Corporate real estate transactions increasingly involve complex structures and multiple jurisdictions. Delivering these to a high standard requires specialist skills and a deep knowledge of the real estate sector.

 

Our corporate real estate team brings together corporate, tax and restructuring lawyers to deliver practical, commercially focused and often tax-driven solutions to a wide range of clients. These range from MENA COUNTRIES and overseas private entities, trusts, funds and fund managers to listed property companies and entrepreneurs.

 

We are experienced in advising clients on:

• Corporate sales and acquisitions of real estate

• Property-related joint ventures and group restructuring

• Real estate funds

• Partnerships, unit trusts, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships and other tax efficient structures

 

Many clients choose to structure transactions using offshore entities and we are able to support them in this by project managing our extensive network of professionals in offshore jurisdictions.

 

We have particular experience of the hotel, restaurant, leisure and care home sectors, and have also developed significant expertise in advising clients on raising private and public finance for real estate transactions.

 

For legal updates and news, please contact  BACHIR & Associates

Our dedicated investment funds team specialises in all aspects of alternative investment funds law, including real estate, private equity, crowd funding and debt and infrastructure funds in addition to other asset-holding structures.

 

We offer our clients a full range of legal services from a fund’s inception right through to its dissolution or disposal, and encompassing potential restructuring, consideration of exit strategies, buy-out or portfolio sale.

 

In every case, our aim is the same – to provide clear and timely advice that enables our clients to achieve their commercial objectives.

 

We advise on:

• Fund structuring

• Taxation

• Regulation

• Financing

• Marketing and equity raising

• Establishment, operation and winding-up

• Reorganisation

• Investor participation

• Secondary transactions

 

The team is recognised for establishing and advising on both onshore and offshore structures, including traditional private equity type structures, limited partnerships, LLPs, companies and unit trusts. Together with our corporate and property transactional teams and our banking, employment and tax teams, we also provide seamless advice on the acquisition, asset management, refinancing and disposal of funds’ underlying assets.

 

We act for managers of, and investors in, alternative investment funds, who range from first-time start up managers and novice investors to those with many years’ experience. We advise managers on structuring, and successfully closing, tax-efficient and regulatory-compliant funds, as quickly as possible. We also advise potential investors on fund terms in the context of prevailing market practice, and negotiate with fund managers on their behalf.

 

The increasing level of regulation imposed on funds and their managers and promoters means that it is crucial for those managing, marketing or investing in funds to have access to up-to-date regulatory advice. We advise clients on all aspects of MENA COUNTRIES and international financial services law and regulation, including those relating to the marketing, establishment and operation of alternative investment funds, such as AIFMD and FATCA.

 

In order to provide effective and efficient services for our clients, we have developed close relationships with law firms, administrators, depositaries, custodians and other service providers in the leading offshore centres around the world.

 

For legal updates and news, please contact  BACHIR & Associates

Our planning and environmental team provide wide-ranging expertise and strategic advice on various matters.

 

Our planning experience includes:

• Complex planning applications

• Drafting, negotiating and settling planning, highways and environmental infrastructure agreements

• Appeals and high court challenges in respect of planning decisions

• Enforcement actions

• Developments affecting listed buildings

 

We also routinely advise on sundry development-related issues, including rights of light and highways law.

 

Our environmental experience includes permitting matters, public nuisance and water pollution, either as a stand-alone engagement or as part of a corporate or real estate transaction.

 

We regularly advise landowners on resistance to compulsory purchase orders and on compensation claims resulting from compulsory purchases.

 

For legal updates and news, please contact  BACHIR & Associates

Our team advises on all aspects of real estate development law, covering urban regeneration and development, including office, industrial and residential developments, on greenfield, brownfield and inner-city sites.

 

Working with a client base that includes both developers and those providing development finance, we understand the intricacies of the development process and have advised on many significant development projects, including:

• Industrial and distribution parks

• Office complexes

• Hotels

• Leisure

• Mixed use

• Residential

 

We have advised on a number of joint-venture developments and have acted for developers and registered social landlords working together to deliver residential development projects.

 

We advise on every element of a transaction, from heads of terms through acquisition, funding, compulsory purchase, town and country planning, demolition and construction to occupation or sale. Real estate development is a multi-faceted business and our clients benefit from the specialist advice of other BACHIR & Associates teams including planning, construction and tax.

 

Securing the best possible financial deal can be crucial to the ultimate success of a development project and we are proactive in helping clients to source the right development funding. We advise banks, institutions and developers on the different forms of funding, including conventional loan finance, forward sale and a variety of joint-venture arrangements.

 

For legal updates and news, please contact  BACHIR & Associates

Our real estate finance team is part of a cross-departmental group of lawyers with wide-ranging experience of working with MENA COUNTRIES and overseas banks and specialist non-bank lenders, together with investors and developers.

 

Drawing on our understanding of the needs of both borrowers and lenders, we are able to suggest innovative lending structures and mechanisms, while always remaining mindful of the need for clear timeframes in such a fiercely competitive environment.

 

With the increasingly complex nature of many transactions, which often involve offshore elements, our clients benefit from the expertise of other specialist teams in real estate, such as real estate investment, investment funds and planning, as well as the firm’s broader expertise in tax, corporate and construction. However, regardless of the complexity, our focus is always on delivering commercial solutions as quickly and efficiently as possible.

 

Our experience in real estate finance includes transactions on single and multi-let investments, development and redevelopment opportunities and the corporate structured investment vehicles that are carrying out such projects. We have acted on deals in the healthcare, hotels and student accommodation sectors.

 

We also advise clients on the acquisition of loan portfolios – a market that has become active as a result of concerted efforts by lenders to reduce their exposures. Typically this involves extensive due diligence on the underlying loan portfolio and the validity of the associated security. We are also experienced in negotiating the acquisition and handling other contractual documentation on behalf of the buyer.

 

For legal updates and news, please contact  BACHIR & Associates

Investment property is a fiercely competitive sector, with success dependent upon balancing investment with commercial imperatives.

 

We advise a range of clients and, by understanding the business sectors and context in which our clients operate, help them to find commercial solutions for their requirements.

 

Our real estate investment team comprises experienced partners and lawyers whose skills encompass acquisitions, sales, lettings, joint ventures, finance and receiverships, backed by in-depth market knowledge and support from specialist areas such as planning and construction.

 

Tax is a key aspect of any real estate investment, and our expertise in this area underpins our advice on the structuring and implementation of transactions; we have substantial experience of VAT and SDLT, domestic and international tax matters.

 

We advise on investments ranging from individual shops and industrial units to shopping centre portfolios, leisure parks, hotels and office buildings. We are active in purchases and disposals at auction and are renowned both for our responsiveness and our ability to stick to the tightest of deadlines.

 

Post-acquisition, we have a wealth of experience in property management, enabling our clients to maximise full value from their real estate portfolios.

 

In recent years, foreign investment in Beirut has accounted for a significant proportion of market turnover. Our international dimension enables us to advise overseas investors, both private and institutional, who are seeking opportunities in the MENA COUNTRIES property market, particularly in Beirut.

 

For legal updates and news, please contact  BACHIR & Associates

Although not primarily a contentious area, the nature of the real estate sector means that disputes do arise – whether over title matters, landlord and tenant issues or unauthorised occupation of land.

 

Our specialist real estate litigation team has the expertise and resources to handle property-related disputes of all types, delivering solutions that are practical, commercial and cost effective.

 

Our expertise includes:

• Commercial landlord and tenant matters, including opposed lease renewals rent recoveries, rent reviews, dilapidation disputes, matters concerning landlord’s consent or opposition to assignments, sub-lettings, and other disputes concerning the enforcement of covenants and the recovery of possession of premises

• Residential landlord and tenant matters including freehold acquisition and enfranchisement rights and service charge disputes

• Mixed commercial/residential premises

• Advising on and co-coordinating the obtaining of vacant possession of development sites

• Urgent eviction of squatters or other unauthorised occupiers of land

• Telecommunications – we have a specialist real estate telecommunications team that acts exclusively for landowners and developers on the management and removal of telecommunications apparatus

• Disputes arising out of the sale and purchase of land

• Disputes concerning rights or obligations relating to land including trespass, title disputes and ownership, rights of light, easements or other rights concerning land

• Advocacy in the courts and tribunals

• Insolvency – we have particular expertise in the enforcement of covenants against both current and former tenants and/or their sureties and the effects of insolvency on clients’ property assets

• Arbitration, mediation and alternative methods of dispute resolution

 

Our real estate litigators work closely with our real estate lawyers to minimise the risk of disputes escalating to litigation. We understand that disputes often take place in the context of a larger transaction that cannot wait on the outcome of potentially protracted litigation. By responding quickly and anticipating issues we can help to prevent problems arising or minimise their effect. We strive to achieve early settlement wherever appropriate, but are experienced in the tactical use of litigation or other forms of dispute resolution to promote the best possible results for our clients.

 

For legal updates and news, please contact  BACHIR & Associates

Our real estate occupiers team represents major office occupiers, professional businesses, hoteliers, restaurateurs and retailers, often with national portfolios, in their occupation requirements.

 

We advise on the full range of tenant work, ranging from a start-up business’s first office through to major head office moves.

 

Our deep understanding of the business sectors in which our occupier clients operate enables us to focus on what matters most to them from a business and operational perspective, so that we identify and implement practical solutions tailored to their specific requirements.

 

We help our clients to enjoy a seamless real estate service by working closely with the tenant’s team of property advisers, including surveyors, fit-out contractors, consultants and project managers to meet target dates.

 

If a client is setting up operations in the MENA COUNTRIES  for the first time, we are delighted to assist them by introducing them to our network of recommended and trusted professionals.

 

After acquisition, our expertise in real estate management and, should it be required, real estate dispute resolution, helps our occupier clients to maintain effective relationships with their landlords.

 

For legal updates and news, please contact  BACHIR & Associates

Our real estate tax team provides a wide-ranging tax advisory service to support our clients’ real estate transactions, ensuring that they are structured and implemented tax-efficiently.

 

Combining in-depth knowledge of the commercial drivers of the real estate sector with expertise in tax law, we provide clients with innovative, business focused advice that helps them to achieve their objectives.

 

As a multi-practice, international law firm we can also advise on joint venture structures and the use of partnerships in real estate acquisitions, and the establishment of collective investment funds for holding MENA COUNTRIES real estate for both resident and non-resident investors.

 

Our advice includes:

• Pre-sale and acquisition structuring, both onshore and offshore

• Stamp duty

• Stamp duty land tax planning

• VAT planning

 

For legal updates and news, please contact  BACHIR & Associates

Our residential real estate team advises domestic and international clients, ranging from individuals and businesses to trusts, on acquiring, owning and disposing of all types of residential real estate in LEBANON and the MENA countries, including agricultural properties.

 

We are also experienced in dealing with a variety of landlord and tenant matters, such as licences to alter, lease extensions and enfranchisement.

 

In addition to advising on the purchase and disposal of residential real estate, we provide a range of services relating to the acquisition and holding of real estate assets, including estate and succession considerations, tax, freehold acquisition and property development issues. We also advise clients on the acquisition and development of sites for residential and mixed-use development.

 

Our approach is both pragmatic and commercial, providing clients with advice that responds to market conditions and leads to practical solutions. Timing is often a critical factor in property deals so our partner-led teams are adept at acting swiftly and decisively where required.

 

We regularly advise private individuals on all aspects of residential real estate, but are equally comfortable offering the same level of service to onshore and offshore professional administrators.

 

For legal updates and news, please contact  BACHIR & Associates

Our real estate telecoms team is one of the few specialist teams in the MENA COUNTRIES acting solely for landowners.  This enables us to provide robust commercial advice to our clients without conflict.

 

We advise on the installation and removal of electronic communications equipment from sites including:

 

Installation:

• Wayleaves

• Rooftop leases

• Greenfield sites

• Implications of Code Agreements

 

Removal:

• Strategy for removal

• Serving of Code Notices

• Acting in proceedings for the removal of equipment

• Negotiating settlements

• Obtaining possession and removal

 

The team works with both residential and commercial developers as well as investor clients, occupiers and other landowners.  It is well respected in the industry and has in-depth experience of working with most of the specialist telecoms surveyors.

 

For legal updates and news, please contact  BACHIR & Associates