General Counsel (Group Head of Legal & Compliance)
Kown Holding
مجموع سنوات الخبرة :41 years, 5 أشهر
• Reporting to the Chairman and CEO on all legal and compliance matters.
• Designing the corporate structure of the group.
• Centralizing the management of all projects and investments under the umbrella of Kown Holding HQ in Qatar.
• Establishing the legal and compliance departments all over the Group.
• Board member for several companies within the Group.
• Issuing all the required licenses and permits to ensure the proper compliance of the operations.
• Drafting and reviewing all commercial and operational agreements.
• Drafting and reviewing all M&As, JVs, SPAs, cooperation and partnership agreements.
• Negotiating new business opportunities.
• Advising the Group Chairman, Group CEO and Group CFO on business/operation matters.
• Supporting the business stakeholders and other departments of the Group.
• Managing all disputes and legal cases.
• Registrations of new companies under the group.
• Managing strategic government relations matters.
• Setting internal policies to align with the Group’s management strategies.
• Managing the relationships and communicating with all external law firms and lawyers in different countries.
• Supporting the top management with all its new and start-up businesses.
• Supporting in the preparation, submission, winning of tenders and bids, whether governmental or private sector projects.
I joined Kown Holding Group on the 1st of June 2022 as the Group Head of Legal & Compliance. Kown Holding Group is a new startup investment holding company that has several investments in Iraq, Turkey, UAE, Jordan, UK and other countries, in different investments industries such as real estate development, constructions, tobacco, dairy, education, health and medical, hospitality and hotels, restaurants, governmental tenders, fertilizers, chemical, oil and gas, logistics, brands and retail, and many other projects from different industries. Major responsibilities include:
• Designing the corporate structure of the group.
• Centralizing the management of all projects and investments under the umbrella of Kown Holding HQ in Qatar.
• Establishing the legal and compliance departments all over the Group.
• Board member for several companies within the Group.
• Issuing all the required licenses and permits to ensure the proper compliance of the operations.
• Drafting and reviewing all commercial and operational agreements.
• Drafting and reviewing all M&As, JVs, SPAs, cooperation and partnership agreements.
• Negotiating new business opportunities.
• Advising the Group Chairman, Group CEO and Group CFO on business/operation matters.
• Supporting the business stakeholders and other departments of the Group.
• Managing all disputes and legal cases.
• Registrations of new companies under the group.
• Managing strategic government relations matters.
• Setting internal policies to align with the Groups management strategies.
• Managing the relationships and communicating with all external law firms and lawyers in different countries.
• Supporting the top management with all its new and start-up businesses .
• Supporting in the preparation, submission, winning of tenders and bids, whether governmental or private sector projects.
• Establishing a solid legal and compliance department that has a stable and organized service providing processes.
• Managing all matters related to Samsung’s licenses and ensure the compliance of the company’s obligations within its licenses;
• Providing legal advices to the president, top management and employees;
• Handling the matters and consultations of the top management and the stockholders;
• Drafting and reviewing commercial and non-commercial agreements & contracts;
• Drafting all contracts, application forms, invoices, all kind of documents related to Samsung’s operations;
• Participating in the negotiations with third parties in terms of new business dealing and new investments;
• Participating in the revision and the study of any new potential business opportunity;
• Managing Samsung’s Legal and Regulatory cases.
• Managing and handling labor contracts, cases, issues and consultations;
• Managing labor cases investigations of all kinds;
• Advising on Samsung’s all internal and global policies and ensuring its compliances with the related and enforced laws and regulations;
• Advising on and reviewing all Samsung’s commercial communications (ATL/BTL in all means i.e. printed or broadcasted media) to ensure the compliance of the legal and competition regulations in addition to obtaining the necessary approvals especially in broadcasted media from the concerned governmental authorities or discount and sale approvals from the concerned governmental authority;
• Chairman of the CSR Board that manages sponsorships and CSR related issues;
• Conducting internal compliance awareness sessions on regular monthly basis to new joiners and annually to all employees and departments.
When I first joined Samsung in February 2019 as the Legal & Compliance HoD, Samsung was only a branch of Samsung Gulf Electronics FZE (Samsung UAE), which was not licensed to practice any commercial or trade activities. My biggest objective and mission were to obtain the foreign trading investment license and to
establish Samsung in KSA as a LLC, draft and issue its AoA and Commercial Registration and obtain all the necessary licenses and all the legal documentation that enables it to practice all the needed commercial and trade activities. In addition to the repair and maintenance services activities license as well. By October 2019, Investment License, AoA, Commercial Registration and all other licenses and documentations were obtained and ready, Samsung KSA was born and kicked off on 1/1/2020. Major Responsibilities include:
• Establishing a solid legal and compliance department that has a stable and organized service providing processes.
• Managing all matters related to Samsungs licenses and ensure the compliance of the companys obligations within its licenses;
• Providing legal advices to the president, top management and employees;
• Handling the matters and consultations of the top management and the stockholders;
• Drafting and reviewing commercial and non-commercial agreements & contracts;
• Drafting all contracts, application forms, invoices, all kind of documents related to Samsungs operations;
• Participating in the negotiations with third parties in terms of new business dealing and new investments;
• Participating in the revision and the study of any new potential business opportunity;
• Managing Samsungs Legal and Regulatory cases.
• Managing and handling labor contracts, cases, issues and consultations;
• Managing labor cases investigations of all kinds;
• Advising on Samsungs all internal and global policies and ensuring its compliances with the related and enforced laws and regulations;
• Advising on and reviewing all Samsungs commercial communications (ATL/BTL in all means i.e. printed or broadcasted media) to ensure the compliance of the legal and competition regulations in addition to obtaining the necessary approvals especially in broadcasted media from the concerned governmental authorities or discount and sale approvals from the concerned governmental authority;
• Chairman of the CSR Board that manages sponsorships and CSR related issues;
• Conducting internal compliance awareness sessions on regular monthly basis to new joiners and annually to all employees and departments.
• Managing the licensing of ALJ group companies and ensure the compliance of the Group’s obligations within its licenses;
• Handling consultations by Group Management and employees;
• Handling the matters and consultations of the top management and the stockholders;
• Drafting and reviewing commercial and non-commercial agreements & contracts;
• Drafting all contracts, application forms, invoices, all kind of documents related to the operations of ALJ Transport in relation to its operations as a courier and logistics company;
• Participating in the negotiations with third parties in terms of new business dealing and new investments;
• Participating in the revision and the study of any new potential investment opportunity;
• Managing and handling M&A transactions starting from the preparation of the required documents with the business development team by drafting the NDA, MOU/LOI, coordinating for the due diligence and assessing with the investment committee the indicative results;
• Registration of trademarks and managing all intellectual property rights relative matters;
• Managing all ALJ’s Legal and Regulatory cases.
• Managing ALJ’s projects from Legal and Regulatory prospective;
• Managing the “Compliance Project” which monitors, audits, revises and resolves all operations, documents or any kind of action of the company or its employees to ensure its compliance with all the laws, regulations, internal policies and management directions;
• Managing and handling all retail and wholesale projects and issues from legal and regulatory prospective;
• Handling all Governmental Authorities cases and matters;
• Managing corporate and governmental affairs in addition to building and developing the relations between ALJ and the governmental authorities;
• Reviewing all legal documents to ensure the best benefit of ALJ;
• Studying and reviewing all kind of business offers and products from a regulatory and legal prospective and giving legal & regulatory opinions & consultations;
• Ensuring that all projects and operations of the Group are in compliance with the governing related laws and regulations (i.e. Competition Law, Licenses, Regulatory Decisions, Anti Commercial Fraud Law, Data Commercial Law, etc);
• Handling enquiries and consultations (regulatory decisions/new laws drafts, laws amendments drafts, public consultations) sent by governmental bodies;
• Handling complaints sent by business from any third party;
• Assessing and analyzing any kind of potential risks and frauds that may occur throughout all operations of ALJ Group;
• Dispute resolutions between ALJ and Governmental Bodies or other parties;
• Managing and handling procurement, sourcing and logistics agreements between ALJ and other parties;
• Fighting all regulatory decisions or governmental decisions that might harm the interest of the Group and its business.
• Managing and handling labor contracts, cases, issues and consultations;
• Managing labor cases investigations of all kinds;
• Advising in regard to ALJ’s all internal and external policies and ensuring its compliances with the related and enforced laws and regulations;
• Managing all ALJ’s commercial communications (ATL/BTL in all means i.e. printed or broadcasted media) to ensure the compliance of the legal and competition regulations in addition to obtaining the necessary approvals especially in broadcasted media from the concerned governmental authorities or discount and sale approvals from the concerned governmental authority;
• Managing other means of communications such as sponsorships, CSR related issues, PR matters, etc.;
• Managing and providing internal awareness sessions in regard to the regulations to employees and the concerned departments to ensure the compliance of the Group’s operations;
ALJ is very well known as the biggest cars distributor worldwide and a very famous Toyota & Lexus distributor in several countries. I started in July 2014 with ALJ as the Head of Legal Department of ALJ Automotive (Lexus & Toyota Distributor). In January 2015, I moved within ALJs group to establish the Legal department of ALJ Investment Group (ALJI), which was also established to manage all ALJs investments that are non Toyota/Lexus related business. ALJI Group consisted of: 1. ALJ Transport (previously Exclusively Licensed Agency of FedEx), 2. ALJ OIL (Toyota Genuine Oil and lubricants manufacturing and distributing), 3. ALJ Lands (Real Estate), 4. Professional Solutions for Vehicles and Accessories - PSVA (GearUp), 5. ALJ Telematics Services, 6. ALJ Bodyworks and Paint (autohub) which is a multi-brand body and paint repairs, 7. ALJ Outdoors Advertising, 8. Drive Dentsu (communication and media company), 9. ALJ Used Cars (multi brand used cars trading), 10. ALJ Financing (financing vehicles and real estates), 11. ALJ Energy (Energy saving, renewable energy, desalination of water), 12. ALJ CSR and charity companies (i.e. Bab Rizq Jameel, Community Jameel, Nafisa Shams, Art Jameel); and many other companies with various business activities related to business development.
Orange/Group/Company), Jordan Major Responsibilities include:
• Managing the licensing of the Group (Orange Mobile, Orange Internet and Orange Fixed) and ensure the compliance of the Groups obligations within its licenses;
• Supervising and managing all Oranges Legal and Regulatory cases.
• Supervising and managing Oranges projects from Legal and Regulatory prospective;
• Supervising and managing all Oranges communications (incoming and outgoing);
• Supervising, managing and handling all retail and wholesale projects and issues from legal and regulatory prospective;
• Handling all Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) cases and matters;
• Maintaining the relations between the governmental authorities and Orange;
• Interconnection Agreements between Orange and other GSM operator and ISPs;
• Drafting and reviewing commercial and non-commercial agreements & contracts;
• Supervising M&A transactions along with the business team;
• Reviewing all legal documents to ensure the best benefit of Orange;
• Studying and reviewing all kind of Internet, Fixed and Mobile services and offers from a regulatory and legal prospective and giving legal & regulatory opinions & consultations (Business Partner to Marketing Dept. and Finance Dept.);
• Ensuring that all projects and operations of the Group are in compliance with the governing related laws and regulations (i.e. Telecom Law, Competition Law, Licenses, Regulatory Decisions, Civil Law, Competition Safeguards Instructions, etc);
• Handling enquiries and consultations (regulatory decisions/Reference offers/Market reviews) sent by TRC on retail and wholesale levels;
• Handling complaints sent by TRC from end users;
• Handling consultations by employees and Group Management;
• Giving advices to the Management, answering their enquiries and drafting their correspondences to TRC and other third parties;
• Assessing and analyzing any kind of potential risks and frauds that may occur throughout all operations of Orange Group;
• Dispute resolutions between Orange and TRC or other operators & ISPs;
• Drafting responses and defenses to TRC and other third parties supported with Oranges arguments and the appropriate documents and/or legal and regulatory laws and regulations;
• Managing and handling procurement, sourcing and logistics agreements between Orange and other parties;
• Fighting all regulatory decisions or governmental decisions that might harm the interest of the Group and its business (i.e. taxes imposed, electricity tariff increase, offering a new license tender in the market, etc);
• Managing the establishment of new infrastructural projects and the establishment of the new services provided in such new areas and projects in cooperation with all the concerned departments (i.e. Technical, Marketing, Finance and Strategy) in addition to obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals by TRC or any other regulatory authority;
• Managing and handling labor cases, issues and consultations;
• Advising in regard to Oranges all internal and external policies and ensuring its compliances with the related and enforced laws and regulations;
• Advising in regard to all operations and projects of Orange related to finance and costing matters;
• Managing all Oranges commercial communications (ATL/BTL in all means i.e. printed or broadcasted media) to ensure the compliance of the legal and competition regulations in addition to obtaining the necessary approvals especially in broadcasted media from the concerned governmental authorities such as Audio-Visual Commission, Competition Directorate or Department of Press and Publications;
• Managing and providing internal awareness sessions in regard to the regulations to employees and the concerned departments to ensure the compliance of the Groups operations;
• Managing the licensing of the Group (Orange Mobile, Orange Internet and Orange Fixed) and ensure the compliance of the Group’s obligations within its licenses;
• Supervising and managing all Orange’s Legal and Regulatory cases.
• Supervising and managing Orange’s projects from Legal and Regulatory prospective;
• Supervising and managing all Orange’s communications (incoming and outgoing);
• Supervising, managing and handling all retail and wholesale projects and issues from legal and regulatory prospective;
• Handling all Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) cases and matters;
• Maintaining the relations between the governmental authorities and Orange;
• Interconnection Agreements between Orange and other GSM operator and ISPs;
• Drafting and reviewing commercial and non-commercial agreements & contracts;
• Supervising M&A transactions along with the business team;
• Reviewing all legal documents to ensure the best benefit of Orange;
• Studying and reviewing all kind of Internet, Fixed and Mobile services and offers from a regulatory and legal prospective and giving legal & regulatory opinions & consultations (Business Partner to Marketing Dept. and Finance Dept.);
• Ensuring that all projects and operations of the Group are in compliance with the governing related laws and regulations (i.e. Telecom Law, Competition Law, Licenses, Regulatory Decisions, Civil Law, Competition Safeguards Instructions, etc);
• Handling enquiries and consultations (regulatory decisions/Reference offers/Market reviews) sent by TRC on retail and wholesale levels;
• Handling complaints sent by TRC from end users;
• Handling consultations by employees and Group Management;
• Giving advices to the Management, answering their enquiries and drafting their correspondences to TRC and other third parties;
• Assessing and analyzing any kind of potential risks and frauds that may occur throughout all operations of Orange Group;
• Dispute resolutions between Orange and TRC or other operators & ISPs;
• Drafting responses and defenses to TRC and other third parties supported with Orange’s arguments and the appropriate documents and/or legal and regulatory laws and regulations;
• Managing and handling procurement, sourcing and logistics agreements between Orange and other parties;
• Fighting all regulatory decisions or governmental decisions that might harm the interest of the Group and its business (i.e. taxes imposed, electricity tariff increase, offering a new license tender in the market, etc);
• Managing the establishment of new infrastructural projects and the establishment of the new services provided in such new areas and projects in cooperation with all the concerned departments (i.e. Technical, Marketing, Finance and Strategy) in addition to obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals by TRC or any other regulatory authority;
• Managing and handling labor cases, issues and consultations;
• Advising in regard to Orange’s all internal and external policies and ensuring its compliances with the related and enforced laws and regulations;
• Advising in regard to all operations and projects of Orange related to finance and costing matters;
• Managing all Orange’s commercial communications (ATL/BTL in all means i.e. printed or broadcasted media) to ensure the compliance of the legal and competition regulations in addition to obtaining the necessary approvals especially in broadcasted media from the concerned governmental authorities such as Audio-Visual Commission, Competition Directorate or Department of Press and Publications;
• Managing and providing internal awareness sessions in regard to the regulations to employees and the concerned departments to ensure the compliance of the Group’s operations;
• Studying other competitors’ offers, operations and actions to seek for any anti-competitive practices which might be against the interest of the Group and harm the competition environment in the telecom sector;
• Drafting and reviewing agreements, contracts and license agreements;
• Handling legal matters and cases for clients throughout the Arab World;
• Providing consultancy for clients;
• Handling and day-to-day conduct of all cases and legal matters for clients in specific Arab countries.
Masters of Law - Intellectual Property
I graduated with top ranking (top 4).