Profile

Hayel has been advising clients for over two decades. As experienced transactional counsel, he works closely with Middle Eastern, US and cross-border businesses on a broad range of complex legal matters in the fields of corporate, securities and capital markets, financial and insurance services, hospitality, restructuring advisory, mergers and acquisitions and private equity transactions.

Hayel represents a balance of issuers, underwriters and portfolio companies seeking to navigate the nuances of acquisition finance, securities and shareholder matters in the private and public equity and debt markets. He also acts for leading investment banks and funds on corporate and regulatory requirements, as well as family offices, founders and investors in the context of multijurisdictional venture capital, fund-raising, joint venture and M&A matters across the Middle East and along the GCC-US corridor.

In particular, Hayel has been at the forefront of the recent acquisition / merger wave involving publicly-listed companies predominantly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where he has successfully led, and continues to lead, a team of attorneys in the context of various transactions including: Metlife / Walaa, Zoujaj / Guardian, Gulf Union / Alahlia, Aljazira / Solidarity (ongoing), Budget / Overseas Development (ongoing), ACIG/Amana (ongoing) and Arabian Shield/Alinma Tokio (ongoing).

Leading global legal directory Chambers and Partners cites Hayel as being ‘frequently commended for his rapport with clients and strong client service ethic’ and is ‘widely acknowledged as a formidable lawyer when it comes to transactions in Saudi Arabia.’

Prior to his role as partner at Hourani & Partners and managing member at Hourani Global, Hayel practiced as a transactional attorney with prominent international law firms in New York and elsewhere, including Winston & Strawn and Baker & McKenzie.

Expertise
  • Corporate
  • Capital Markets
  • Private Equity
  • Insurance
  • Joint Ventures
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
Qualifications

Education

  • Juris Doctor, Georgetown University Law Center, USA

Admissions

  • New York State Bar Association, USA
  • Dubai Legal Affairs Department, UAE
Languages
  • Arabic
  • English
  • French