Osama Lone
Overview
Experience
Representative Matters
Osama has been involved in advising:
- The Public Investment Fund on:
- multiple minority investments in technology companies across the US and France
- general corporate matters in connection with its investment in Softbank Vision Fund I
- its subscription for a significant minority interest in El Seif Engineering, a construction group operating across Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE*
- its subscription for a significant minority interest in Nesma & Partners Contracting, a construction group operating across Saudi Arabia and Lebanon*
- its subscription for a significant minority interest in Almabani General Contractors, a construction group operating across Saudi Arabia and Lebanon*
- its subscription for a significant minority interest in Al Bawani Holding, a construction group operating in Saudi Arabia*
- its internet of things joint venture with STC*
- its artificial intelligence joint venture with SenseTime*
- Tamasuk Holding on the sale of a minority interest in its non-digital Middle Eastern infrastructure platform
- SIDF Investment Company on its minority investment in MASIC Logistics, a Saudi developer and operator of logistics and industrial solutions
- Dussur on the sale of its entire 55% stake in General Electric Saudi for Advanced Turbines
- Jadwa Investment on its acquisition of 70% of Dabdoob Holdings, the largest toy e-commerce application in the Middle East*
- The Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on its privatization of the flour milling industry through the sale of four separate flour milling companies via a competitive auction process*
- Amazon.com, Inc on its acquisition of Souq.com, the largest e-commerce platform across the Middle East*
- Unico on its acquisition of Oz Forensics, a Dubai-based deepfake fraud prevention company*
- ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Al-Jubail on its acquisition of Jubail Energy Services Company and related debt-to-equity conversions of shareholder loans from the Public Investment Fund and ArcelorMittal*
- M42 on its:
- healthcare joint venture in Bahrain with Mumtalakat*
- healthcare joint venture in Bahrain with Health Vision*
- MBC on its subscription for a significant minority interest in the Antenna Group, a Greek television and media conglomerate*
- Rakiza Infrastructure Fund on its:
- acquisition of a significant minority interest in Oman Broadband Company, an operator of passive fibre broadband infrastructure*
- restructuring of interests in Oman International Container Terminal*
- Dubai Holding on its:
- acquisition of a significant minority interest in the Azadea Group, a Middle Eastern lifestyle retail business*
- acquisition of The Westin Paris - Vendôme, a France-based hotel located in central Paris*
- Epiris on its acquisition of Inchcape Shipping Services, a global provider of port agency and marine services*
- Convergint on its acquisition of the MVP Group, a security, IT infrastructure and software engineering group operating across the Middle East*
- Al Rajhi Capital on its acquisition of a majority stake in Drahim, a financial management and automated investment platform operating across the Middle East*
- BayWa AG on its:
- restructuring of its agriculture joint venture with Al Dahra and related asset sale to the joint venture company*
- disposal of a majority interest in Al Dahra BayWa LLC, an agriculture and greenhouse operator in the UAE*
- Dubai World on its:
- sale of Dubai Maritime City to DP World Limited*
- sale of Dubai Drydocks World DP World Limited and related debt restructuring*
- HSBC Middle East Limited on the disposal of its Lebanese operations*
- Mubadala Infrastructure Partners on its disposal of minority interests in three universities in Abu Dhabi (Zayed University, Sorbonne University and UAE University)*
- Eutelsat S.A. on its asset acquisition of the Noorsat business, a key satellite capacity aggregation and resale business in the Middle East*
- Mitsui & Co. Ltd on its minority investment in the ETC Group, an agriculture business operating across Asia and Africa*
- A private investment firm based in Abu Dhabi on its digital gold trading joint venture with an operator in the field*
- Magrabi Group Investments on its optical lenses manufacturing joint venture with a specialist in the field*
- McKal Holdings Limited on the restructuring of its minority interests in McLaren Group Limited*
- Nouryon Holding BV on its chemicals trading joint venture with the Kanoo Group*
- Alkhabeer Capital on its acquisition of a majority interest in Express Investment Holding, a provider of flexible packaging solutions in the Middle East*
- UAE-based private equity firm on its contemplated minority investment in a fitness centre chain operating across the Middle East*
- Global private equity firm on its contemplated acquisition of a clothing retailer operating across the Middle East*
- ByteDance (TikTok), a video-sharing mobile application, on its expansion into the Middle East*
- Kuaishou, a video-sharing mobile application, on its expansion into the Middle East*
- Stripe, a financial services and software company, on its expansion into the Middle East*
- Tencent, a technology conglomerate, on corporate governance and regulatory advice in the Middle East*
- Kitopi, a tech-powered multi-brand restaurant and one of the Middle East’s first unicorns, on its Series A and Series A-1 fundraisings*
- Swvl, a tech-powered transportation platform and one of the Middle East’s first unicorns, on its Series C fundraising*
- Kiklabb, a business set-up facilitator, on its Series A fundraising*
*Transactions prior to joining Kirkland
Prior Experience
Associate, Latham & Watkins LLP, Dubai, 2018–2023
Associate, Clifford Chance LLP, Dubai, 2016–2018
Trainee Solicitor, Clifford Chance LLP, London & Dubai, 2014–2016
More
Thought Leadership
Publications
Editor, “Kirkland & Ellis Middle East M&A Bring Down” Kirkland & Ellis, H1 2024 and FY 2024
Co-Author, “Technology Mergers & Acquisitions (Saudi Arabia)” Lexology In-Depth, 2024
Author, “Increased Use of W&I Insurance in Saudi Arabia Signals Growing Sophistication of the Dealmaking Landscape” Kirkland & Ellis, 2024
Contributor, “Doing Business in the UAE,” Latham & Watkins, 2023
Contributor, “Refugee Entrepreneurhsip, Business Ownership and the Right to Work in Host Communities,” The Tent Partnership for Refugees, 2021
Contributor, “Laws of the DIFC (Obligations),” Academy of Law – DIFC Dispute Resolution Authority, 2016
Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- Admitted to practice as a Solicitor of England and Wales
Languages
- English
- Arabic
- Urdu
Education
- University of Law, LondonLegal Practice Course2014
- University of SouthamptonLL.B.2013