Lara Barbary

Partner,
Dubai, UAE

T. +971 4 528 5555
E. lara.barbary@bsabh.com


Lara is a Partner in the Corporate and M&A practice, based in our DIFC office in Dubai.

With a Masters in Law specialising in Sustainable Development Law from the Universite Paris Descartes – a part of the Sorbonne – she has led teams in numerous high profile and high-value transactions for well-known international and regional clients across a broad range of industries.

Equally in the Middle East, working on oil and gas, real estate, hospitality, aviation, healthcare, education, technology and renewable energy industry projects, Lara is highly experienced in complex international business transactions. Her skillset covers mergers and acquisitions, private equity, dispositions, strategic investments, joint ventures, establishment of entities, and general corporate advisory work.

In terms of M&A, Lara’s expert knowledge spans from structure and strategy to negotiation and documentation, providing cost-effective due diligence investigations in diversified industries; including representation of parties on either side.

She also regularly advises on drafting commercial contracts, government procurement, agency agreements, sponsorship, distribution, franchise and sale of goods and services agreements. This includes providing commercial agency advice and coordination with our Litigation and Dispute Resolution teams, when the need arises to mitigate claims and negotiate terminations.

Fluent in English, French and Arabic, Lara joined us in 2010 from an international Agency for International Development. Lara also holds an LL.B from the Lebanese University.


Areas of expertise
services
  • Commercial
  • Corporate & M&A
  • Environment, social and governance
  • Regulatory & Compliance
industry
  • Real Estate
  • Energy
  • Leisure & Hospitality
  • Retail & Consumer Goods
Highlights of experience
  • Advising a Middle Eastern holding company in the negotiation and execution of a restructuring of the entity and its subsidiaries that included structuring for certain subsidiaries and liquidation and deregistration of others. The exercise further involved change of control and management. The company owns and manages total assets and investments for value exceeding AED 600 million.
  • Advising a private client on their USD 10 million acquisition of an organic vegetation plant in Ras Al Khaimah.
  • Advising on the set up and organization of a multi-million-dollar establishment of a bakery franchise, which includes aspects from the setup of multi-tiered company structures to the conclusion of master franchise and sub-franchising agreements and also the finalization of site licenses for the operation and construction of production facilities for the franchise.
  • Advising a big conglomerate on the set up and organization of a multi-million-dollar establishment of fitness related operations, which includes aspects from the setup of multi-tiered company structures to the conclusion of shareholders’ agreements, lease agreements, service agreements, concession agreements, consignment agreements and also the finalization of site licenses for the operation and construction of production facilities for the franchise.
  • Advising a GCC real estate business in the acquisition of a majority stake in several Oil and Gas facilities as well as contracting companies in Dubai and Abu Dhabi which further included due diligence, negotiating the terms of the transaction; regulatory advice, post-acquisition modus operandi and compliance with UAE laws.
  • Advising a contracting group on the acquisition of a 25% stake in an international Hotel, Ajman.
  • Advising clients on the acquisition and disposal of all types of property including all due diligence work.
  • Advising clients on the acquisition and disposal of all types of property including all due diligence work.
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