Christopher Lester

Partner

Dubai
chris.lester@lw.com
+971.4.704.6369

PRACTICES

  • Africa Practice
  • Australia Practice
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Private Equity

INDUSTRIES

  • Aerospace, Defense & Government Services
  • Energy & Infrastructure
  • Entertainment, Sports & Media
  • Financial Institutions

BAR QUALIFICATIONS

  • England and Wales (Solicitor)

EDUCATION

  • LLB, Monash University,
  • B. Ec., Monash University,

PROFILE

Chris Lester, Co-Chair of the Middle East Corporate Department, specializes in public and private mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and restructurings.

EXPERIENCE

Chris' representative transactions include advising:

  • OCTAL, a major global producer of PET sheet based in Oman with operations in the UAE, KSA, and the US, on its US$620 million sale to Alpek, S.A.B. de C.V. (Alpek) 
  • Funds managed by Silver Lake Partners, a global private equity firm focused on investments in technology, technology-enabled, and related industries, on their minority investment in G42, an Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing company
  • SIG Combibloc, a Swiss listed leading systems and solutions provider for aseptic carton packaging company, on its acquisition of the 50% stake in its Middle East joint venture SIG Combibloc Obeikan held by the Obeikan Group
  • Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) on the merger of the agri-nutrients businesses of SABIC and Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Company (SAFCO)  
  • J.P. Morgan on the three-way merger of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, United National Bank, and Al Hilal Bank
  • Mubadala Healthcare and China UAE Fund on the acquisition of Amana Healthcare
    Dubai Holding on the acquisition of a significant minority stake in Azadea
  • Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank on the acquisition of Barclays’ UAE retail banking business
  • Mubadala on the US$15 billion merger of EMAL and DUBAL to form Emirates Global Aluminium
  • Mubadala on mining investments in the Republic of Guinea
  • Oldendorff on the acquisition and disposal of shipping assets
  • Government of Dubai on the restructuring of Dubai World