Hani Nassef joins Helmy, Hamza & Partners, Baker McKenzie Cairo Strengthens its Corporate Practice in Egypt

Helmy, Hamza & Partners, Baker McKenzie Cairo has recently signed Hani Nassef to join the firm as a lateral M&A partner. Nassef joined the corporate team of Baker McKenzie Cairo on March 1, 2021 with an aim to further strengthen and enhance the firm’s M&A bench in Cairo and the wider EMEA+ whilst contributing to its ongoing transactional growth strategy.

As a prominent corporate and M&A lawyer with over 16 years of experience in Egypt and across MENA, Nassef brings a wealth of top tier transactional knowledge and excellent corporate client relationships. He has extensive experience advising both strategic and financial investors on a wide range of regional and international M&A, joint ventures, equity capital markets transactions and corporate reorganisations. He has practiced law in Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia and has on-the-ground experience acting on in-bound and out-bound M&A and other corporate transactions across the MENA region. He has also acted for a number of clients on transactions in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia and Europe.

Nassef joins Helmy, Hamza & Partners, Baker McKenzie Cairo from Eversheds Sutherland Dubai office where he has been a partner in the firm’s corporate practice group. During his time at Eversheds Sutherland, he has acted for a number of both public and private companies on a range of transactions, in the UK and overseas, including domestic and cross border M&A, joint ventures, equity capital markets, restructurings and divestments. Prior to joining Eversheds Sutherland, Nassef spent nearly seven years working for Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, in Saudi Arabia and latest as Senior Associate in Dubai. His practice at Freshfields focused on cross-border M&A (particularly private equity investments and exits) as well as equity capital markets. Nassef graduated from Cairo University with a Bachelor’s degree in law and he obtained his Master’s degree in law from Northwestern University School of Law based in Chicago.

Commenting on this significant appointment, Mohamed Ghannam, managing partner at Helmy, Hamza & Partners, Baker McKenzie Cairo and Mohamed Barakat, co-head of M&A practice in Cairo said, “With an increasing number of client mandates for our corporate practice in Egypt and the region, Hani’s hire comes at the right time to amplify our corporate and M&A offerings and enhance our ability to represent corporate clients and financial institutions in strategic transactions across the Middle East. As a highly regarded practitioner in this key field, Hani’s experience complements the existing team. We look forward to welcoming him to our growing corporate practice group.”

In joining the Firm, Hani Nassef commented, “I am incredibly excited to be joining the firm’s market leading corporate team and look forward to working closely with the Cairo office M&A team and everyone across multiple jurisdictions to further grow Baker McKenzie’s corporate practice and to continue to deliver a first-class legal service to clients “.