Our Team

ASTRUC & CO. is a local law firm that operates alike an international firm with its own partners and associates, as well as with independent cooperation lawyers, advocates and consultants who are involved on your matters if their specific skill set is required.

Attorneys
& Experts

Generalist and Criminal Law Expert

ASTRUC & CO. was founded in 2020 by Mr. Romain Astruc. He initially specialized in criminal law, insolvency, and international business law, and obtained a master’s degree from University Paris XI and a Certificate in the Practice of Criminology and Criminal Science from University Paris II.

However, over the last 15 years in the Middle East region, he has developed a know-how, directly or on a management basis, on various other areas of law in the Gulf Cooperation Countries, in Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon and Egypt, and kept a track of legal developments in France and the European Union in general.

He has in-depth experience in helping victims of criminal businesses, especially in the fields of healthcare, loan finance, and real estate. He is also highly experienced in mediation for business or family matters.

Mr. Anthony Raftopol

Mr. Anthony Raftopol

Investment Fund and M&A Expert

Anthony Raftopol is a US-based, United States-trained international lawyer focusing for almost 25 years on cross-border transactions for the benefit of corporate and institutional investors into a wide variety of post-conflict/post-transitional emerging markets in the Middle East, Central Asia and Eastern Europe.

His clients are engaged in a wide variety of fields, including transportation, infrastructure, construction, power generation, healthcare, applied sciences, oil & gas, agriculture, commercial real estate, leisure properties, consumer products, as well as banking and finance.

Mr. Raftopol is also Senior Legal Counsel and/or a member of the Board of Directors of several private equity funds located in the United States focusing on the healthcare sector. He is also on the Board
of Directors of several start up and pre-IPO medical device and med-tech companies based
in the United States.

Humaid Al Ansari

Mr. Humaid Al Ansari

Criminal and Real Estate Lawyer

Mr. Humaid Al Ansari is a UAE licensed lawyer. Over the last 30 years, he served with Dubai Police and reached the grade of Brigadier General, that is third under the Ministry of Interior.

Since then, he represents various clients in their defence and specializes with victims of financial and real estate frauds. He is managing partner of Al Ansari Lawyers and Legal Consultants in Dubai.

He has also strong knowledge and expertise in UAE virtual assets regulations, financial services and banking regulations. He speaks English, Urdu and Arabic.

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Mr. Abdulla Al Nuaaimi

Corporate Law – Special Projects

Mr. Abdulla Al Nuaaimi is very well connected and experienced business and legal consultant.
Few of his main clients belong to the Dubai royal family and he advises various large local industries.

Under his supervision and within the firm, a CSP team of 25 employees work for special licenses issuance such as military business, medical and pharmaceutic licenses to manufacture or market, oil, gas or gold licenses for trading these commodities, engineering and construction licenses and other technical and complex licenses or business/permits/authorizations. The CSP team also works for standard but necessary visas applications, licenses, permits, documents clearance, legalisations, and other PRO issues that our clients need assistance for.

He speaks English, Urdu, Indi and Arabic.

Mohamed Fawzy

Mr. Mohamed Fawsy

Generalist and Litigation Lawyer

Mr. Mohamed is a licensed lawyer in Egypt and has obtained his Master of Laws in International Business Law. He has over 20 years of experience in representing clients in alternative dispute resolutions, banking & finance, and corporate services.

In his leadership positions, he has consistently promoted the benefits of collaboration, innovation and diversity. He leads the firm with an inclusive approach and sets an example of dedication and commitment.

He speaks English and Arabic.

Banking and Finance Law

Mr. Simon Hajjar is a French lawyer practising in the Middle East and France for close to 20 years.
He has been head of legal of various international banks, including but not limited to BNP Paribas, Bank Of Sharjah and a large Qatari bank.

He focuses on accompanying his or the firms' clients for all their banking transactions and provide compliance/regulatory advises. His clients are also banks and financial institutions for which he provides high-level advisory services for major transactions or compliance issues.

He practices fluently French, English, and Arabic.

He speaks and writes French and English.

Civil Law and Contract Law

Mrs Geraldine Heimburger is a senior legal associate at Astruc & Co. She holds a Master Degree in Notarial Law and a Higher Diploma in Notarial Law from Aix Marseille University.

Initially, for more than 10 years, she worked in various areas of notarial field such as Real Estate Law, loans and securities, Family Law and Company Law. Then, she joined CRIDON Lyon, a prestigious notarial organisation, where she specialised in Family Law, particularly in marriage contract, divorce, estate planning and inheritance agreements. Her mission was to address complex legal issues arising in notarial law firms and to give lectures to notaries.

For 4 years, she has been teaching French Civil Law in Sorbonne Abu Dhabi University.She speaks and writes French and English.

Marie DESCROZAILLE Corp DSC_8342-EDITED BLACK

Corporate Law, Commercial Transactions and International Business

With a career spanning over two decades as a Corporate Lawyer at the Paris Bar and as Group General Counsel in Dubai, Marie-Agnès DESCROZAILLE has mastered complex international transactions, corporate structuring, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and strategic partnerships across the Infrastructure, Construction, Transportation, Distribution, Water Supply and Power Gen/Energy sectors. Her expertise in corporate law, commercial transactions, and international business extends across the MENA, Europe, USA, and Asia-Pacific regions.

Her extensive educational background lays a strong foundation for her legal expertise, enabling her to successfully tackle intricate legal, technical, and corporate challenges across diverse jurisdictions. Having passed the Bar Exam (Paris Court of Appel), and holding a Master’s degree in “Private Law” and a Post-Graduate Diploma in “International Private Law” from the prestigious Université Panthéon-Assas (Paris II), her knowledge is further enhanced by recent certifications in “Business Sustainability Management” from the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainable Leadership and studies in “Regenerative Economics” at the Capital Institute in New-York.

Marie-Agnes's multifaceted skill set, encompassing negotiation and strategic thinking, coupled with her adeptness in managing litigation and arbitration, as well as her proficiency in handling complex technical and financial Judicial expertise proceeding within an international context, positions her as a dynamic and forward-thinking legal and compliance leader, adept at driving change and fostering sustainable development within the global business landscape.

Me. Sabine Lacassagne

Me. Sabine Lacassagne

Family and Real Estate Laws Expert

Me. Sabine Lacassagne is an Advocate registered at the French bar since 2004. She is partner at the Paris law firm. She holds a Master in Private Law from one of the top Paris Universities, Paris-Nanterre and a PhD in private international laws.

Me. Sabine Lacassagne focuses her practice on individuals and entrepreneurs of small and medium size companies, for most of their legal issues, starting from commercial lease, through succession planning and family disputes, to construction contract management and corporate litigation. Her international clients are mostly based in Europe and
in the United Arab Emirates.

Being an excellent legal technician from the early days of her carrier, she enhanced her practical experience so to offer her clients exceptional results when it comes to finding out result-oriented solutions and advantageous negotiated deals. Trained to the collaborative practice and alternative dispute resolution methods, she performed to the satisfaction of her clients, without exception and is reputed for a gentle but firm approach and for never giving up on what matters the most.
She speaks and write French and English.

Mr. Ismaeel Mohamed

Mr. Ismaeel Mohamed

Banking Law

Ismaeel MOHAMMAD is a French qualified in- house lawyer, working in the financial industry for 12 years. He obtained his master’s degrees from both universities Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne and Paris V Rene Descartes and is specialized in international cross-borders’ banking and financial transactions.

He has a strong knowledge and expertise of international banking and financial laws and regulations from various jurisdictions (France, Luxembourg and APAC) and has worked with renowned financial firms such as Rothschild, AIA, Swiss Life International, BNP Paribas.

He speaks French, English, Urdu/Hindi/Punjabi and Mauritian creole.

Generalist Civil Law and Criminal Law

Mr. Osama Morsi is an Egyptian lawyer with over 20 years of experience in the legal field. He is a senior legal associate at Astruc & Co., in the UAE, Dubai Branch.

Mr. Morsi graduated from Assiut University in 1994 with a bachelor degree in law. He then worked with several international law firms, such as Mona Alansari Advocates and legal consultants, where
he gained valuable experience in UAE law.

Mr. Morsi has over 15 years of experience in representing clients in alternative dispute resolution and corporate services in the UAE. He is also experienced in various areas of UAE law, including criminal law, real estate law, family law, and company law.

In his past positions, Mr. Morsi has consistently promoted the benefits of collaboration, innovation, and diversity. He conducts his work with an inclusive approach and sets an example of dedication and commitment.

Mr. Morsi speaks English and Arabic.

Me. Paul-Arthur

Me. Paul-Arthur Luzu

Sanctions, compliance and crypto-assets

A Paris Bar holder, Paul-Arthur is a specialist of international sanctions and related compliance issues. He is certified in advanced sanctions risks management by the International Compliance Association. Previously based in Iran, Paul-Arthur covers mainly the Middle East at large and Central Asia.

He has a special focus on challenges raised by cryptocurrencies as to compliance and business opportunities. He is the co-author of the first French speaking book about crypto- assets and sanctions from a European Union perspective with practical guidelines for companies.

He intervenes on a regular basis, as a speaker, in seminars pertaining to compliance of trade
and investments with sanctions.

Paul-Arthur speaks English, French and Farsi.

Me. Brahim Ouhdi

Me. Brahim Ouhdi

Commercial and Contract Law Expert

Me Brahim OUHDI is an independent advocate registered at the Paris Bar since 2012. He holds
a master’s in business law from one of the most prestigious universities in France (Paris XI).

He immediately focused on assisting startups and entrepreneurs as well as larger companies on their business and legal issue, with a strong practice-oriented mindset so to reach customized solutions.

Since 2012, he advises Middle East and North African companies and individuals for their investments and business ventures in France. He also advises various France based companies for their activities in North Africa and the Middle East.

His main field of expertise, for both advisory or litigation matters, are contract and corporate laws, distribution and anti-trust laws, construction laws, as well as real estate laws.
Me. Brahim Oudhi speaks and write French, English, Spanish, Arabic.

Mr. Ghislain Omar Elgeddawy

Mr. Ghislain Omar Elgeddawy

Logistic and International trade Expert

Mr. Ghislain Omar ElGeddawy is French-Egyptian lawyer graduated from Ein Shams University in Cairo in 1988 and is Managing Partner of International Group Law Firm since 2009, which offer full legal services for all Egyptian based matters.

He obtained a Master Degree in Business law and Economics from Université Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne in Paris in 1991 and wrote a thesis on "Laws of Foreign Investments in Egypt". Omar/Ghislain embodies both cultures, which has helped him build a solid professional career from 1988 to this day with both the French business community and the Egyptian community, in both countries and in the United Arab Emirates.

Mr. Ghislain Omar ElGeddawy worked with several international law firms such as Backer & Mackenzie and Clifford Chance after invaluable experience in the banking and financial sector as head of credits at National Société Général and as portfolio manager at SCIB Investment.

Since the early days of his carrier, Mr. Ghislain Omar Elgeddawy focused on the tourism and trading sectors. As Executive Vice President of Orascom Group, in charge of large scale projects, or as Secretary General of ACCOR Egypt, managing a portfolio of 22 Hotels, he had the chance to deal with top Government officials and developed practice thereafter a practice as adviser to the Egyptian Government, whether for international trade and financial affairs or for drafting Egyptian Competition and Anti-Trust regulatory framework.

Mr. Ghislain Omar ElGeddawy speaks French, English and Arabic.

Me. Remi Castebert

Me. Rémi Castebert

Tax Law Expert

Me. Remi Castebert is an Advocate registered at the French bar since 2011. He joined JFA Souillac, an independent law firm based in France, in 2019 to manage and develop the tax department.

He obtained a master’s degree in tax law from University Paris I Sorbonne university and specializes in structuring business that have strong transnational aspects and requires in depth review of their corporate and tax organization.

Over the last 10 years, Me. Remi Castebert has developed a know-how, directly or on a management basis, about international complex operations (structuring, M&A, real estate portfolio management), in various EU countries, United States of America, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates.

He is also a business adviser in the field of real estate investments in Western EU area.

He speaks French and English.

Me. Jose Ibanez

Me. Jose Ibanez

Real Estate and Construction Law Expert

José Ibanez, lawyer admitted to the Paris Bar, holds a master’s degree in Commercial Law as well as a master’s degree in real estate construction and Promotion Law from the well-reputed University Paris II Panthéon-Assas.

Currently, José Ibanez is the director and founding partner of the Real Estate and Construction Law department of LVI , assisting his clients on their Real Estate investments and projects in France and abroad in the consultancy phase as well as the litigation phase. Moreover, he is the manager of the professional trainings within the firm.

José Ibanez is the founder and director of the International Desk, a special section created within LVI in order to assist its clients on their investments. The International Desk team provides permanent assistance to their clients on their professional and personal projects through all the administrative, legal and judicial phases throughout Spain, North America, Latin America and Middle East.

He speaks French, English and Spanish

Mr. Thomas Collignon

Mr. Thomas Collignon

Real Estate and Business Development

Thomas Collignon is an entrepreneur and investment consultants whose clients remain loyal
to because of his dedication to find the most suitable solution to their needs and capabilities.
He accompanied start-ups and led them from being small size businesses to becoming multi-million companies ready for international growth or exit strategy.

He specializes in wealth management, business development and venture capital in the Middle East and CIS countries. He speaks French and English and manages the Astruc & Co. Luxembourg office.

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