I&P (Ibrachy Legal Consultancy)

Firm Details:
Senior Partners: Ashraf Elibrachy, Sara Hinton
Managing Partner: Mostafa El Shafei
Partners: Sara Elshaarawy
Number of partners: 4
Number of lawyers: 13
Languages: Arabic, English, French

Firm Overview:
I&P, Ibrachy Legal Consultancy (formerly Ibrachy & Partners) was founded by Ashraf Elibrachy in 2006 as a de-merger from one of Egypt’s oldest law firms established in 1932. I&P started as a boutique firm aiming to provide premium quality service in its chosen specialist areas. In less than a year from its inception, the firm became recognised as a powerhouse that regularly represents leading international and domestic clients in complex high value and cross-border transactions. Now, I&P has spanned into a full-fledged law firm with three partners specialised in a wide variety of fields ranging from banking and finance, project finance and capital markets to mergers and acquisitions, corporate law, employment and PPP. The firm’s lawyers are fluent in English, Arabic and French and include an English qualified lawyer at senior partner level. I&P has acted on some of the largest and most complex transactions in the region and has a large, well-established international and Egyptian client base including corporations, individual investors, international financial institutions, private equity firms, NGOs, leading foreign law firms and governmental organisations.

Main Areas of Practice:  

Banking & Finance:
3 partners, 5 fee earners based in Cairo

The firm has extensive experience and in-depth market knowledge across a full spectrum of financing transactions ranging from traditional financing, conventional and Islamic finance, to highly-leveraged and complex transactions. It offers legal services to commercial banks, financial institutions and borrowers covering full range of financings including bilateral and syndicated loans, mezzanine lending, acquisition and bid finance, asset finance, project finance, PPP finance, real estate finance, debt restructuring and refinancing, multi-currency and cross-border financing, in addition to securities and collateral issues.

■Represented among other banks, Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank on an export credit financing agreement granted to Egypt, acting through its Ministry of Defence, for the purpose of purchasing 24 Dassault’s Rafale fighter jets, a FREMM multi-mission naval frigate and missiles with a total purchase price of USD 5.9bn

■Represented the Commercial International Bank, European Bank for reconstruction and development and International Finance Corporation in relation to senior and mezzanine facilities to partially finance the investment cost of the construction and operation of Bulk Liquids Terminal and ancillary facilities

■Represented Orascom Telecom Holding on a USD 2.5bn senior secured syndicated facility agreement to refinance outstanding amounts under its existing jumbo facilities as well as to cover working capital requirements

Key Clients: International Finance Corporation (‘IFC’), Commercial International Bank (‘CIB’) and Orascom Telecom Holding

Contact: Ashraf Elibrachy
Tel: +2 333 810 99 ext: 102 / +2 01001 007 303
Email: [email protected]

M&A & Capital Markets: 

4 partners, 6 fee earners based in Cairo

I&P advises buyers, sellers, financial advisors, minority shareholders and joint venture partners across a wide range of sectors. Experience includes domestic and cross-border, public and private transactions, demergers, spin-offs, joint ventures, leveraged and management buy-outs, cash and stock acquisitions and corporate restructuring. It also advises in a wide range of equity capital markets transactions including initial public offerings (IPOs), pre-IPO private placements, privatisation, secondary offerings, mandatory and voluntary tender offers and stock splits. I&P represents private equity firms at all stages of the portfolio company investment cycle, from new acquisitions and investment restructuring to the liquidation of investments by sale, recapitalisation or public offering. I&P also has extensive experience in advising boards of directors and independent committees in respect to corporate governance, compliance, restructuring and change-of-control issues.

■Represented Orascom Telecom Media & Technology Holding on the EGP 566.3m purchase of Beltone Financial Holding – one of Egypt’s leading financial institutions. The acquisition was concluded on the Egyptian Exchange through a mandatory tender offer

■Represented Egyptian American enterprise Fund, a US sovereign fund, on its acquisition of 70% of Sarwa Capital (owner of Contact Cars)

■Represented Abraaj Capital on the US$ 1.41bn acquisition of Egyptian Fertilizers Company, one of the then largest private equity acquisitions in the Middle East and North Africa

■Represented Sawari Ventures in respect of the establishment of a venture capital fund

Key Clients: Sawari Ventures; Flat6labs; Orascom Telecom Media & Technology Holding (‘OTMT’)

Contact: Ashraf Elibrachy
Tel: +2 333 810 99 ext: 102 / +2 01001 007 303
Email: [email protected]

Corporate & Trade: 

4 partners, 6 fee earners based in Cairo

I&P provides clients with a wide range of legal services including incorporation of companies, obtaining licenses and regulatory approvals, employment and stock option programs, and corporate governance, in addition to drafting and negotiating all types of commercial agreements such as agency, distribution, manufacturing, trade mark licensing, franchise, technology transfer, supply, franchise, advisory, management, lease, usufruct, trade and service agreements.

Key Clients: Oriental Weavers, Bloomberg, Kingdom Hotel Investments

Contact: Mostafa El Shafei
Tel: +2 333 810 99 ext: 202 / +2 01065 519 813
Email: [email protected]

Projects, Infrastructure & Construction: 

3 partners, 5 fee earners based in Cairo

The firm has a track record of advising on landmark projects involving both the public and private sector. Experience extends to most sectors including energy, ports, petrochemicals, real estate, telecoms and industry. PPP projects team members have advised in relation to every project launched to date under the Ministry of Finance’s public private partnership (PPP) program. Having advised the government, bidders, including a successful bidder, and lenders I&P’s experience in Egypt is second to none. The firm regularly advises in relation to EPC and other construction related contracts, financing, security issues, permits, environmental and other regulatory matters.

Key Clients: Egyptian Propylene & Polypropylene Company; European Bank of Reconstruction and Development; Oriental Urban Development; Aecom

Contact: Sara Hinton
Tel: +2 333 810 99 ext: 104 / +2 01005 005 060
Email: [email protected]

Energy & Natural Resources: 

2 partners, 4 fee earners based in Cairo

The firm has extensive experience of advising in relation to both upstream and downstream projects in Egypt. It advises on a variety of matters including concession agreements, PSAs, joint ventures, finance, acquisitions, farm-outs, as well as general contracting and operational issues. Their experience encompasses, oil and gas, mining, nuclear and petrochemicals projects.

Key Clients: Dril quip; Ethos Energy; TWMA; Kuwait Energy; Egyptian Propylene & Polypropylene Company; National Oilwell Varco

Contact: Sara Hinton
Tel: +2 333 810 99 ext: 104 / +2 01005 005 060
Email: [email protected]