Matouk Bassiouny

Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy is delighted to welcome Mohamed Nabil Hazzaa and Naila Ramsay to the Firm.

Mohamed will join on 1 June 2026 as Partner and Co-Head of the Finance & Projects group, with over 16 years of experience advising on complex infrastructure, energy, and PPP projects in Egypt. Mohamed brings in valuable and diverse experience, where prior to joining the firm, he was leading the Infrastructure and Power practice with strong expertise in projects’ development and financing, in addition to heading the M&A practice at Sharkawy & Sarhan. Earlier in his career, he was seconded to Allen & Overy LLP (now A&O Shearman) in Dubai, where he gained valuable exposure to international law firm standards and expectations. Mohamed advises multilateral institutions, development finance institutions, public sector entities, lenders, sponsors, and private equity players on complex and first-in-country project finance and utility-scale renewable energy projects and strategic investments. He is consistently ranked in the top tiers and bands of legal periodicals in his areas of expertise.

Naila has just joined the firm as Partner in Finance & Projects, with over two decades of international experience spanning the United Kingdom, Europe, and Egypt. She brings a unique cross-border perspective shaped by senior roles at leading international law firms and major corporations, including Linklaters, Dentons Wilde Sapte (now Dentons), Babcock & Brown, Hassan Allam Holdings, and Sharkawy & Sarhan. Naila has extensive experience advising on complex infrastructure, energy, and public-private partnerships (PPP) projects across the EMEA region.

Having spent significant time between Cairo and London throughout her career, Naila brings deep cultural fluency, an understanding of geopolitical challenges, and a strong international network, further strengthening the firm’s ability to support clients across jurisdictions and expand its regional reach. As a talented relationship builder, dot connector, and experienced communicator, Naila will play a leading role as Head of Client Development and Strategy.

Mahmoud Bassiouny, Regional Managing Partner, has expressed, "The joining of Mohamed and Naila as partners is a clear demonstration of our commitment to continue attracting technically excellent and ethically minded lawyers who share our drive to deliver the highest standard of service to our clients. As Egypt continues to attract landmark infrastructure investment and project finance mandates, Mohamed's leadership as Co-Head of Finance & Projects will be instrumental in ensuring our clients receive best-in-class counsel at every stage. Equally, Naila's dedicated focus to client development will further strengthen our ability to anticipate and meet our clients’ needs."

For more on Naila & Hazzaa’s expertise, visit: https://matoukbassiouny.com/partner-profile/naila-ramsay/
https://matoukbassiouny.com/partner-profile/mohamed-nabil-hazzaa/

We are pleased to announce that Matouk Bassiouny & Hennawy (“MBH”) has advised Avora Aviation on the successful delivery of one Airbus A321 aircraft to Sky Vision Airlines under an operating lease.

The aircraft is now registered on the Egyptian registry and has been ferried to its operating base, where it will help expand Sky Vision Airlines' international route network.

A sincere congratulations to the Sky Vision Airlines team. We look forward to a strong and lasting partnership.

The MBH team was led by Sherif El Hosseny (Partner and Head of Aviation), supported by Saifallah Kadry (Senior Associate) and Nayera Thabet (Associate).

For more about Matouk Bassiouny, visit https://matoukbassiouny.com/

Geopolitical tensions in the Gulf are no longer just a political or military concern. They are actively reshaping contractual risk and have huge impact on contracts including construction and oil and gas contracts.

From disrupted supply chains to surging costs and delayed performance, businesses are increasingly asking the same question: does this excuse performance, or merely make it more expensive? And what are the legal consequences of either of these two impacts?

The answer lies in a critical legal distinction under Gulf laws, influenced by Egyptian law:

• Force majeure applies where performance becomes impossible. In this case, the obligations in question would be extinguished, and the contract may be terminated.
• Hardship applies where performance remains possible but excessively burdensome, threatening excessive losses and disturbing the contractual equilibrium. In this case, courts may rebalance the contract by changing the extent of obligations or by suspending them.

In both cases, the event in question must be exceptional, unpredictable and unavoidable. These terms were extensively defined under Gulf laws and courts jurisprudence.

The difference between these two doctrines is not merely academic. It determines whether a party walks away without liability or remains bound (albeit on adjusted terms).

To deal with the consequences of force majeure and hardship events, clients are advised to make sure of the following:

1. Review governing law and contract terms carefully. The availability and scope of relief depend heavily on both.
2. Do not assume economic disruption qualifies as force majeure. The threshold is significantly higher than commercial hardship.
3. Document causation and mitigation efforts: Parties must demonstrate that the event directly caused the disruption and that reasonable steps were taken to mitigate its impact.
4. Consider proactive renegotiation. In hardship scenarios, courts favor rebalancing rather than termination.
5. Draft with precision going forward. Clear force majeure clauses and risk allocation mechanisms are critical in volatile geopolitical environments.

In our latest client alert, we break down how courts across the GCC are approaching these doctrines in light of current geopolitical developments, with practical guidance for navigating ongoing disruption.

Read the full article here: https://matoukbassiouny.com/the-geopolitical-conflict-and-contractual-risk-allocation-force-majeure-and-hardship-in-the-context-of-the-us-iran-crisis/
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