Mazen Boustany | People | Baker McKenzie

Biography

Mazen has been leading the financial regulatory practice at Baker McKenzie in the UAE since 2013. He has over 26 years' experience in banking and finance law in the Middle East and has practiced in the UAE for more than 15 years.

Mazen is a certified professional director from the Mudara Institute of Directors and a member of the UK Securities Industry Management Association. He is a DIAC-qualified arbitrator and is a registered practitioner before the DIFC courts. In 2012, Mazen was appointed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as a short-term consultant to advise on UAE legislative matters in relation to security laws. He is a recognized insolvency expert by the Financial Reorganization Committee.

Practice Focus

Mazen advises on all aspects of banking and finance law, including Islamic finance, structured finance, securitization, private equity, financial structuring and restructuring, cross-border transactions and investment funds. He is also experienced in domestic and international arbitration and is a qualified banker. He advises several governmental ministries and governmental agencies on all aspects of financial laws and regulations. He frequently conducts training sessions for corporate in-house teams on banking and finance law and regulation in the UAE. Mazen is involved in AML training sessions inside and outside Baker McKenzie and is intimately involved in clients' due diligence and onboarding.

Representative Legal Matters

Islamic finance

Advised on the refinancing of a district cooling plant of AED 1 billion using an Ijarah structure.
Advised on dividends assignment agreements of AED 500 million in the form of a major UAE Islamic bank.
Acted as transactional counsel in the listing of a UK Islamic bank on Nasdaq Dubai, the first listing in Dubai since 2008.

Conventional finance

Advised on the Middle East aspects of the acquisition by LGT of the private banking business of ABN AMRO with assets under management of over USD 20 billion.
Assisted with syndicating loans of USD 300 million and USD 450 million respectively in favor of local lenders; worked on syndicated loans to several healthcare provides.

Regulatory

Assisted with drafting the Primary (IPO) Market Regulations on behalf of the Securities and Commodities Authority.
Advised on structuring an e-payment system for the Central Bank of the UAE.
Represented several international financial institutions in their applications for regulating entities in the DIFC and UAE.
Advised several local and international financial institutions before the DFSA Enforcement Department in relation to investigations conducted by the DFSA.
Assisted with drafting the Financial Leasing Law on behalf of the Ministry of Finance.

Professional Honors

Awarded the CISI Level 3 Certificate in Derivatives, Securities and Financial Regulations and the Islamic Finance Qualifications (IFQ)

Professional Associations and Memberships

Mudara Institute of Directors - Member
Loan Market Association - Member
Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment - Associate
Securities Industry Management Association - Member
Beirut Bar Association - Member
Practitioner with full rights of audience at the DIFC Courts

Admissions

Lebanon (1997)
Dubai - Registered Legal Consultant

Education

Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment, UK (Qualified in Derivatives) (2014)
Mudara-Institute of Directors, UAE (2012)
Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment, UK (endorsed by the FSSC and the FSA) (2010)
Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment, UK (FSA Financial Regulation Qualified) (2010)
Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment, UK (Islamic finance qualification) (2007)
St. Joseph University of Beirut (LLB Lebanese Law) (1996)
University of Paris II (Master's Degree, Private Law) (1994)
University of Paris II (Master's Degree, Political Science) (1994)

Languages

Arabic
English
French