Perla El Mardini

Profile:

Perla is a Senior Associate at the Corporate and Commercial Department at Sharq Law Firm and she graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from Notre Dame University in Lebanon where she had studied the curriculum of both the common and civil law systems. Prior to joining Sharq Law Firm, she had gained legal experience through interning at local law offices and the legal departments of international companies. During her time at Sharq Law Firm, she has worked closely with several governmental institutions and market-leading companies in the Infrastructure, Construction, Transport, Media, Energy, Aviation, Trade, Oil & Gas, and Food & Beverage.

During her time at Sharq Law Firm, Perla has shown great ambition and a hands-on approach in matters and transactions. She regularly advises governmental institutions and both local and international companies on a variety of corporate and finance matters including banking, capital barkers, competition, financial and corporate restructuring, M&A, and project development.

Perla excels in her commercial and people-skills as she always aims to provide commercially practical legal solutions building trusted relationships and safeguarding client and firm interests.

She is a native Arabic speaker and a proficient English speaker with intermediate-level French skills which has allowed her to take part in international matters and transactions, offering clients a wide array of legal services.

Experience:

• Advising the State of Qatar, acting through the Ministry of Finance, on the GMTN Programme for the issuance of bonds;

• Advising several clients such as Qatar Railways Company, Msheireb Properties, Qatar Airways, Mazaya Real Estate Development, and Balmain SA Paris and regularly providing legal opinions on different aspects of Qatari law;

• Advised issuers and underwriters on the IPO processes, including corporate restructuring, compliance with QFMA regulations, drafting and reviewing prospectuses, and preparing required documentation for regulatory submissions;

• Acting and advising Pierre Balmain in global trademark, brand protection, intellectual property enforcement, licensing and anti-counterfeiting matters;

• Advising several companies such as Qatar Railways Company, Msheireb Properties, 360 Nautica, and Q-Tickets on all litigations in the Qatari Courts;

• Advised on Qatar law in relation to a high-profile incident occurred in Qatar in a litigation ongoing in Australia;

• Advised on Uber’s acquisition of Careem in the State of Qatar;

• Conducted several workshops on the aspects of the Labor Law for several companies, such as Fadaat Media;

• Advised Uber Technologies Inc. on an array of IP and consumer protection related matters;

• Acted as the legal advisor for Qatar’s leading global investment organization on the acquisition of shares in Qatar’s main district cooling company and a full life cycle utility company, their subsequent merger and direct listing on the QSE;

• Assisted in acting as Qatari law expert in 2 arbitrations, this included assisting in the drafting of the expert report, drafting responses on expert report submitted by the other parties, and preparation for cross-examination:

• An arbitration filed by a Qatari Private Corporation for Public Benefit against the Republic of Egypt, concerning Qatari constitution, Companies law and law no. 21/2006.

• An arbitration filed by an electric distribution Ghanaian Company against a Ghanaian electric company regarding the validity, binding nature, and enforceability of demand guarantees.

• Reviewed, advised, and negotiated a dealership agreement between Bentley and Al Wajba;

•Represented a client in a major construction and engineering company in a DIAC arbitration for a claim value of QAR 303,606,940;

• Advised on the establishment, restructuring, and liquidation of companies, including drafting articles of association, shareholder agreements, and board resolutions. Provided guidance on compliance with local laws and corporate governance best practices;

• Acted as the legal advisor in complex M&A transactions, conducting due diligence, negotiating deal terms, drafting transactional documents, and coordinating regulatory approvals to ensure smooth completion of deals;

• Drafted, reviewed, and negotiated a wide range of commercial agreements, including joint ventures, distribution agreements, franchise agreements, supply contracts, service agreements, ensuring that contracts are tailored to meet clients’ commercial objectives while minimizing legal risks;

• Advised clients on compliance with local laws and regulatory requirements, including foreign investment laws, competition law, and the labor law;

• Provided strategic legal advice to clients on managing potential legal risks, dispute resolution, and corporate restructuring.

• Led due diligence exercises and negotiated key agreements in complex transactions across various sectors, including aviation and energy;

• Provided pre-IPO advisory services, including restructuring companies to meet listing requirements, ensuring compliance with corporate governance standards, and preparing companies for public scrutiny; and

• Acting as the primary point of contact for clients, providing timely and practical legal advice tailored to their business needs.