People

Overview

Haitham is a corporate partner with extensive international and regional experience in international and local securities offerings, private equity, public and private M&A and complex joint venture transactions. Haitham is highly experienced in public company work covering both equity and debt transactions including IPOs, bond issuances, block trades, mergers, public tender offers and strategic investor investments. Haitham's Middle Eastern background, strong relationships with the local regulators and understanding of the culture enables him to structure and execute local and regional transactions seamlessly. Haitham is consistently banded and recognized by all major legal directories for his work in the UAE and the wider Middle East region.

Haitham has been in the UAE since 2013 and prior to that held positions with leading international firms in Australia, Taipei, Jordan, London, Singapore and Hong Kong. Haitham is fully bilingual in English and Arabic.

"Haitham Hawashin is easily accessible and always responsive, which is an important quality from a client's perspective."

The Legal 500 EMEA - Commercial, Corporate and M&A 2022

"He is well versed in M&A transactions involving major regional financial institutions and also regularly acts for private equity clients."

Chambers Global - UAE Corporate/M&A 2021

"Haitham Hawashin plays a lead role on many standout transactions"

Chambers Global - UAE Corporate/M&A 2020

"Haitham Hawashin is a legal eagle; he thrives at getting his clients the right advice whilst always thinking five steps ahead" and "Haitham Hawashin was hands on and focused and wouldn't let any points be missed."

The Legal 500 EMEA - Commercial, Corporate and M&A 2020

Admission & Affiliations

  • Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia, 2001
  • Bachelor of Laws, Deakin University 1999
  • Master of Laws, University of Melbourne 1997
  • B.A., Civil Law, University of Jordan 1996

Experience

  • GFH Financial Group with regards to acquisition, financing, fundraising and joint venture with Student Quarters involving real estate assets in the US LP, involving eight medical office properties located in the U.S.
  • GFH Financial Group in connection with an acquisition of an acquisition, financing, fundraising and joint venture with Big Sky Medical Income Fund
  • Qannas Investments Limited in connection with the restructuring of assets acquired from Tabarak Investments and the related sale of Tabarak International Investment, Al Rakaaiz Investment and White Avenue Investment, the holders of many listed securities traded on ADX and DFM
  • Eshraq Investments on the highly publicised reverse listing involving Eshraq Investments PJSC (ADX Listed) and the shareholders of Goldilocks Investments Holding Company
  • SHUAA Capital in connection with a US$30 million PIPE financing related to the proposed business combination between Anghami and Vistas Media Acquisition Company
  • Islamic Arab Insurance in connection with a proposed recommended cash tender offer to the shareholders of Takaful Emarat PJSC in compliance with the laws of the United Arab Emirates
  • Qannas Investments Limited on its merger Bonyan Group through the contribution of assets
  • Ithmar Capital Partners in connection with the reorganization of debt facilities extended by Ajman Bank to Thumbay Group
  • Uber B.V. on its US$3.1 billion acquisition of Careem, the largest provider of internet-led transportation in the Middle East*
  • ASMA Capital Partners, acting in its capacity as investment manager for the IDB Infrastructure Fund II, on its US$75 million pre-IPO investment into Brooge Petroleum and Gas Investment Company FZE (BPGIC), through the purchase of convertible notes issued by BPGIC's UK based parent company*
  • Qannas Investments Limited, a closed-ended investment company whose shares are admitted to trading on AIM, on its proposed acquisition of a portfolio of assets and liabilities from a consortium of UAE investors to be completed by way of a reverse takeover under the AIM Rules*
  • Abu Dhabi Financial Group on its merger with SHUAA Capital PSC, creating one of the largest financial services providers in the Middle East*
  • Amanat Holdings PJSC on the acquisition of a 69.3% shareholding in Royal Maternity Hospital Holding in Bahrain, the company that owns and operates The Royal Hospital for Women, from Venture Capital Bank*
  • Amanat Holdings PJSC on the acquisition of Middlesex University's Dubai campus from Abraaj Capital*
  • Abu Dhabi Financial Group in connection with its proposed acquisition of Abraaj's investment management business, which included Abraaj's rights and obligations in respect of a number of funds focused on growth markets such as Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Turkey*
  • Shuaa Capital psc on the placement of US$135 million Sukuk Al Ijarah issued the The First Group*
  • Shuaa Capital psc on the placement of US$35 million Sukuk Al Murabaha /Al Mudarabah /Al Musawamah issued by Gulf Navigation PJSC*
  • ASMA Capital Partners (in its capacity as a fund manager of the IDB Fund II) in connection with its investment in a Saudi Arabian port operator and a towers operator in Myanmar*
  • Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company, a government related entity owned by the State of Kuwait,  in connection with the proposed acquisition of numerous gas assets in Pakistan*
  • Integrated Financial Group, a group member of Abu Dhabi Financial Group,  on the sale to Shuaa Capital psc of 2 regulated financial services entities*
  • Emirates Digital Wallet in connection with a joint venture between 16 major banks in the UAE relating to the development and operation of a mobile wallet payment system in the UAE known as MWallet*
  • Acquisition of stakes in an Abu Dhabi based social infrastructure assets by Plutus Campus Holdings Limited from Mubadala Infrastructure Partners and Mubadala Investment Company and a related profit sharing investment arrangement with a fund managed by the largest alternative asset manager in Korea, KDB Infrastructure Investments Asset Management Company (“KIAMCO”), with principal participation from Hana Financial Investment Company*
  • Government of Jordan on 3 issues of sovereign bonds including issues guaranteed by the U.S. government*
  • Advising international developers in relation to their bids for both of the Round 1 and Round 2 of the Renewable and Energy Direct Proposal Program in Jordan*
  • NBK Capital and Gulf Capital on a club/co-investment transaction in connection a Jordanian retail manufacturer*
  • Ithmar Invest in connection with a US$50m private equity investment by Standard Chartered Private Equity in Al Jazeera Agriculture*
  • Abraaj Capital in connection with numerous private equity investments including The Entertainer FZ LLC, Mani Foods and many others*
  • Integrated Financial Group in connection with numerous co-investments with Investbridge including for the development of the Viceroy Hotel and Riah Towers in Dubai*
  • Dubai based medical service provider in connection with its initial public offering and primary listing on the DFM*
  • First Abu Dhabi Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Bank ABC and Emirates NBD Capital in connection with an update and drawdown of Guaranteed Euro Medium Term Note Programme by The National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah*
  • Abu Dhabi Financial Group and its indirect subsidiary Goldilocks Investments Co on the block trade acquisition of publicly listed shares in Gulf Navigation PJSC from Tabarak Investments*
  • Goldilocks Fund on its block acquisition of shares owned by Tabarak Group (listed on the Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange and Dubai Financial Market) including shares in Gulf Navigation, Drake and Scull and Takaful Emarat*
  • Goldilocks Investment Company Limited in relation to its proposed sale of its shares in GFH Financial Group BSC to Lewan Investment Holding*
  • Confidential shareholders on the proposed disposal of their shares in a major Egyptian state-owned industrials company*
  • Drake & Scull International in connection with the acquisition by Tabarak of a major stake through the strategic investor route*
  • Numerous shareholders in UAE-based corporates such as DAMAC and Etisalat in connection with on market block trades*
  • Joint lead coordinators on a rights issue by a major bank in the UAE*
  • Regional telecommunications provider on the US$510 million partial sell-down by way of an accelerated bookbuild offering, of its minority ownership stake in PT XL Axiata, one of Indonesia's leading telecommunications company*
  • Leading Bahrain-based asset manager on the establishment of a Shari'ah-compliant DIFC REIT to be listed on NASDAQ Dubai*
  • Takaful Emarat on its takeover of 100% of Al Hilal Takaful PSC from Al Hilal Bank PJSC*
  • ENGIE on its acquisition of 40% in Tabreed from Mubadala Investment Company and the transfer of shares under the new public company takeovers regime*
  • Japanese consortium acting as a proposed bidder for The Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) to Singapore High Speed Rail project in relation to all corporate aspects of the proposed bid, including a Shari'ah-compliant bond issuance*
  • Drake & Scull International on the issuance of a US$120m unrated senior unsecured five-year Sukuk, utilising its underlying assets certificates issued through the NASDAQ Dubai Murabaha Platform*
  • Convertible and exchangeable bonds for many of Asia’s leading corporates including Capitaland, Neptune Marine, PT Bumi, Keppel Land, Lupin Pharma, Amtek Auto, Reliance Communications of India, JG Summit (Philippines) and many others*
  • A number of structured financings and venture capital transactions for emerging corporates including pre-IPO offerings in Singapore and Australia and a range of private investments into emerging corporates across Asia*
  • Underwriters on the Cambridge REIT listing on the Singapore Stock Exchange*
  • Abu Dhabi Financial Group in connection with its inaugural issue of US$100 million Guaranteed Notes due 2020*
  • Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank in connection with the conversion of its Tier 1 Capital investment in Arablink Money Transfer into ordinary shares*
  • Abu Dhabi based asset manager on the on-going establishment of a listed REIT*
  • ADFG in connection with the establishment and listing of an activist fund in the Abu Dhabi Global Market*
  • Number of confidential clients on marketing securities and interests in funds in accordance with SCA regulations*
  • Integrated Capital on its application to the SCA for an investment management licence*
  • MLMi Technologies in connection with an incorporated joint venture with Abu Dhabi based EDAAD Technologies for the development of Interactive Technical Manuals and related portals for the defence industry in order to enable MLMi to satisfy its offsets obligations*
  • Nexster Systems in connection with restructuring their incorporation options under the updated offsets rules*
  • Chemring Group Plc in connection with offset liability under its existing partnership agreements*
  • Yas Holding LLC in connection with numerous joint ventures entered into with international defence companies*

*Prior to Joining Baker Botts