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AMJ has maintained its top-tier ranking for financial and corporate work in the latest IFLR1000 Guide released last month. Three AMJ lawyers, Mansoor Malik, Ardeshir Patel and Marcus Pery, are also singled out, uniquely in the jurisdiction, as leading lawyers for a clear track record of innovative work.

One of the top global directories for financial and corporate law firms and lawyers, the IFLR1000 describes AMJ as ‘Oman’s leading commercial firm by some way’ and as being ‘a rarity in the Middle East, where international firms tend to dominate the top tiers of rankings, an independent domestic firm widely considered the strongest advisor in its market. Banking, all types of finance and capital markets are areas where the firm is widely considered the best choice for advice in Oman.’

According to the IFLR, clients are consistently impressed by the quality of legal and practical advice and level of the service AMJ lawyers provide. “Their professionalism, technical abilities and overall customer service were excellent and rank alongside the best I have received from ‘magic circle’ firms,” explains one who has instructed the team on a range of banking and finance work. “Their advice was always clear and logical and they have a commercial problem solving ability which is the hallmark of a true advisor.” Another, who instructed the firm on a project finance agreement, says: “A solid performance – difficult to see a better firm in Oman.”

As well as analysing client and peer feedback, the IFLR also ranks firms and lawyers based on innovation in their financial and corporate deals. AMJ’s recent deal highlights include Mansoor Jamal Malik advising Oman Oil, the lead developer on the Musandam IPP, and representing the lenders providing $164 million in financing for the Sur IWP expansion project. In banking, Marcus Perry represented First Gulf Bank in refinancing a facility agreement of around $314 million for Al Qahtani Investments, and assisted Bank Muscat in negotiating a $215 million financing for MB Petroleum and its group companies.

The team was also involved in several large debt capital markets issues. One headline deal saw Mansoor Malik representing the joint lead managers HSBC, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Credit Agricole Corporate Investment Bank and Standard Chartered Bank on the establishment of a $600 million EMTN programme for the National Bank of Oman. Ardeshir Patel advised include Oman’s first-ever, cross-border dual currency bond issuance, the public merger of ONICH and Ominvest and the acquisition of a brokerage division of Bank Muscat.

For more information, contact Bernadette Bhacker-Millard