Emile Kanaan Appointed Exclusive Dispute Resolution Member in Lebanon

Global Law Experts is pleased to announce the appointment of Emile Kanaan, founding partner and chairman of The Levant Lawyers, as an Exclusive Member for Dispute Resolution in Lebanon. The selection recognises a career shaped by comparative legal training, extensive cross border experience and a sustained focus on complex commercial, infrastructure, financial and public sector matters throughout Lebanon and across the wider MENA region.

Mr Kanaan brings a distinctive blend of Lebanese and French legal education, deep familiarity with English common law practice and decades of experience advising governments, multinational businesses, financial institutions and international organisations. His work has included major disputes, large scale infrastructure projects, public private partnerships, construction claims, banking and regulatory matters, as well as complex commercial restructurings.

This profile aligns closely with what Global Law Experts seeks in an international legal network. The organisation values lawyers who combine practical depth with sector knowledge, cross border capability and the ability to deliver solutions that are grounded in commercial reality. Through The Levant Lawyers, founded in 2007, Mr Kanaan leads a focused team of senior specialists providing sophisticated advisory and dispute support across the MENA region. The firm’s approach integrates litigation, arbitration and transactional experience, reflecting the importance of building legal strategy that supports broader business objectives.

Dispute Resolution in Lebanon

As an Exclusive Member for Dispute Resolution in Lebanon, Emile Kanaan advises clients on a wide range of contentious matters that include both domestic and international elements. His practice covers commercial litigation, institutional arbitration, construction and engineering disputes, contractual disagreements and shareholder conflicts. He also handles regulatory challenges, project finance restructurings and matters involving sovereign entities.

The strength of his dispute resolution work is grounded in a career that spans legal traditions and jurisdictions. Mr Kanaan studied French law and Lebanese law, obtaining a Master in French law from Lyon University in 1964, and a Master in Lebanese law from Université Saint Joseph in Beirut in 1965. He then spent eight years in the United Kingdom through a long association with a leading City of London firm. That period sharpened his understanding of both civil law and common law systems and prepared him to manage disputes where foreign governing laws, local procedures and international commercial expectations must be handled together.

Mr Kanaan is fluent in Arabic, French and English, a capability that supports complex cases involving multiple jurisdictions and stakeholders. This blend of education, professional experience and teaching reflects a sustained commitment to comparative law and to understanding the procedural and strategic differences that can influence the outcome of international disputes.

His dispute resolution practice spans key commercial sectors, including infrastructure and construction, energy and utilities, banking and financial services, pharmaceuticals, real estate development and public procurement. These sectors often generate disputes with significant financial and operational consequences, particularly where projects involve government bodies, international contractors, lenders, concession arrangements or multiple layers of contractual responsibility.

A notable part of his work involves FIDIC based construction disputes, where questions of contract interpretation, project administration, delay, performance and payment can interact with technical evidence and multiple governing frameworks. He has also handled ICC arbitrations and international disputes connected to water reservoirs, toll road projects and complex construction claims. These mandates require more than legal knowledge. They demand the ability to manage evidence effectively, coordinate technical and legal teams, evaluate procedural options and pursue outcomes that can be enforced in the relevant jurisdictions.

The same practical approach applies to commercial litigation and arbitration involving contractual rights, shareholder relationships and corporate governance. Mr Kanaan advises clients on both the legal and commercial implications of a dispute, including the value of negotiation and settlement alongside formal proceedings. When arbitration or litigation becomes necessary, he develops strategies that take account of parallel actions, differing procedural rules and the enforceability of judgments or awards.

This breadth of experience meets the expectations of an Exclusive Member of Global Law Experts. Selection for an international network requires a lawyer who can support clients beyond a single matter, court process or jurisdiction. Mr Kanaan’s comparative law background and international practice experience enable him to address disputes from both local and international perspectives. His focus is not limited to presenting legal arguments. He also considers the commercial, financial and operational impact of each step in the dispute process.

Infrastructure, Public Private Partnerships and Public Procurement Disputes

A significant part of Emile Kanaan’s experience relates to disputes arising from public authorities, infrastructure development and public private partnerships. He has advised governments on standard procurement documents and acted as counsel on major BOT and PPP projects in Lebanon. His involvement has also included high profile infrastructure schemes and duty free zone developments.

Work in this area requires a detailed understanding of how public procurement rules interact with concession structures, financing arrangements, construction obligations and government responsibilities. These projects often operate through long term contractual frameworks, meaning disputes may emerge at different stages of development. Early legal analysis, careful drafting and a clear grasp of risk allocation are essential to building strategies that remain effective as circumstances evolve.

Mr Kanaan has handled disputes involving water reservoirs, toll road projects and complex construction claims. He has also advised on project finance restructurings and disputes involving sovereign interests. This enables him to evaluate contentious matters within the broader context of project financing, delivery and public objectives.

His experience meets Global Law Experts standards because it demonstrates both technical depth and the ability to manage matters of substantial public and commercial importance. Advising governments and supporting BOT and PPP projects requires an appreciation of legal frameworks as well as a practical understanding of the expectations of public authorities, developers, contractors, lenders and other stakeholders. His work reflects the ability to balance these competing interests while pursuing durable results.

Cross Border Commercial and Financial Disputes

Mr Kanaan’s practice also supports clients in disputes that involve international businesses, financial institutions and transactions where the governing law differs from the jurisdiction where proceedings are brought. His experience includes sovereign loan restructurings in major financial centres, banking and financial services matters, and commercial disputes involving parties from multiple countries.

Cross border disputes often require careful management of jurisdiction, applicable law, enforcement, evidence and coordination between proceedings. A dispute may be governed by a foreign contract, while action is required before Lebanese courts or across multiple countries involving different assets, parties and procedural stages. Mr Kanaan’s long standing experience spanning Lebanon, the United Kingdom and the wider MENA region supports his ability to craft strategies that address these interconnected legal environments.

His work in this area includes drafting claims under foreign governing laws, coordinating parallel proceedings and building settlement structures designed to be enforceable across relevant jurisdictions. These responsibilities require precision and a clear focus on the client’s commercial goals. Resolution frequently involves a combination of court proceedings, arbitration, negotiation and restructuring, rather than relying on a single forum.

This international and multi forum capability is central to his membership of Global Law Experts. The network brings together lawyers whose expertise helps clients manage sophisticated challenges across borders. Mr Kanaan’s practice demonstrates how local legal understanding can be aligned with international dispute strategy, while maintaining an emphasis on enforceability and real world commercial effectiveness.

Regulatory Reform and International Advisory Work

In addition to contentious mandates, Emile Kanaan has undertaken substantial advisory work involving legal reform, public institutions and international organisations. Since 2008, he has served as sole legal adviser to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia in Lebanon. He has also led projects aimed at reforming commercial and e commerce laws in cooperation with regional and international partners.

This advisory work complements his dispute resolution practice. Regulatory frameworks, procurement rules and commercial legislation shape the rights and obligations that later become the subject of litigation or arbitration. Experience in legal reform therefore provides a wider perspective on how rules are drafted, interpreted and implemented in practice.

His published work includes comparative legal studies on judicial systems and a 2010 legal study concerning detainee treatment standards prepared for international organisations. These activities reflect a sustained interest in legal systems and institutional issues beyond individual disputes, and they demonstrate an ability to analyse legal questions in a structured, comparative and internationally relevant way.

Global Law Experts standards are met not only through the complexity of a lawyer’s contentious work, but also through the quality and range of expertise across advisory and institutional matters. Mr Kanaan’s role for an international organisation and his contributions to commercial and e commerce law reform demonstrate his capacity to address legal issues at a policy and institutional level. This strengthens his ability to advise clients operating in regulated environments, rapidly developing markets and internationally connected sectors.

A Practical and International Approach

Emile Kanaan’s professional profile is defined by the combination of local knowledge, international experience and commercially focused dispute management. His approach begins with early assessment of legal and commercial risk, includes meaningful consideration of negotiation and settlement, and then applies focused advocacy when formal proceedings are required.

Dispute resolution in Lebanon presents distinct challenges for both domestic and international clients. The civil law based judiciary, procedural backlogs, varying enforcement timelines and the interaction between local public procurement rules and international PPP and concession frameworks can complicate how disputes unfold. Arbitration and dispute avoidance mechanisms can be effective, but their value depends on careful drafting, procedural awareness and a clear understanding of how local implementation works.

Mr Kanaan’s experience is particularly valuable in this environment because he can evaluate disputes through both Lebanese and international lenses. His familiarity with local legal structures is strengthened by long exposure to common law practice and international commercial work. This enables him to support clients whose disputes require coordination between Lebanese courts, arbitral tribunals, international counterparties and foreign legal systems.

His leadership of The Levant Lawyers reinforces this integrated model. The firm was established with the aim of combining regional reach with international standards, and its structure brings together litigation, arbitration and transactional capabilities. Under Mr Kanaan’s direction, the firm has developed the ability to collaborate effectively with international law practices and deliver coordinated strategies for cross border transactions and multi forum disputes.

Global Law Experts welcomes Emile Kanaan as an Exclusive Member for Dispute Resolution in Lebanon, recognising his extensive experience, comparative legal expertise and proven leadership in complex regional and international matters. His work across litigation, arbitration, infrastructure, construction, banking, public procurement, regulatory reform and sovereign finance reflects the level of specialisation clients expect when disputes carry high legal, financial and strategic stakes.

For businesses, multinational corporations, financial institutions, public entities and shareholders facing complex legal challenges in Lebanon or across the broader MENA region, his practice offers a combination of local insight and international perspective. His career connects Lebanese, French and English legal environments, while his work with governments and international organisations demonstrates the breadth required to manage disputes with real consequences.

As an Exclusive Member of Global Law Experts, Emile Kanaan strengthens the network with an exceptionally experienced dispute resolution practice. His record of professional leadership, together with his ability to align legal strategy with commercial realities, makes him a valuable resource for clients seeking sophisticated counsel in Lebanon and across cross border matters.