Ali Houssein

Ali also advises and represents significant institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds, seeking to deploy capital into a range of investment structures. These include open- and closed-ended funds, separate managed account arrangements, co-investments, joint venture arrangements, and other bespoke investment structures and platforms across asset classes. Ali provides  ongoing advice in connection with such investments, including transfers of interest, “most-favoured nations” processes, and additional equity injections.

Ali has also advised international and local clients on a variety of commercial transactions and arrangements, including structuring and completing commercial contracts, joint ventures, and mergers and acquisitions. Ali has experience advising clients on legislative and regulatory issues in the UAE marketplace, including the corporate formation process both in the UAE and its free zones. He is admitted to practice in Ontario. He regularly advises clients on the regulatory framework of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and has broad experience with the establishment and corporate structuring of operational entities and special purpose vehicles in the ADGM.

Ali is fluent in English and Arabic and has liaised with UAE government bodies and institutions in connection with various regulatory and licensing issues.

• Previously represented and currently advising multiple GCC-based investment managers on the establishment of open- and closed-ended private investment funds across asset classes, domiciled across the GCC and internationally, including:
• $400 million MENA private equity fund in the ADGM
• $350 million MENA private credit fund in the ADGM
• Umbrella fund in the ADGM with multiple sub-funds for investment in Shari’a-compliant fixed income and equities, targeting $200 million at launch
• Advised a US-based fund manager in connection with the formation and licensing of an ADGM investment manager and launch of an ADGM feeder fund
• Currently acts for multiple GCC and other sovereign wealth funds on the investment of billions of US dollars, including into private funds across asset classes, UCITS structures, hedge funds, separate managed accounts, co-investments, and funds-of-one
• Advised a group of investors led by TVM Capital Healthcare Partners Limited on the $232 million sale of their portfolio company Cambridge Medical and Rehabilitation Center (CMRC) to Amanat Holdings PJSC, a UAE-based publicly traded investment company that focuses on education and healthcare investments
• Advises NBK Capital on the structuring and documentation of regional mezzanine and real estate funds and the carried interest arrangements in respect thereof
• Advises TVM Capital Healthcare Partners on the structuring, documentation, investment and ongoing compliance issues relating to regional healthcare investment vehicles
• Advising a US-based investment management firm on all aspect of its registration of numerous funds with the SCA
• Regularly provides securities law advice for the GCC region to international investment managers
• Assisting a privately owned, US-based transportation management company in the negotiation and corporate structuring of a joint venture arrangement with a leading Australian transportation company in the UAE
• Advising a US-based company on the dissolution of its Abu Dhabi branch
• Advising and assisting large institutional investors in the establishment and corporate structuring of their ADGM entities
• Assisting a large US-based immigration firm with the share transfer of its Dubai Multi Commodities Center free zone entity
• Assisting a sovereign wealth fund in the establishment of its subsidiary structure and the re-organization of its investments
• Advising a US-based construction company on its corporate structuring requirements in the UAE
• Advising a sovereign wealth fund in the liquidation of its UAE subsidiaries
• Assisting a large oil and gas services firm in its UAE structuring
• Assisting a US-based transportation management company in all aspects of its structuring and employment relations for its work on Expo 2020
• Advised one of the world’s largest human resources consultancies firm on the UAE aspects of a USD multi-million acquisition of another human resources consultancy which included structuring their UAE operations and various employment matters
• Advised a European private equity firm in the hospitality sector on the structuring of its UAE advisory and holding structure
• Advised a China-base private equity firm with the UAE based aspects of an acquisition of an online retailer
• Advised a UAE based private equity firm with the acquisition of a UAE based hospitality group
• Advised a leading restaurateur of operating hospitality outlets for travel venues in an acquisition of its UAE entities
• Assisted a US education service provider in its structuring in the UAE and various employment matters
• Assisted a leading US consulting firm in its UAE structuring and various employment matters