Litigation

We also assist individual and corporate clients with out-of-court negotiations and remedies. The range of matters we handle includes, but is not limited to:

• Tax and insolvency
• Insurance claims
• Construction and real estate
• Employment and labor
• White collar and corporate crime
• IP matters
• Shareholders’ and share transfer disputes
• Agency and distribution

Shahid Law Firm’s involvement spans all forms of litigation, including:

• Successfully defended the Confederation Africaine de Football (“CAF”) against Lagardère Sports (“Lagardère” now “Sportfive”) in ICC Emergency Arbitration proceedings initiated by Lagardère in connection with the termination of a 28-year USD 1 Billion contract for the commercial exploitation of CAF Competitions. Such exploitation included the entry by Sportfive into several downstream contracts for the exploitation of broadcasting rights and marketing agreements with leading regional and continental broadcasting agencies and tournament sponsors, totaling US$ 1 Billion, all of which were impacted by the termination of the agreement with Sportfive.
• Representing CAF before the COMESA Competition Commission (the “CCC”) following the latter’s investigation of a US$ 1 Billion contract with Sportfive and all downstream broadcasting/licensing and marketing/sponsorship contracts arising therefrom (including with beIN Sports, Canal+, Supersport, Total, Orange, and others totaling approximately US$ 1 Billion) following the CCC’s issuance of a preliminary report recommending the imposition of financial penalties on CAF (approximately 10% of turnover from impugned contracts) for reportedly breaching COMESA Competition Rules and Regulations.
• Representing Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC) in various multi-million-dollar civil, commercial, & criminal cases involving their work in Egypt in a major case before Egypt’s administrative court related to the blocking of multiple attempts of staying the airing of one of the most widely-viewed television shows during the month of Ramadan Namely “Ramez Magnoon Rasmy” which means “Ramez Is Officially Crazy”.
• Representing PTTER in a first-of-its-kind investment USD 1 Billion treaty claim brought before Cairo’s Administrative Court, the claim was based entirely on a bilateral investment treaty (“BIT”), setting a precedent in the Egyptian legal history. PTTER is one of several shareholders in EMG, a company set up to export Egyptian natural gas to Israel and other neighbouring States, to sue Egypt following the termination of a gas supply agreement EMG signed with Egyptian State entities and the expropriation of the shareholders’ investments. Following successful claims in arbitration by certain shareholders. The case raises a number of novel legal questions never argued before Egyptian courts, making this case unique in several respects. The timing of the case which follows Egypt’s settlement of all related Peace Pipeline disputes. The case was settled in February 2022 to the client’ satisfaction, and a judgment confirming PTTER’s withdrawal of the claim was issued.
• Co-counselling with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in representing Claimants – including corporations and a significant number of their shareholders – in the internationally known cluster of gas supply disputes against the Arab Republic of Egypt and settlement negotiations following various partial/final awards. The disputes – considered to be among the top highest-value oil and gas arbitrations internationally – have been arbitrated before the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA), and an ad-hoc tribunal under the auspices of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).
• Representing Unilever in connection with advising a multinational consumer goods company on technology-related laws (electronic commerce, website licensing, and cybercrimes) and the newly promulgated Egyptian Personal Data Protection Law, while highlighting the significant differences between the Egyptian Personal Data Protection Law and the European Union General Data Protection Regulation.
• Successfully representing Highways International SAL Offshore in a CRCICA arbitration claim filed against Sigma Company for Media and Egypt Media for Media Production Company arising out of the breach of a Production, Broadcasting and Exploitation of one of Egypt’s most famous TV programs. The Client was awarded
  USD 430,000 (claimed amounts) in addition to arbitration costs and legal fees, approximately amounting to USD 40,000.
• Representing Highways Arabia FZ LLC (UAE) in a CRCICA arbitration claim arising out of a broadcasting agreement concluded with a renowned Egyptian production company owning notorious TV channels. The Firm obtained a final arbitral award in favor of our client, ordering the Respondent to pay the entire amount sought. The matter addressed the issue of the extension of the arbitration clause to
  non-signatory parties as a sanction to the civil fraud committed by the non-signatory party. The Tribunal recognized the application of the principle of extension of arbitration clause as a sanction for civil fraud under Egyptian law.
• Advising Unicharm Corporation, a leading manufacturing company selling baby and health care products across Middle East & Africa against a company named “Uni Sham” for the latter’s violation of the Egyptian Intellectual property law in having a similar trademark and product named “Baby Boy” diapers. The Firm worked closely and heavily with the Prosecution Office and the Trademarks Registry to issue a report on the similarities between Unicharm and Uni Sham similar product and trademark. In addition, the Firm represented Unicharm in the misdemeanor filed against responsible managers in Uni Sham for the violation as well as handling procedures at Trademarks Registry to strike out the “copied” trademark and register the original trademark.
• Advising Coca-Cola on the protection of its trademark from infringement and unlawful use by former bottlers; and representing it in the related court case.
• Advising various internet companies on licensing and operational requirements for the installation of subsea cables in Egyptian territorial waters.
• Advising a leading software and information technology service provider, in connection with providing certain services through its Egyptian subsidiary, hence it requested our assistance. We assisted the client in providing guidance and offering advice, under Egyptian law, for the Egyptian Subsidiary which intends to offer its data center services, end-user tech support and day-to-day IT operational responsibility to customers in Egypt.
• Advising Nokia Networks Systems on Egyptian laws & regulations in relation to erecting and licensing telecom towers on behalf of its telecom customers; the supply of telecommunications equipment, and disputes relating to the supply of telecom equipment.
• Acting as Legal Counsel of Netflix IO Productions, LLC, on various matters and rendered various legal opinions, considering the Egyptian laws and regulations, with regards to force majeure and effects of COVID-19 on Netflix business in Egypt, as well as the regulatory and licensing requirements for Netflix to comply with the Supreme Media Council recent regulations in Egypt.
• Assisting Vitabiotics Egypt with several counterfeit and misrepresentation complaints leading to the shutting down of several counterfeit pages on various social media platforms.
• Advising a leading global provider of road technology solutions on general IP matters and the transfer of technology in the context of negotiations on multi-million-dollar agreements with the Egyptian Ministry of Transportation.
• Advising Servier/Biofarma of the legal actions to be followed upon discovering the existence of counterfeit products in the market, and also on the steps that can be followed to enhance the fight against counterfeit products.
• Advising Facebook on all matters relating to the regulation of online activities in Egypt, including defamation complaints and infringement of IP rights.
• Advising Google on matters of immunity, criminal statutes, jurisdiction in the context of internet, libel, intellectual property, and consumer protection under Egyptian law.
• Advising Bupa International on the application of Egyptian laws relating to the marketing and sale of international private medical insurance over the Internet.
• Representing Vezeeta, a leading digital healthcare platform operating in the Middle East and Africa, has raised a USD 40 Million Series D funding round led by UAE-based Gulf Capital, alongside further investment from existing Riyadh-based investor Saudi Technology Ventures (STV), which previously led Vezeeta’s Series C round in September 2018.
• Representing Shifa Pharmaceutical Industries, a subsidiary of a UK-based investment holding – in the annulment of a tax attachment imposed on the company valued at over than EGP 200 million.
• Representing GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in all of its tax claims against the Minister of Finance with respect to wrong practices applied by the Ministry of Finance on the pharma industry. Our representation and defenses set legal precedents that are now applied by the Ministry when dealing with the pharma sector.
• Acting for Doosan Enerbility Limited Company, for what is believed to be the first time an Egyptian court has recognized and enforced an interim measures order issued by a foreign arbitral tribunal in an ICC dispute.
• Representing International Air Transport Association (IATA) in a dispute filed by Metro Tourism, Travel Agent (“Metro”), requesting review of accounts associated with the issuance of air travel tickets, which Metro defaulted in payment.
• Representing certain Libyan banks in the dispute against other local banks, with respect to an imposed precautionary attachment on funds, shares and bonds of the Libyan banks, amounting to US$261,371,715.
• Representing Bigo Technology Pte. Ltd. and its detained employees in the investigations conducted by the Public Prosecution due to the remarks of an internet celebrity, who has been suspected of organized human trafficking and other crimes, as well as representing Bigo and its detained employees before court in the consequent criminal proceedings.
• Defending RINA S.p.A. in the biggest class suits filed against it along with Registro Italiano Navale (RINA companies), regarding the sinking of the Vessel – Al-Salam Bocaccio98 – in the Red Sea in February 2006, en route from Saudi Arabia to Egypt, resulting in the death of more than 1,000 individuals and the total loss of the vessel. This accident is known as one of the worst maritime accidents in modern times.  We provide RINA with legal advice on aspects of Egyptian Law and jurisprudence in regard to portions of the matter handled before the Italian courts, concerning a complex cluster of five (5) separate quasi-class action lawsuits, with respect to the validity and enforceability of settlement agreements. We have also assisted RINA with all defenses and documents in support to its defense in the two (2) Italian proceedings, with respect to the validity and enforceability of the settlement agreements signed by the survivors and heirs of victims and received financial compensation for the damages incurred.
• Representing Qatari Diar’s subsidiary Bawabet Al Sharq against a fine of EGP 1.38 billion imposed by the New Urban Communities Authority allegedly identified as a “change of control fine”.
• Representing L’azurde Company for Jewelry in their criminal breach of trust complaints, resulting from failure by various trustees to honor their obligations.
• Representing Youniksa Egypt [Formerly known as Ferro Corporation], a subsidiary of Ferro corporation, in all their litigation cases in Egypt, including leading the settlement discussions with Royal Company for Ceramics, in order to pay amount due on Royal to Ferro amounting to more than EGP 24.5 million, including drafting the settlement agreement and negotiating its terms.
• Acting as an Egyptian law expert before the United States District Court of Texas in proceedings seeking to enforce a sham arbitration award against Saudi Aramco. The opinion tackled several issues under Egyptian Criminal law intertwined with other issues under the Egyptian Arbitration law. The Court denied the enforcement petition. The firm was also consulted on procedural matters pertaining to a set-aside proceeding against the sham arbitration award, initiated by two of the sham award creditors before Egyptian Courts. The consultation tackled several issues of representation before Egyptian Courts and the impact thereof on the binding nature of the judgment that is to be issued.
• Representing a leading US-based agricultural bio-stimulants and fertilizers company in relation to several IP disputes before Egyptian courts.
• Representing Aston Agro-Industrial SA in commencing legal enforcement proceedings to enforce a favorable arbitral award against White Flour for Grain Grinding, amounting to EUR 200,000.