FIRM BROCHURE
The Firm:
We are a firm of leading Lawyers and Legal Consultants based in the State of Kuwait. The International Counsel Bureau (formerly known as ‘International Law Bureau’) was founded in 1994 by Mr. Abdul Rahman R. Al-Haroun, the former Manager of Corporate Legal Department of the Kuwait National Petroleum Company, mainly with the idea to extend specialized international legal services to clients.
In addition to the regular full fledged professional legal services that are rendered to our clients in general, our services also include advising on commercial law, corporate law, company law, international trade in goods and services, finance and investment, construction, various types of contracts, agreements, etc. We extend specialized services in the area of international commercial legal practices covering a wide range of commercial and business transactions. Our firm has specialization in drafting and negotiating various international agreements and contracts including various commercial and construction contracts such as engineering construction contracts, mechanical and electrical maintenance contracts, joint venture projects, technology transfer and capacity expansion projects, design engineering procurement and construction of turnkey projects. We also extend expert service in the field of Islamic banking, multisource debt financing of projects in the oil, power, telecommunication sectors etc. operating with export credit facilities and/or with interaction and exposure to financing institutions such as US Exim Bank, Hermes (Germany) and SACE (Italy).
Unique Features and Global Facilities:
Ours is the only Kuwaiti law firm specialized and devoted exclusively to the international legal issues with multilingual intercontinental services. The firm has to its advantage the specialized services of a unique combination of experts to handle a wide variety of legal problems in international trade and commerce with well trained legal experts in its Kuwait office to handle matters in the Arabic and English languages with specialization in bilingual legal drafting to cater for diverse needs apart from well trained and experienced professional litigation lawyers to advise and handle arbitration and other litigation proceedings around the globe. We have an operational core group specialized to take care of international transactions with global backup facilities. The firm is also concentrating presently in developing specialized skills and techniques in Islamic financing and investments.
As part of the globalisation effort of the firm's activities, we have regular contacts and dealings with law firms such as White & Case, Chadbourne & Parke etc. of U.S.A, Ashurst, Norton Rose, Linklaters & Paines of U.K., International Energy Counsel, Calgary, Canada, Byrne Sutton Bonnard Lawson Meakin & Associes, and Geneve, Switzerland etc. We also extend our expert service in global tenders, real estate financing, leasing, rental agreements, etc. with back-up facilities from highly successful litigation departments in the State of Kuwait and the U.A.E. in Middle East, U.S.A, U.K. and Italy in Europe, and India and Pakistan in Asia. Our firm has a special orientation towards perfecting risk management practices for corporate clients with inbuilt checks and balances in agreements and contracts using modern documentation techniques and advance planning which incorporate appropriate legal checklists to prevent disputes, resultant delays, losses or damages, in the execution of projects or performance of contracts with a view to avoiding litigation to the maximum extent possible as a means of settlement of disputes.
Yet another important specialty of our firm is that of advising our clients on all practical aspects of Kuwaiti Law in its interactions with the laws of the U.S.A., European, Asian and Middle East countries as well as its application in international contracts. We have our special feature of representing clients in arbitration proceedings in Kuwait and in other international arbitration centers around the globe especially through the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
We extend to our clients strictly confidential services of negotiation and finalisation of their transactions with the various ministries and governmental authorities of the State of Kuwait apart from the drafting and finalisation of all types of contracts, agreements, commercial transactions, etc., between various governmental and international clients.
Experience:
Our experience and exposure include handling of all the legal aspects in the formation and establishment of joint venture companies on national and international levels covering all types of bilateral and multinational agreements and contractual arrangements including engineering, construction and maintenance contracts, Islamnic financing, multisource debt financing, shipping and international mercantile law, in addition to a decade-long successful management experience of all the legal affairs of the pioneer oil company in the State of Kuwait, the Kuwait National Petroleum Company, during its most crucial stages of expansion, modernization and capacity augmentation which included, apart from other usual in-house legal activities, the labour and employment matters of over 8000 employees, rental contracts, leasing, licensing, insurance, guarantees and export-import issues relating to industrial projects etc.
The team leader, Mr. Abdul Rahman R. Al-Haroun, represents the Petrochemical Industries Company (a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation) as its Special Counsel in one of its biggest ever Joint Venture Projects the world over, (the project cost being approx. US$ 2.2 billion), with participation of the Petrochemical Industries Company and Union Carbide Corporation of the U.S.A. As part of this Project, we established the multinational Joint Venture Company EQUATE Petrochemical Company and Boubyan Petrochemical Company in 1995. Mr. Al-Haroun advised on a second EQUATE project with Dow Chemical Company, the parent of Union Carbide Corporation, which will double the size of the petrochemical industry in Kuwait.
Mr. Ghazi Al Qahtani joined the firm on 1st September 1998 after spending almost 23 years with Kuwait Oil Company (“KOC”), 17 years as the head of the Legal Affairs Group (Department). After the liberation of Kuwait in 1991, Mr. Al Qahtani was in-charge of all the legal work relating to the drafting and negotiating of the contracts needed for the fire fighting operations and the rehabilitation and re-construction of KOC’s facilities such as oil gathering centers, booster stations, oil wells, flow lines etc. the total cost of which exceeded US$2 Billion. Mr. Al Qahtani also handled all major claims raised by contractors. When he left KOC to join the firm, he was holding the position of the General Counsel & Manager - Legal Affairs Group.
Fee Structure & Billing Rates:
Our services are generally charged on an hourly rate. The rates depend on the seniority of the attorneys involved. The engagement can be on an annual retainer basis or hourly rate to suit the choice of our clients.
We are willing to resort to task billing depending upon the work involved. The firm may also consider a discount for its services in a major engagement and also flat billing rates on a prolonged major relationship. For redundant tasks the firm will quote fixed fees. Disbursements will be billed as incurred with no premium attached. Travel will be billed at 50% of normal time. The detailed time and billing statements will be provided to clients on request.
However, a standard billing rate varying from KD65/- to KD150/- per hour is adopted for engagements in Kuwait for the year 2009.