple projects that have helped ADNH in its strategic shift from a management to a franchise business model. Before joining ADNH, he was General Counsel and Senior Advisor in the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Interior’s Social Security Fund.
Nils Vormelker
Head of Legal and Compliance, Middle East and Africa at Siemens Healthineers
Nils Vormelker is the Head of Legal and Compliance for the Middle East and Africa at Siemens Healthineers. He discussed the parallels between the healthcare and education sectors, focusing on demographic developments and the economics of consolidation. He highlighted the challenges of meeting growing demand for medical services profitably and the importance of understanding market dynamics in managing M&A risks.
Event Details
- Date
- February 25, 2020
- Location
- 🇦🇪 Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Shangri-La Hotel, Sheikh Zayed Road, P.O. Box 75880
- Audience
- In-house legal professionals, corporate counsel, M&A practitioners
- Attendees
- Over 100