About

Jacqueline Saad is the Executive Partner at Shahid Law Firm and admitted before the Court of Cassation.

With a preliminary focus on pharmaceutical and healthcare sector, high network individuals, the tourism and transportation sector, Jacqueline is one of the few attorneys in Egypt with vast knowledge of investment, corporate, anti-trust law, banking, competition law, intellectual property, real estate, and labor matters as well as clinical trial laws and regulations. She has acted for leading multinational companies and organizations in different industries.

Having been with the Firm for over two decades, Jacqueline oversees the Firm’s internal affairs in all aspects of business functions.

Jacqueline leads the pro-bono legal services of the Firm and used to provide extensive legal advice to the Swiss Egyptian Business Association (SEBA).

Jacqueline holds an LL.M. in International and European Law (PILC) from Vrije Universiteit Brussel with a focus on the enforcement of EC Competition Law within the EU, an LL.M. in International and Comparative Law from the American University in Cairo, an LL.B. from Ain Shams University and a B.A. in Business Administration from Helwan University.

Jacqueline is fluent in Arabic and English.

In 2021, Jacqueline is noted in The Legal 500 (Legalease) EMEA 2021 as one of the lead partners in Commercial, Corporate and M&A. Jacqueline acts predominantly for clients in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, IT, industrial and insurance.  Cooperation with Jacqueline was described by clients as “very professional, quick and excellent and at a very good price-performance ratio. I would recommend her.”  “Shahid Law Firm and partner Jacqueline Saad are extremely responsive, efficient and eager to help at a moment”; “Jacqueline Saad is dedicated, knowledgeable, trustworthy and highly ethical. The type of attorney you can count on at all times.”

In 2020, healthcare sector specialist Jacqueline Saad received a special note in the Commercial, Corporate and M&A as one of “The firm’s outstanding practitioner[s]”. Jacqueline received special note in Legal500 in the Commercial, Corporate and M&A as “a cool and competent professional“.

In 2015, she was noted in Legal500 as “skillful, responsive attorney with good business sense”.  In 2019, Jacqueline received special note in Legal500 in the Commercial, Corporate and M&A as “the firm’s outstanding practitioner[s]”.  She also received testimonials from the Firm’s clients; “when I deal with Jacqueline Saad …. I feel to be in safe hands; she makes me feel confident that I will receive first class legal service”, “dedicated, knowledgeable, trustworthy and highly ethical. The type of attorney you can count on at all times”, “reliable, talented and experienced lawyer. With a great legal knowledge, she provides high quality and efficacious legal advice.”

Deals/Highlights

• Acting as legal counsel for various longstanding multinationals and non-Egyptians, by providing constant legal support to manage the general corporate work of their Egyptian legal entities, handling their day-to-day legal matters, providing attestations of original documents and affidavit in support of ongoing legal matters.
• Acting as counsel for various Fortune 500 multinational pharmaceuticals companies by providing guidance on all regulatory, statutory and legal requirements as well as undertaking all the necessary work for their presence in Egypt.
• Advising various Fortune 500 multinational pharmaceuticals companies on all laws, decrees and regulations addressing and governing clinical trials in Egypt.
• Acted as legal counsel in a multi-million USD capital increase/infusion of Eli Lilly Group of Companies, as well as on the restructuring of the board members and signatory powers of its legal entities in Egypt; and advised on civil and criminal liability of the board members.
• Acted as legal counsel for an affiliate of Eli Lilly Group of Companies, on various matters related to regularization of its status to comply with the legal requirements pursuant to the amendments introduced in March 2017 to the Importers’ Registry Law and handling all the required documentation and regulatory procedures in light of the most recent applicable regulations.
• Acted for Johnson & Johnson on the multi-jurisdiction legal questionnaire related to clinical trials in Egypt jurisdiction, and provided insight on specific legal and regulatory requirements applicable on pharmaceutical companies.
• Acted as legal counsel for Abbott Laboratories Switzerland on providing the legal step plan regarding the actions that should be taken locally in Egypt jurisdiction, after implementing a conversion of Abbott Laboratories SA to a GmbH, so that the scientific office reflects the correct name of the entity that has registered said scientific office in Egypt. Also, Jacqueline acted as legal counsel in the restructuring of Abbott’s Group of Companies board members and signatory powers of its legal entities in Egypt.
• Acted as legal counsel for Hayel Saeed Anam & Co. Group Limited, in connection with restructuring the board members and signatory powers of its legal entities in Egypt.
• Represented Ceva Santé Animale S.A. on the restructuring of the board members and signatory powers of its legal entities in Egypt.
• Acted as local/legal counsel for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Group of Companies in its multi-billion dollars’ asset trading deal with Novartis, considered to have reshaped the pharmaceutical industry globally. Also, Jacqueline acted as legal counsel in the restructuring of the board members and signatory powers of GSK Group of Companies legal entities in Egypt.
• Acted as legal counsel for a major US publicly listed real estate group, including the annual renewal of operating license in compliance with laws related to hotel management companies, and the acquiring of a chain of hotels in Egypt.
• Acted as legal counsel for Ülker for Trading and Marketing S.A.E., affiliate of Yıldız Holding Group of Companies in connection with its legal position in Egypt, whether in case of its merger into Hi-Food for Advanced Food Industries Company S.A.E. at book value of Ülker’s shares, or its liquidation, including legal procedures, tax and employees’ positions of each scenario.
• Acted as legal counsel for SAIF S.p.A. in regards to licensing of charcoal trading in Egypt, and establishing a subsidiary for the trade, distribution and export of charcoal and related raw materials.
• Acted as legal counsel for “Strategy& Egypt” a global strategy consulting business group and a part of PWC network in connection with corporate compliance requirements involving transfer of quotas between affiliates in the Strategy& Group of Companies, as required by the Egyptian laws as well as assisting the Company with its daily activities including VAT registration despite legal challenges faced the Company during the compliance period.
• Acted as legal counsel for MSA Egypt LLC and Eymsal Safety Solutions Inc. LLC, affiliates of US company Mine Safety Appliances or MSA Safety Incorporated, since inception in 2006, until appointment of liquidator in the liquidation of both legal entities in Egypt in accordance with the Egyptian Law and regulations.
• Acted as legal counsel for Rexcel Egypt LLC, an affiliate of Sun Pharma Group of Companies, on various matters related to regularization of its status to comply with the legal requirements pursuant to the amendments introduced in March 2017 to the Importers’ Registry Law No. 121 of the year 1982; and handling all the required documentation and regulatory procedures in light of the most recent applicable regulations.
• Acted as legal counsel for various longstanding clients with regards to providing legal advice on employment matters, termination of employment and end of service remuneration, drafting all types of employment agreements, as well as all forms and templates of termination.
• Represented Ceva Santé Animale S.A. in handling the exit process of the manager of its legal entities in Egypt, including providing guidelines and recommendation on the best approach to terminate indefinite term employment contract, as well as entitlements in accordance with relevant provisions of the Egyptian Labour Law, in addition to negotiating the entitlements in order to ensure smooth exit process.

Dispute Resolution Experience

• Acts for RINA S.p.A. in the biggest class suits filed against it along with ENTE Registro Italiano Navale (RINA companies), regarding the sinking of the Vessel – Al-Salam Bocaccio98 – in the Red Sea in February 2006, en route from Saudi Arabia to Egypt, resulting in the death of more than 1,000 individuals and the total loss of the vessel. Provided RINA with legal advice on aspects of Egyptian Law and jurisprudence in regard to portions of the matter handled before the Italian courts, concerning a complex cluster of five (5) separate quasi-class action lawsuits, with respect to the validity and enforceability of settlement agreements. Also assisted RINA with all defenses and documents in support to its defense in the two Italian proceedings, with respect to the validity and enforceability of the settlement agreements signed by the survivors and heirs of victims, and received financial compensation for the damages incurred. In said agreements, survivors and heirs of victims have declared that they are not further entitled for compensation for the said damages.
• Acts as legal counsel for Hayel Saeed Anam & Co. Group Limited (and family) in connection with defamation legal proceedings in Malaysia, including providing our legal opinion on the methods of service of foreign legal process in Egypt and whether the manner adopted to serve the affidavit of service in Egypt is valid under Egyptian Law. Also, Jacqueline acted as legal counsel in the legal notice related to the board/corporate re-structuring and capital increase of the Egyptian entities as well as disposing of trademarks by way of sale.

Publications

Jacqueline Saad published a dissertation in 2006 titled “Vicious Circle: Coptic Divorce between Positive Law and Canon Law” in partial fulfillment of her LL.M. from the American University in Cairo. Jacqueline’s research has substantially contributed to the enrichment of the existing literature on the History of Coptic Personal Status Law. She has been quoted in publications of universities such as Harvard and Berkeley; and copies of her dissertation are placed in universities in Germany and Australia.