Active work in several areas of Law, mainly Corporate, Commercial, Banking and Business Law. Render professional specialized legal services to local and international clients related to the organization and structure of businesses, corporate, contractual and commercial transactions, transfer of technology, privatization issues, mergers and acquisitions, property and real estate, environment issues, foreign investments, banking transactions and portfolio management. We have also been involved in establishing and representing investment funds for Lebanon and the MENA countries (Lebanon Holdings and others). Ghafari & Associates is a correspondent office to Stairs Dillenbeck Finley in New York, NY.

Firm founded in 1977. Specialize in providing legal representation to businesses and individuals involved in cross border commercial, banking, financial and securities transactions, and has since expanded its practice into media, entertainment, intellectual and celebrity property, information technology and the additional areas of law described below. Partners and staff at the Firm have fluency in English, French, German, Arabic, Czech and Portuguese. Spent significant parts of legal career with large international law firms and in legal departments and senior management positions with multinational businesses in the United States, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Maintain representative relationships with law firms in London, Oslo, Paris, Berlin, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Lima, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Guadalajara, Doha (Qatar) and Beirut.Through Ghafari & Associates in Beirut, we maintain a professional representative relationship with Law Firms in the MENA countries. With more particularity, the Firm has advised clients in the following areas, most of which I was involved in:• Commercial, finance, investment and merchant banking, including institutional private placements.• Project Financing and related banking issues.• Real Estate Law, including without limitation, mortgage loans, construction matters, and foreign investor issues.• Mining and geothermal property interests and concessions.• Off-shore insurance arrangements and off-shore trusts.• Transfer of technology, including computer software licensing.• Internet Companies.• Venture Capital and Entrepreneurial Companies.• Telecommunications and related technologies.• Tax planning for multinational businesses, Executive Compensation, Employment negotiation and estate planning for multinational individual.

General Counsel and Manager of Gulf Bank’s Legal Department, one of the largest banks in Kuwait. Duties covered both domestic and international sections with a large team of lawyers and staff of administrators, paralegals and secretaries. Responsibilities included: active representation of the Bank in all its day to day business and banking transactions; counsel to Chairman, CEO and Board of Directors of the Bank; handling all legal matters referred by management and departments. Practice involved: high level negotiations and execution of agreements and contracts pertaining to all projects, including but not limited to, real estate, commercial and industrial projects; setting up domestic and foreign corporations and monitored investments in various ventures; supervising and coordinating litigation of a variety of cases with the assistance of outside counsel in Kuwait and in overseas jurisdictions. Practice also covered: dealing with Central Bank and all government authorities; compliance, implementation and application of State laws and regulations into the Bank’s policies and daily transactions; being in charge of corporate governance, preparation and coordination of meetings for Board of Directors and shareholders.

Partner at Parson & Brown, a New York City based law firm with a professional affiliation at that time with the national law firm of Baker & Hostetler. Major practice areas included domestic and international corporate counseling, financings, mergers and acquisitions, securities, oil and mining transactions, commercial litigation, taxation, commercial transactions, banking transactions, investment banking, bankruptcy matters, real estate transactions and financing, intellectual property protection, telecommunication matters, and various other legal topics, issues and services. Practice included legal representation of American, European and Middle Eastern individuals and corporations. This involved great deal of negotiations and deal making strategies on behalf of a wide base of clients located in various U.S. States, Europe and the Middle East. Firm was acquired by Satterlee Stevens Burke &Burke in Manhattan, New York.

General Counsel, Senior VP and Manager of the Legal Department at Bank Audi (USA), a New York State chartered Bank, FDIC insured. Practice included:• Active representation of the Bank in all its day to day business and banking transactions. Responsible for handling all legal matters referred by the Chairman, the President, the Board of Directors, Management, and all departments at the Bank. • Practice involves high level negotiations and execution of agreements and contracts pertaining to real estate, commercial and industrial projects. • Involved in supervising and coordinating litigation of a variety of cases in various US States. • Senior Compliance Officer of the Bank. Practice includes implementation and application of Federal and State regulations into the Bank’s policies and day to day transactions. • Secretary of the Bank. Preparing and coordinating meetings for Board of Directors and shareholders. Drafting, implementing and executing corporate documents and resolutions. Provide legal counsel to the Chairman, President and Board of Directors of the Bank