Aref El-Aref is the Managing Partner of El-Aref International Law Office in Lebanon, where he leads the Project Development and Finance, as well as the Mergers and Acquisitions practices. He has been a partner with the firm since 2003 and has worked extensively on major deals across Lebanon, the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the United States.
He holds a Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, a Business Negotiation and Persuasion Certificate from the Wharton Business School, and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) in Civil Law from the Lebanese University Law School. He is a member of the New York State Bar, the American Bar Association, and the Beirut Bar Association.
Aref has represented clients in multimillion-dollar project finance transactions involving lenders, bilateral and multilateral agencies, and sponsors or developers in the energy, oil and gas, industrial, and petrochemical sectors. His work includes the negotiation of power purchase agreements, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts, operation and maintenance (O&M) agreements, utility contracts, and finance documentation involving multilateral and export credit agencies.
He has extensive experience in debt financing, including senior and subordinated debt, working capital loans, asset-backed loans, and convertible debt. Aref has advised on a broad range of mergers and acquisitions, including high-profile cross-border deals and the acquisition of publicly traded companies in the United States with assets in the Middle East.
Aref has also played a significant role in major infrastructure projects, drafting and negotiating concession agreements and securing leveraged financing arrangements worth billions of US dollars. His clients include Société Générale (Zurich), which he advises on trade finance matters, Novo Nordisk on compliance and transactional work in Lebanon, and the Kharafi Group on various projects. He also advises international corporations on regulatory issues, judicial reviews, and appellate proceedings before Lebanese courts.
His expertise spans arbitration and dispute resolution, banking and finance, corporate and commercial law, construction and real estate, energy and natural resources, international transactions, investment law, maritime law, intellectual property, and labor disputes.
Aref El-Aref’s combination of legal acumen, negotiation skills, and cross-border experience has positioned him as one of the leading figures in project finance and international corporate law in the region.
