Full Profile
Afraz has advised on a number of corporate transactions, working with clients operating in the hospitality, logistics, renewable energy, retail and consumer, and technology sectors.
Afraz was seconded to Vitol as lead legal counsel for the Middle East, helping them establish their solar business in the region.
In February 2024, Afraz was nominated as a stand-out lawyer in Thomson Reuters Stellar Performance Survey of Stand-out Talent. The survey results are formed through interviews with senior in-house counsel during which they are asked to identify stand-out lawyers they have worked with over the past 12 months.
Prior to joining Clyde & Co, Afraz acted as General Counsel for a portfolio company owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD). During his tenure, as part of top management he was instrumental in expanding the group's business from being a start-up (government owned) to a well-known global logistics business in just three years. Before moving to Dubai, Afraz worked at a top-tier law firm in India, where he advised some of the biggest private equity investors from the US on M&A and private equity deals in India.
Experience
- Advising Gordon Drilling Technologies LLC (Gordon) on its acquisition of 100 per cent of the share capital of Vertex Downhole Trading LLC (Vertex UAE). As part of this acquisition, Gordon will also obtain the intellectual property rights for Winc, Winc+, and Mudlink technologies.
- Advising Arabian Contracting Services Company (Al Arabia), a Saudi listed company, on its SAR 1.05 billion acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Faden Media and Advertising Company (Faden Media).
- Advising the shareholders of Specialized Technical Services Company (STS) on its complete sale to ZainTECH. The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals.
- Advising Zaad Capital on its AED 150 million sale of 75 per cent of Basatin Landscaping to Aldar Properties PJSC, the Abu Dhabi based property development, management, and investment company.
- Advising Simpson Spence Young (SSY), the world’s largest independent shipbroker, on its acquisition of F3 Offshore Group, the offshore specialist shipbroker with offices in Hamburg and Dubai.
- Advising Vitol on the purchase of the operational assets of a solar PV plant in Bahrain.
- Advising ICD on its acquisition of the logistics business of Inchcape Shipping Services (owned by Dubai World), a global port agency, marine and survey services business, to set up ISS.
- Advising the shareholders of a well-known fitness business in the UAE on a sale of the business to a listed company in the UK.
- Advising a leading business information and credit rating business on a sale of its risk management services (RMS) business in the Middle East.
- Advising the NCR Corporation on the sale of its paper manufacturing business in the UAE.
- Advising some of the world’s top private equity houses including KKR, Blackstone and TPG Capital on investments into and exits from major Indian owned businesses.
- Advising L’Oreal on the purchase of a hair colour manufacturing plant in Himachal Pradesh, India.
- Advising leading Indian businesses including the Tata group on various strategic acquisitions, divestments and joint ventures.
- Joined ISS Global Forwarding (ISS) as a start-up in 2018 and was part of the core management team that led the rapid expansion of the business into what is now a global logistics business.
- Advising ISS (within a relatively short time frame) on multiple strategic acquisitions of local logistics businesses in the UAE, India, Turkey, South East Asia, Italy, South Africa, Egypt, Turkey, Spain and advising on incorporations across Africa, the Middle East, the US, Europe and Asia.
- Advising ISS on joint ventures with local partners in Sri Lanka, Luxembourg, Egypt, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Turkey, South Africa, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Taiwan and Vietnam, including negotiating JV agreements and, resolving and litigating JV disputes.
- Advising ISS on project logistics contracts with major oil & gas corporations including ExxonMobil, Petrofac, ENI Shipping and Saipem.
- Set up and implemented a compliance framework for ISS including implementing and monitoring an international trade sanctions programme.
