20
Memorial Issue for Ali El Shalakany Newsletter THE ADVO ATE C A P U B L I C A T I O N O F S H A L A K A N Y L A W O F F I C E Fall 2007 Issue No.10 Ali El Shalakany 1923-2007
Memorial Issue for Ali El
Shalakany
Newsletter
THEADVO ATECA P U B L I C A T I O N O F S H A L A K A N Y L A W O F F I C E
Fall 2007 Issue No.10
Ali El Shalakany1923-2007
2 Lex Mundi www.shalakany.com
The key to Lex Mundi is the quality of the individual memberfirms. Member selection criteria are very stringent andmembers are among the leading law firms in theirjurisdictions. While remaining independent, each LexMundi member firm is committed to uniform servicestandards that provide clients with consistency andconfidence, and each shares a remarkable dedicationto clients.
By selecting a Lex Mundi law firm, clients can haveconfidence that they will be connected to:
Quality Representation
Lex Mundi member firms must be committed to providingnot only high quality legal work, but superior client serviceas well. Each member firm is admitted only after substantialdue diligence, and must survive regular quality and peerreview procedures in order to retain membership in theassociation.
Preeminent Law Firms
Each Lex Mundi member is an elite firm in its jurisdiction.Potential members are evaluated on quality,responsiveness, ability to provide a full range of legalservices, reputation, technology, management structure,ethical standards, conflict avoidance procedures, size,court admissions and other criteria.
Local Market Knowledge
Lex Mundi member firms are locally based law firms,indigenous to their areas. As a result, they have developedthe expertise most necessary in their jurisdictions, as wellas strong ties to the legal and business communities. Theyalso can apprise clients of the area’s political contextand provide firsthand information about the locallandscape.
A Recognized Resource WorldwideThrough the Lex Mundi association, clients and theiradvisors can receive introductions to top local law firmsaround the world.
Lex Mundi ensures the quality of individual member firmsin a number of ways:
Recruiting Standards and Procedures
Lex Mundi employs a rigorous method of selecting andadmitting new members.
Membership Review Policy and Procedures
To ensure that members continue to be the most highlyregarded firms in their jurisdictions and continue to provideresponsive, high quality legal services, the organizationreviews each member firm every eight years. Membershipis terminated if a firm does not meet Lex Mundi standards.
Service Standards
Each member adheres to a general service philosophy,as well as specific standards, such as a 24-hour rule onreturning telephone calls.
Involvement Of Clients
Lex Mundi has formed a Client Advisory Council as aforum to obtain feedback directly from client organizationson the best ways to serve clients and advice on policiesand projects for consideration.
Corporations worldwide, their owners and their advisorsare the ultimate beneficiaries of the worldwide reachand the exceptional global legal expertise that Lex Mundiprovides. Lex Mundi firms provide companies with:
First-rate legal skillsLocal market knowledge and experienceRelevant industry expertiseSound business and language skillsResponsive service
Working together, Lex Mundi member firms are able toprovide cost-effective solutions for clients just aboutanywhere on the globe. Lex Mundi is the mark ofexcellence for legal services globally.
Shalakany Law Office is the exclusive member firm for Egypt of Lex Mundi, the world’sleading association of independent law firms. Lex Mundi is the mark of excellence forlegal services globally. With more than 20,000 lawyers in 550 offices, Lex Mundi memberfirms are present in more than 160 countries, states and provinces. These premier lawfirms provide legal representation and local market knowledge just about anywhereneeds may arise. Our firm's membership in Lex Mundi provides us with global reachand access to legal resources that enhance our ability to serve our clients’ needsaround the world.
Lex Mundi members are not affiliated in the joint practice oflaw; each member firm is an independent law firm and renders
professional services on an individual and separate basis.
3Editor’s Letterwww.shalakany.comTravel Well
The poet Dylan Thomas wrote:Do not go gently into that good nightRage, rage against the dying of the light
This summer I experienced first hand the long drawn, but ultimately doomed, struggle for life of twopersons dear and near to me, my father and my father-in- law. I want to write here about my father,Ali El Shalakany. He certainly did not go gently into the night, he raged and fought valiantly againstthe dying of the light. Death of a person near to us inevitably leads to some internal philosophizing. Iwill share with you here some of my thoughts for what they are worth. Life is of course a journey,ultimately ending in death. The final destination for all of us. This journey is for most people hard. Forsome it is so hard that they choose to end it themselves prematurely. For others who carry on, bearingthe trials and tribulations of existence, those who as Shakespeare puts it ‘.... suffer the slings and arrows
of outrageous fortune’ on a daily basis, it is sometimes full of joy, and sometimes full of pain. The key in my view is to travel well.Meaning whatever immediate goal or destination we set for ourselves, the key is not whether we reach that goal or destination,but that we embark seeking the good and keep moving in the right direction. The journey is never ending. Those seeking richesnever have enough, same for knowledge, wisdom, power, pleasure, fame and glory. Philosophers have argued endlessly aboutwhat is and is not ‘good’ and ‘right’. Some seek the answer in religion, others in secular humanism. There are infinite possibilities.The journey embarked upon by my father was one of wonder and interest in life. To his very last days he remained truly young atheart, his active mind forever seeking more knowledge, wisdom and understanding. He sincerely wished well for all his fellowtravellers in life. He stood unwavering by principles that served what he believed was ‘right’. Like small ripples in a pond, the pathsembarked upon by people, join forces and help define the stream that affects the direction of our common journey together ashuman beings. I think that the journey upon which my father embarked was a good one and that he travelled well.
By Khaled El ShalakanyEditor-in-Chief
ChairmanAli El ShalakanyEditor-In-ChiefKhaled El ShalakanyProduction ManagerGhada FaroukContributing WritersEhab El SonbatyFiras El SammadGhada FaroukHany HamroushHussein GoharKamal SalehMohieldin AlameldinNagwa El KhafifReviewing & Distribution OfficerAngelika BuchheimArt Director & ProductionAmir EliasColor Separation & PrintingSpirit AdvertisingThe Advocate is a publication of
Shalakany Law Office. Anyreproduction of this newsletter is
strictly prohibited without theexpress written consent of the
publisher. Opinions expressed bycontributing writers or material
printed from other sources doesnot necessarily represent those of
the publisher.Copyright © Shalakany Law
Office, Egypt.All rights reserved.
To subscribe to The Advocateplease send an email to
In This IssueCover StoryAli El Shalakany
Sandooq El DoniaFilm Review: Pan's Labyrinth/ the Feast of the GoatBook Review: "Quality is Free", The Art of assuring Quality, and how to managequality so that it becomes a source of profit for your business
Arabic PoetryArabic Poem
Two Short StoriesThe Tyres of LoveEscape From the Seventh Circle of Hell
Buddhist Symbols (Part2)
In Every IssueLex MundiWhat you need to know about the World's leading Association ofIndependent Law Firms
Editor's LetterTravel well
An Eye on the LawWomen Judges
News @ SLOUp-to-date Coverage of What is Happening at Shalakany Law Office
6
1213
14
1516
10
2
3
4
17
N.B.This issue is in black and white to reflect our mourning for the late Ali El Shalakany
4 www.shalakany.comAn Eye On The Law
Support for women judgesgoes too far in its disregardo f t h e h i s t o r i c a lbackground and currentcircumstances; oppositionto the idea denies womenany role whatsoever in thejudicial system. Extremepositions are of no benefitto either side and distortwhat matters, which is howwomen can assume theirdesired role in the judiciarybearing in mind thecurrent hindrances.
First, we must rememberthat women make up halfof Egyptian society, andd e v e l o p m e n t i sinconceivable withouttheir active participation.There might seem no need
to repeat this at thebeginning of the 21stcentury, nevertheless it issometimes worthwhile todo so. Men and womenlive and work together,t h e y s h a r e i nd i sappointment ands u c c e s s : t h a t i sinescapable reality. Egypthas reaped the benefitsof women's participationin science, entertainment,medicine and law, not tomention their major role,over the years, in thenationalist struggle againsto c c u p a t i o n a n dcolonialism.
It is high time that aw o m a n ' s r o l e b edetermined on the basis
of her suitabilitya n dqualifications,not her gender.I have no doubt that Egyptneeds the serious andsincere efforts of al loutstandingly qualifiedpeople in these tryingtimes. There is no reasonfor a qualified woman tobe denied a position shedeserves solely becauseof her gender. It would benonsensical to offer anunqualified man a positionsimply owing to his beinga man. Selection criteriashould be objective, notpersonal; meritocracyshould rule. This leads uson to a particular post,more correctly vocation,
where women are stillstruggling to establishthemselves: the judiciary.
The Shari'a concerning theappointment of womenjudges is best left todistinguished experts infiqh. I would say, however,that a properly sanctionedIslamic legal opinionasserting women's right tosit as judges would benefitEgypt and the Islamicpeoples.
The law and constitutionare quite sufficient toconfirm and uphold the
WomenJudges
The strident debate underway concerning the appointment of womenjudges might lead one to believe that Egyptian society is polarisedbetween supporting and opposing parties whose main concern isarguing for its own sake. Unfortunately, this style of debate is nowcharacteristic of any topic under discussion in Egypt, where groupssimply take sides and leave no space for airing differences orreaching common ground. Calm, objective discussion whichrespects the other side might, on the other hand, result in a practicalcompromise without causing resentment.
5www.shalakany.com An Eye On The Law
values of equality andequal opportunity for allcitizens irrespective of raceor gender. Furthermore,statutes pertaining to thejudiciary itself and otherrelevant laws representthe battleground for thosecall ing for women tor e c e i v e t h e i r f u l lconstitutional rights asindividuals and citizens.
The question whetherwomen are physiologicallyand psychologically up tothe job is often raised indiscussions concerningwomen judges. I find thisl i n e o f a r g u m e n tunconvincing, as womenhave more than provedthemselves capable inbody and m ind o fperforming duties morearduous than usually thec a s e f o r a j u d g e .Physically, women worklate in banks and the stockexchange, profit-drivenenvironments which onlytake on staff capable ofoperating under pressure.There is no scientif icevidence to support thenotion that women are atany mental disadvantagecompared with men. Allthe objective evidenceproves that women copewith problems and takedifficult decisions at workand at home. An ideale x a m p l e i s t h eAdministrative Prosecutionw h e r e w o m a n h a sreached the highest level:she investigates the mostserious cases and takescritical decisions.
Another i ssue is therequirements to travel or
relocate which are in thenature of prosecutors' andjudges' work. First, let usnot forget that theauthority of a prosecutorand the respect he enjoysderive not from his beinga man, but from thepowers granted him bythe constitution and thelaw, and from esteemtowards his office. Thus ay o u t h f u l d e p u t y -prosecutor can expectthe cooperation of hiselders as a result of theprestige of the judiciarywhich he represents. Tothink otherwise would beto bel i t t le the h ighstanding of the bench.Women judges shouldexpect to receive respect,like their male colleagues,in deference to the seatof justice, not its occupant.
Logistical objections canbe excluded altogetherprovided the will andmeans exist, and cannotbe used to justify thed e n i a l o f w o m e n ' sconstitutional rights. Thej u d g e m e n t s o f t h es u p r e m e c o u r tdemonstrate a refusal toallow practical problemsto stand between thec i t i z e n s a n d t h e i rconst i tut ional r ights .Perhaps the best proof ofthis is the declaration ofthe constitutional courtthat the Law of Pursuit ofPolitical Rights breachedthe constitutional provisionfor elections under judicialsupervision. The courtd i s m i s s e d t h egovernment's excuseabout practical difficultiesand insisted that it rectifythe situation. This wasprecisely what happenedin a great victory for thec o n s t i t u t i o n a n ddemocracy.
There are good examplesto follow in the Arab statesand Europe. Women haveserved as judges for manyyears in certain Arabcountr ies; the Syr ian
attorney- general and thevice-president of theTunisian Court of Cassationare both women. Inaddition they serve inSudan, Jordan, Lebanonand other countries whichshare our religious andcultural context. I havemet personal ly wi thwomen jur ists at theconferences o f theNational Judicial StudiesC e n t r e w h o w e r eexcellent ambassadors fortheir countries, morally,i n t e l l e c t u a l l y a n dpractically.
The US, France, Italy,Germany and Turkey,among others, havewomen judges. In Italyw o m e n h a v e h a doutstanding success in thefight against the organisedcriminals of the Mafia. Allthese examples should beenough to convince thatwomen can performexceptionally as judges. Isit not time for Egypt to takeits place among thesenations?
When women get theopportunity to serve asjudges, they do notdeprive men of the post,but take their rightful placeon the basis of theirs t r e n g t h s a n dqualifications. The legalsystem itself has the mostto gain from the presenceof women judges whowould inject new bloodand add new qualities. Asf o r a n y m a n w h ocomplains that womenare taking his place, hewould do best to workharder and compete onhis merits. Studies andqualifications are whatcount, not gender. Maythe one who deserves to,win.
It is also a matter of gettingused to things. Sixty yearsago, a woman going touniversity was a matter ofwonder, while today thelecture halls hold al l
without regard to their sex.How many of us requireour spouses be highlyqualified. Add to thiswomen's entry into theworkplace and theirparticipation in sport amere seventy years sincebeing forbidden to leavethe house alone. In alll i ke l ihood, someonereading this in the futurewill be equally astoundedby what I have to saya b o u t w o m e n ' seducation and work.
The remaining serious issueis how we can apply theseideas within society? I donot believe we need toimpose them from the topdown, but that theg o v e r n m e n t a n dwomen's organisationsn e e d t o c r e a t e aconsensus to enableefforts to develop naturallywithout imposit ion ordispute. In this regard, Is u g g e s t a p p o i n t i n gwomen to Family Lawcourts as a first step. I alsosuggest choosing the mosts u i t a b l e w o m e ncandidates from theAdministrative Prosecutor'sOffice.
By Dr. Ehab El Sonbaty,Senior Judge,
Damanhour Court
6 www.shalakany.comCover Story
Last June we lost Ali El Shalakanywho founded our Firm in its modernform some thirty-two years ago.He passed away on June 12th atthe age of eighty-four. He graduatedfrom the Faculty of Law at Cairo Universityin 1942. After training, he eventually joinedShalakany Law Office, which at that timewas headed by his father, Abdel FattahEl Shalakany, who later became thePresident of the Egyptian Bar Association. He was at that time also active politically,forming part of the Egyptian left whoaspired to reform of the political systemand a more equitable distribution ofwealth in Egypt, through agrarian reformand other programmes. At one point inthe 1940s he studied Economics in Europeand published articles calling for agrarianreform. Following the Free Officers Coupd’Etat in 1952 he became more politicallyactive, and at one point left the practiceof law, and started working as a journalist
in Al Missa daily evening newspaper. Hewas a close friend of Khaled Mohieldin,the leftist member of the Free OfficersJunta, who in 1954 nearly wrested powerfrom Nasser, in a failed attempt to savethe democratic process in Egypt. Duringthe Suez crisis in 1956, he volunteered (asdid many other progressive and nationalistactivists at the time – including his wife atthat time, Nihad Salem), and joined thepeople’s armed resistance, participatingin operations in the Suez area against theBritish occupying forces. The Nasser regimeeventually implemented an agrarianreform programme. In the late fifties andearly sixties, he became involved in theEgyptian network providing support forthe Algerian revolutionaries who wereinvolved in a bitter and savage war ofindependence against the French forcesin occupied Algeria. In the early sixties, hewas arrested without charge by Nasser’ssecret police, during Nasser’s sweepagainst dissidents and leftists. He spent
more than a year at the infamous Wahatprison in the Egyptian desert, wheretreatment of political prisoners was harshand they were beaten regularly. Followingthe success of the Algerian revolution, he,along with some other members of theEgyptian network that supported therevolution, were released at the requestof the Algerian government. He travelledto Algeria in 1963 and was appointed asan economic consultant to AhmedBinbilla, the President of the newlyestablished Republic. He published a bookin 1964 about the Algerian Revolution,which was met with extensive praise. Hereturned to Egypt shortly before Binbillawas deposed, and within the process ofrapprochement between Nasser and theleft in 1964, he joined Khaled Mohieldin atAkhbar El Youm, one of the largestEgyptian dailies. He was Deputy Chairmanof the Board of the paper. Around 1966he was appointed as a senior managerat Egypt’s then largest industrial complex,
Ali El Shalakany
Ali El Shalakanyin his study
with his grandsonAdam El Shalakany
Ali El Shalakanywith his wifeMona Zulficar
7www.shalakany.com Cover Story
the Iron and Steel Mill at Helwan south ofCairo. After the 1967 war, he started writinga book on Hegel and his philosophy, andused some land he inherited from his fatherin Basoos, a small town north of Cairo, tostart a dairy production project. The projectlasted for some years and ultimately failedfinancially. He retained his governmentalpost until 1971 when he was retired as apolitical undesirable. He returned to thepractice of law in the latter half of the1970s. He structured Shalakany Law Firmalong the model of UK and US law firms,as an institution, with partners andassociates. This was quite uncommon inEgypt at the time, where traditionally lawfirms were headed by one senior lawyerwith a number of associates. He quicklyapplied his management skills in buildingvarious support systems within the Firm. Hewas a pioneer among law firms, inintroducing IT systems in the early eighties.Under his leadership the Firm grew intoone of the leading firms in the country,and he was always proud of the numberof lawyers who had either trained orpracticed at the Firm, and who moved
on to continue extremely successfulcareers. He always considered it animportant part of the Firm’s mission to trainyoung lawyers, and to contribute to theprogress and development of the legalprofession. He co-authored and oversawnumerous legal publications issued by theFirm, including Al Ahkam, a law review,and the Arabic translation of the FIDICconstruction contract. He was also quiteactive in NGOs and set-up a number ofNGOs in the field of education and culture.He remained actively involved with theseNGOs to his last days. He was a strong
proponent of the establishment of a majornon-governmental independent university.He believed that educational reform wascritically important for Egypt’s future. Heset up a think tank to look into educationalreform, and started an internet publicationdedicated to educational reform in Egypt.He wrote columns regularly for some dailynewspapers, covering a variety of politicaland social issues. He will be sorely missedby his family, friends and colleagues.
By Khaled El Shalakany
Ali El Shalakany was a very exceptional lawyer,intellectual and human being.However, in thelimited space of this issue I would like to write aboutAli El Shalakany as the father that I first met in theearly sixties when he was driving back with hisfamily from Algeria to Cairo. My father knew Ali sincethe forties when they were active in the leftist politicalmovements in Egypt at the time and it was only natural thattheir kids of the same age (Khaled and I) got to know eachother. However, for no particular reason, Khaled and I did notmeet again until the October 1973 war. We were teenagers,just graduating from high school, and we both separatelyvolunteered in the civil defense squadrons that wereestablished during the war. Khaled and I never lost touch witheach other since then and we became the closest of friends.We both entered Cairo University and we exchanged weeklyvisits. That is when I had the chance to meet Ali El Shalakanyagain, but this time in a much closer way along with otherclose friends, Tarek Genena and Hanan Shohdi (the daughterof Shohdi Attia El Shafei who died or rather was tortured todeath in prison for fighting for noble principals). At that time(after 1973), when lots of things were changing so fast on thesocial and political level in Egypt, Ali El Shalakany not onlyjumped over the hurdles of the times but also re-started hislaw career. This ultimately led to building up of this fine institutionof Shalakany Law Office that we all are so proud of. However,equally important, he felt that building a strong bond with theyounger generation was essential. This is how I saw and got
to know Ali El Shalakany. He used to meet with his son's friendsand we would sit and talk and discuss issues ranging frompolitics to history to philosophy to economics to arts andsciences. He did this with the spirit of a young man who is arebel and has the wisdom of an experienced intellectual wholearned a lot from his endeavors in France, Algeria, and inEgypt. He started as a son of an elite family and became aleftist rebel, a thinker and a journalist with Khaled Mohi El Din,as well as an excellent manager at the Helwan Iron and SteelCompany in the early seventies. I will never forget these 3 to4 hours long weekly sessions with him from 1974 to 1977. Evennowadays, where can you find a father who would not onlysit with his son but also with his son’s friends for all this timediscussing the topics mentioned above? We (Khaled and hisclose friends) not only enjoyed this but we also learned a lotfrom this. To me, these were some of the most memorableand positive times in my life. Even further, he encouraged hisson to bring his friends to many of the cultural events andevenings that he hosted at that time. Through these eveningevents, I had the chance to meet and witness some of thecharacters that not only shaped my perception of the socio-political status of Egypt at the time but also played a significantrole in the Egyptian intelligentsia. Ali El Shalakany played afantastically positive role as an intellectual father not only tohis son but also to some of his friends, including myself, and Ifeel so guilty that I didn't meet with him very often over thelast twenty years (my mistake) but, thanks to God, I do seehim living on in Khaled.
By Hany Hamroush,
Memories of Ali El Shalakany
In tribute to a person who had afundamental impact on the livesof many, I am writing this accountof an “ordinary” encounter withs u c h a n e x t r a - o r d i n a r ypersonality.Sitting comfortably in his large fauteuilhe was watching a classic movie on theHallmark channel when I knocked onthe door and entered. With a smile hegreeted me and he waived his hand,telling me, without uttering a word, tocome in and sit on the chair next to him.
A moment of silence and then he askedme:
- How are your kids?- They are fine....
Just then, Roudi, my 4 year old son,opened the room’s door and enteredwithout knocking and without asking forany permission. He looked at Ali with hisusual amazement whenever he sees himand then went straight out.
- He has grown up!! Ali said with asmile, he has become a person....
- They grow up fast you know...- Yes they do, yes they do....
He looked at a book I was carrying inmy hand and asked:
- What are you reading?- I’m trying to read “a Critique of
Pure Reason” by Kant. I have arenewed grown passion in readingphilosophy in my spare time, it ismind stimulating and quiteenjoyable, although somematerial is hard to grasp when you
don’t have theluxury of time and of tranquility.The strains of modern life makeme wish I had lived during adifferent era.
- Kant? He said with a smile as hepushed his reading glasses downhis nose. Did you know that Kantwas the first to conclude that thehuman mind is a “rational” dataprocessing engine which usesempirical information and turns itinto knowledge? I suggest thatyou read this book- and he pulleda small book from a pile of bookson his desk without moving fromhis seat- “How to read Kant”-
before you venture into readinghis critiques.
- Thank you very much, it surely willbe of help.
He turned his head towards the televisionas if he was trying to follow the eventsof the movie he was watching when Icame in. Then he turned his head backand looked at me:
- What do you think of the eventstaking place in Lebanon? Whatdo you think would be theoutcome of the Israeli aggression?Do you think Hizbullah is to blame?Did you read my column in “ElMasri el Yom” this week?
8 www.shalakany.comCover Story
Five MinuteswithAli
9www.shalakany.com Cover Story
- Yes I did, and I have to disagreewith some of your argumentshowever persuasive they are. I’mlooking from a perspective of aLebanese who lived through thedestruction and then the rebirthof his home country and now itsre-destruction. In all subjectivity, Icannot see the heroism ofHizbullah facing the formidableIsraeli war machine; I can only seethe recklessness of their initial actand the consequences all ofLebanon is facing.
- Just look at the matter from aregional balance of powerperspective and the impact thiswould have on the peacenegotiations, you cannot just lookfrom one perspective and thenclaim to have built a fair judgment.
- Yes, I will, you have always taughtus through your “Eduard De Bono”seminars to always think fromdifferent perspectives.
He then rang an electric bell he uses tocall his domestic aide Amer. Amer camein a second.
- Remove this empty plate, heordered and then he looked at
me again, I read your short storyhe said,
- You did?- I don’t think it is a short story after
all, it looks and sounds like a longpoem, I have always said that youhave chosen the wrong professionin being a lawyer, you should havebeen a poet!
- Maybe, if I lived during the timesof “Motanabi”, this would havebeen an option. Unfortunately,poetry cannot bring food to mykids’ plates nowadays.
He smiled and picked up his TV remotecontrol and started changing thechannels; obviously the movie he waswatching suddenly became of nointerest to him anymore.
- Who is playing tonight? I heardChelsea have a difficult game thisweekend.... with the money theirRussian owner has spent theyshouldn’t have any troublebeating any given opposition.
- They have a strong team indeed,big stars, a great manager, etc.,but I think they lack team spirit;once they get this they will bemuch harder to beat.
- Send me the game schedule forthis week, don’t forget.
Without any signs or warnings, he raisedhis hand without saying a word, and Iunderstood that it is time for his nap andthat my time with him was up, so Igreeted him and I left the room.
Ali is dead now. And whenever I lookback at those not so many five minutesI have spent with him, I realize how rich,intense, inspirational and diversified interms of the knowledge were the topicshe addressed. Ali’s impact on my life,my education, my intellect, myprofessional development is doubtless,although the time I spent in his companywas relatively short. I cannot dare toimagine the extent of the impact hehad on the lives of the many people hemet across his life. I am certain that Aliis one of a kind in terms of personality,charisma, sharp intelligence, and criticalmind, and that his fair but ruthlessapproach to life has shaped the courseof the lives and personalities of thosewho have been exposed to histremendous influence.
By Firas El Samad
In 1974, Egypt embarked on an “open door” policyto promote investment within the country and tosafeguard its economy from deterioration.Foreign companies, answering the call of the open door policy, and anxious to obtain investment licenses as quickly as possible,arrived in Egypt and took themselves to Shalakany Law Office,with its prestigious reputation for quality service..
However, procedures for establishment of companies then inoperation, effectively discouraged establishment. One of themajor obstacles facing new investors was the government’srequirement that the capital of the investment company beblocked in a bank account, resting idle, without any interestfor more than one year. The loss was two pronged: private andpublic, i.e., investors and national interest in development andmodernization of the country, both, suffered in parallel.
Ali El Shalakany, Ali Bey to everyone, was a thinker, and acreator of innovative solutions. Knowing that foreign investmentin Egypt would not be successful unless and until the provisionnecessitating blockage of a company’s capital was overcome,he paid a visit in 1974 to the National Bank of Egypt (NBE).Hoping to explain that blocking a company’s capital wouldprove to be too great an obstacle for foreign investors toovercome, he met with NBE’s credit managers, who promptlyreferred him to me, as the Bank’s Senior Legal Counsel.
Ali Bey reiterated the prospective losses saying that despitethe restrictions of the Company Law, the bank was in a positionto lend money to investors to establish factories, plants andmanagement offices, import machinery and offer know howand technology. He pointed out that the blocked capitalwould serve as security for a loan to be granted for thesepurposes, and would not be contrary to the law. Ali Bey statedthat NBE would be the first bank to take the 'initiative' until the'finishiative'. (At this point, he laughed to show that althoughthe derivative of finish is not finishiative, he only wanted togive 'rhythm' and harmony to initiative, and continued to saythe bank would be a pioneer), and with one “stone” the bankwould realize both public and private interests.
These were Ali Bey’s words, sometimes in Arabic but mostly inEnglish, in his deep, resonant warm voice, full of his alwayspresent humor, which pleased us all. Ali Bey’s innovativesolution was instrumental in overcoming what had previouslybeen insurmountable for investors and it became a principlefollowed in all further cases of foreign investment.
Although I left the NBE one year later to join King MohamedV University in Morrocco as professor, every time I returned toEgypt, a visit to Ali Bey was on the top of my agenda. FinallyIn 1993, I was honored to be invited by Ali Bey to join the Firmas Of Counsel.
By Mohieldin Alameldin
Remembering Ali El Shalakany
10 www.shalakany.com
STUPAThe stupa represents the enlightened mind as it symbolises the Buddha. It is constructed ina way that every part shows the path to enlightenment.Its parts consist of a platform above which there are a series of rectangular steps. A hugevase is placed above the steps with a tapering column of thirteen rings holding an umbrella.The moon, the sun and a jewel symbolising the elimination of all sufferings, the radiatingthousand lights of compassion and the fulfilment of all wishes can be seen on top of thestupa.
Buddhist
Stupa, ShigatseBy Hussein Gohar
Symbols(Part 2)
SwastikaThe name Swastikais derived from theSanskrit language,from "su," meaning"good," and vasti","meaning "being"(well being).The Indian goodluck symbol andthe Nazi’s famoussymbol has been asymbol to otherr e l i g i o n s a n dcultures as well; inM e s o p o t a m i a ,Scandinavia and inearly Christianity.The Buddhists markthe beginning oftheir text with thiss y m b o l a s i trepresents thefootprints of Buddha. When facing right, it represents strengthand intelligence. Facing left, it is a symbol of love and mercy.Followers of the Bon religion (the pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet)draw it counter clock-wise.
The Dharma Wheel and theDeerThe Dharma wheel orw h e e l o f t r u t hcommemorates TheGod Brahma’s requestto the Buddha to set anew cycle of teaching.The Buddha is alsoknown as a wheelturner.The eight spokes referto the eight-fold noblepath, the 3 segmentsrepresent the Buddha,Dharma (teaching) andsangha (Buddhist’scommunity).The deer is a directreference to Buddha’sfirst teaching in the deerpark. Some also say thathis peaceful presenceattracted everyone tolisten including animals.
The Dharma wheel and thedeer on top of the JokhangTemple, LhasaBy Khaled El Shalakany
The Dharma wheel and thedeer embroidered at theDrepung Monastery, LhasaBy Hussein Gohar
A cloth showing the swastika abovewhich the picture of the 11th
Panchen Lama can be seen, LhasaBy Khaled El Shalakany
11www.shalakany.comHand Gestures (Mudras)The Gesture of Pressing the EarthThe right hand gestures pressing the earth. The position ofthe left hand symbolizes meditation. Also touching theearth symbolises the invocation of earth as a witness to thetruth of his words.
Gesture of greeting, prayer, and adorationThe two palms are put together in front of the chest.
Gesture expelling demonsThe thumb touches the middle and ring fingers (upper left hand in the picture)
Charity gestureThe palm is open and facing forward (lower right hand in the picture)
By Dr. Hussein Gohar,Gynecologist, Yousry Gohar Hospital
The Gesture of Turning the Wheel ofDharmaBoth hands are held atthe level of the heart,the thumb and theindex finger form acircle symbolising thewheel of law. The threeraised fingers of theright hand representthe Buddhist’s doctrine. The position of the lefthand symbolizes thebeings of the threecapacities, who followthe combined path ofmethod and wisdom.
When the left hand isheld in a meditation gesture (the left hand of the BlueBuddha), the two together symbolise teaching whilemeditating.
The Blue Buddha, LhasaBy Hussein Gohar
Pelkor Chode Monastery,Gyantse
By Hussein Gohar
Teaching GestureThe hand is held atchest level and thethumb and indexfinger again form theWheel of Law. Thisgesture symbolisesI n t e l l e c t u a la r g u m e n t s ,d i s c u s s i o n a n dteaching
Drepung Monastery,Lhasa
By Khaled El Shalakany
Kumbum, GyantseBy Khaled El Shalakany
12 www.shalakany.comSandooq el DoniaFil
m R
evie
w PAN’S LABYRINTH
THE FEAST OFTHE GOATThis film is based on Marius Vargas Llosa’snovel of the same name. Llosa, a Peruvian whowrites in Spanish, is one of the most important writers ofthe past 40 years. In my opinion he is long overdue fora Nobel Prize in literature. It is extremely difficult to turna great novel into a good film. The director Luis Llosais Vargas Llosa’s cousin and brother-in-law, anexperienced Peruvian filmmaker. I do not think that thefilm succeeded in conveying the truly dark and sinistermood of the novel, and the slow build up to therealization of the tragic depths to which human beingswill stoop. Still the film is worth seeing. It retains enoughof the novel to paint a picture of the chilling reality oflife under a brutal dictatorship, and the way unbridledpower twists the human soul. It features brilliant actingby Tomas Milian as the aging dictator Rafael Trujillo ofthe Dominican Republic (ruled the Dominican Republicfor 30 years). Isabella Rosellini, a great favourite of mine,tries hard to portray the main protagonist Urania Cabral,but the role is just too difficult. Some of the smaller partsare played to perfection, such as Trujillo’s pimp, his onetime ambassador to the U.S. To summarize, this film isbased on a great novel, and while not doing the noveljustice, it is still worth seeing.
By Khaled El Shalakany
A beautiful film by the award winning Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. The story takesplace in 1944 post Civil War Spain, when rebels against Franco’s regime were still fighting in the mountains. Ayoung girl Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) travels with her mother to live with her step father Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez),who commands government forces in an area where the rebels are active. The film is about freedom to imagine,to dream. It is about contrasting approaches to life, one that is full of magic and dreams, and one that seeks toorder the world by force, to impose discipline with little value for human life. It is hard not to believe the little girl’sfantasy adventures; like her, we as spectators find ourselves believing in her fantasy. We also need to escape thetragedy of human conflict, and embrace her fantasies. If you have the imagination and sensitivity to believe infairy tales, you must see this magical film.
By Khaled El Shalakany
13www.shalakany.com Sandooq el Donia
In a world where half of all marriages end indivorce or separation, many assumptions areopen to question, i.e., if only people wouldtake time to do things right!Reading the book "Quality is Free" by Philip B. Crosbyoffers a thought-provoking way for people to reviewthe way they perceive "quality" as an achievable,measurable, profitable entity that can be installed onceyou have commitment and understanding and youare prepared for hard work.
Quality is free, it is not a gift. Doing things right the firsttime does not add anything to the cost of your productor service. Doing things wrong is what costs money."Quality is Free" shows you how to overcome thetraditional idea that quality control is something thathappens only in a manufacturing line, not in themanagement office. Although there are effectivestatistical ways to define, measure, and increase quality,quality really begins with people, not things. And notjust some people but everyone involved in producingand marketing goods or services including you. Crosbyillustrates his own concepts based on his life experiencesand actual work situations that he faced as the vicepresident and director of International Telephone andTelegraph Corporation. He further explains that it isdifficult to have a meaningful and real life, until somebasic assumptions are examined and altered; we haveto examine the thinking processes that lead some tobelieve that quality is merely goodness that alwayscosts more. People are conditioned to believe thaterror is inevitable while Crosby explains that it is muchless expensive to prevent errors than to rework, scrap,or service them. People are attitude formers whetherwe like it or not, as people create most of their problemsthrough their attitudes.
Quality of life is a cliché because each listener assumesthat the speaker means exactly what he or she meansby the phrase. This is why Crosby precisely definesquality as "Conformance to Requirements." Managinga family, for instance, is probably the most difficult ofall jobs, and it is clear that very few have been successfulat that task; family management measures everythingagainst the manager's personal standards. Thusapproved activity is always several fads behind. Justas the folklore of family management states that if youdon't spoil children, and are sure to raise them withdiscipline, they will turn out to be good, so the folkloreof business management states that if you are good inyour heart, you will produce quality.
The most valuable manager is one who can first create,
and then implement. If the leader is the only one whoknows what game is being played, then the leader isobviously the only one who can play. Workers performaccording to the attitude of the management.
Crosby defines Quality Management as a systematicway of guaranteeing that organized activities happenthe way they are planned. It is a management disciplineconcerned with preventing problems from occurringby creating the attitudes and controls that makeprevention possible.
The book sets off a revolution in corporate thinkingbecause it shifts the responsibility for the quality of goodsand services from the quality control department tothe corporate boardroom. It is such an interesting bookthat sets light on new definitions and methods that willhelp us make our lives a lot easier.
By Ghada Farouk
Book
Rev
iew"Quality is Free"
The art of assuring quality, and how to manage quality so that it becomes a source of profitfor your businessBy Philip B. Crosby
14 www.shalakany.comArabic Poetry
15Short Story
Mahmoud was a corporal with the Cairotraffic department. He was assigned to theposh district of Zamalek. His sergeant’sadvice on his first day in Zamalek was clear,do not be intimidated by these rich andimportant people, enforce trafficregulations and never accept bribes. Hewas not naïve, and he knew that everyonetook bribes, provided they were not seenby an officer. He knew that his sergeant’sadvice was not intended to be takenliterally of course, and was only given inthe spirit of official duty. He certainly didsee many strange things in Zamalek. Foreignwomen walking around in hot pants, andeven Egyptian women in short skirts. Womenwith clear white skin and blonde hair, justlike mahalabia (a popular dessert similarto a milk pudding), wow, what would thepeople back at the village say if they sawthis. The cars in Zamalek were mostly luxurycars, the price of one of them equal to atleast 250 years of his pay. He accepted theoccasional five pound note to disregardminor violations, and these not irregularpayments greatly augmented his measly250 pounds monthly pay. Owners of cafesand juice shops also occasionally treatedhim to some cigarettes, food and soft drinks,so that he would not overly bothercustomers who sometimes double parkedin front of their establishments. Life was notbad in the streets of Zamalek. One day hewas assigned to a small intersection deepin Zamalek. He noticed a strikingly beautifulyoung woman passing by. She was clearlyupset, and seemed to be on the verge ofcrying. When a few minutes later shewalked by again in the opposite direction,he started watching her closely. She wascircling a particularly big car that wasparked in front of an apartment building.She was looking up at the building andthen at the car. She started talking to herselfmuttering some words and shaking herhead. She was some distance away buthe could see that she was very upset. Atone point she got a small pen knife out ofher purse and pretended to drop her purse
by the car.She then knelt downto pick up the purse and triedto puncture one of the tyres with hersmall knife. Now Mahmoud walked over toher, and asked: ‘what are you doing yahanem (lady)?’ She looked up startled:‘Nothing ya shaweesh (sergeant), I am justpicking up my purse.’ Mahmoud looked ather and shook his head. ‘Ya hanem, tellme what is the matter.’ She stood up, andhe could see conflicting feelings play acrossher face, she seemed about to put him inhis place, but then suddenly broke intotears: ‘ I am sorry, but the son of a dog isup there with her, I hate him and I do notknow what to do.’ Mahmoud was takenaback. What idiot would cheat on a wifesuch as this, such an angelic beauty, andcause her such distress. His macho saiidi(from Upper Egypt) spirit sprung to the fore.He stroked his heavy moustache ‘Now, nowdo not be upset ya hanem, some menhave no asl (breeding), what did you havein mind?’ She looked at the car ‘this is hiscar, and I wanted to slash the tyres.'Mahmoud looked around, there was hardlyanyone in sight. ‘Ya hanem, slashing thetyres is not the way to go about it, it willpoint to an intentional crime, investigationsand trouble for me. The best way is to simplydeflate them.’ She looked at him, with herwide beautiful eyes, they seemed to be fullof respect and gratitude, and she noddedslowly. ‘Yes that is the way, let the animalsuffer a little’. Mahmoud took another quicklook around, the coast was clear. He quicklybent and started deflating the tyres. ‘Keepa look out’ he told the woman. He wentaround the car and in less than two minutesall four tyres were completely deflated.‘Thank you, you are truly shahm (chivalrous)she said and walked quickly away to theend of the street where she got into a smallcar and drove away. Now Mahmoud wasextremely happy, he has helped one ofthe beautiful angels of Zamalek, and hasshown her what a true saiidi is made of.
Plus of coursethe son of a dog had itcoming. He stood some distance awayfrom the building eager to see the manand his reaction. A couple of hours later,a man emerged from the building andwalked to the car. He was not young,perhaps sixty years old, with a paunch andgrey hair. He was not alone, he had awoman and two young children with him.The woman was quite fat and extremelyugly, she reminded Mahmoud of old UmNafissa, the chicken vendor back in hisvillage. The man cursed loudly when hesaw the tyres. Mahmoud approachedslowly, ‘what is the matter ya bik (sir)’. ‘Yashaweesh did you see anything, anybodylurking around?’ the man asked. ‘No, no Ihave seen nothing unusual, what is thematter?’ Mahmoud replied, he was startingto be worried about this whole thing. Theman took Mahmoud aside away from hisfamily ‘I am being hounded by a crazywoman at work, I rebuffed all heradvances’, she now hates me, and thiscould very well be her doing, are you sureyou did not see anyone?’ Mahmoudassured him that he saw no one. Mahmoudwas in shock. In his mind he said over andover again ‘So, you son of a crazed womanrebuffed the advances of that angel, thatpiece of malban (Turkish delight), may Allahcurse you for an idiot.’ The bik gave himten pounds and asked him to keep an eyeon the car while he fetched a tyremechanic. The wife and children went upagain into the building, and Mahmoudstood alone by the car. He stroked his heavymoustache, and wondered at the crazinessof these Zamalek people.
By Khaled El Shalakany
www.shalakany.com
The Tyres ofLove
16 Short Story www.shalakany.com
Demons in outlandishgarb with horrible maskson, holding him down andadministering some sort ofdrug. Lack of s leep,sudden no i ses andscreams at vary ingintervals. He was sure thiswas one of the lowercircles of Hell, perhapse v e n t h e d r e a d e dseventh circle, the onereserved for those uponwhom Allah’s mercy willnever shine, those whohave committed one ofthe gross sins, and havenot repented. Under theinfluence of the demons’drugs and because of thelack of sleep, he could notconcentrate on any onethought for too long. Buthe was holding a threadnow, a thought.... Why amI being punished in thishorrible way, what was mysin.... What did he dowhen he was alive, hehardly remembered.Images came into hismind, glimpses of hisearlier existence. Yes, he
was a teacher.... He couldsee c lass rooms andchildren. He was married,there was an image of hiswife and a child.... a littlebaby. He could notremember their names.He could not rememberhow he died, but therewas a recurrent image ofa huge explosion in hisvillage.... fire and smoke....then total darkness,followed by the neverending faint illumination,Hell and the demons. Hestill remembered parts ofthe Revered Book, theKoran, and this made himcertain that he must havebeen a devout Moslem.But what was his sin, whywas he being punished byAllah in this most horribleof the circles of Hell.Sometimes he would tryto recite parts of theKoran, as much as hecould remember, shoutingout loud some of theverses, hoping this maybring Allah’s mercy uponhim. But still the demons
came back again andagain, the horrible faintillumination continued.Sometimes he doubted ifthere was ever anexistence outside this Hell,even images of the sunand the moon that wouldsuddenly appear in hismind seemed unreal,something that he wasimagining that never reallyexisted. In one of hisunusually long momentsof semi lucid i ty , hedecided to die again,perhaps this would be hisescape and Allah willhave mercy on his soul.He was not sure if onecould die in Hell, but heremembered his religiousmaster’s teachings whenhe was a child attendingthe Kutab, the Korans c h o o l . Y e s , h eremembered that sinnerswould die over and overagain in Hell, only to beresurrected to continuetheir punishment foreternity or until Allah hadmercy on their souls. It was
worth a try, anything wasbetter than the seventhcircle. He started banginghis head on the cold floorover and over, bloodcovered his whole faceand he could hardly seeanything, he heard thedemons come in and theywere dragging him alongthe floor, he could justmake out the same hatedfaint illumination, and thensuddenly there was amiracle, he could see thesun.... I must have beenresurrected in Heaven hethought, and just beforehis mind went thankfullyblank again and totaldarkness engulfed him hecould see the sun shinningon a huge sign.... he couldmake out some words,they were in English.... theyread ‘Guantanamo BayM a x i m u m S e c u r i t yDetention Facility’.....
By Khaled El Shalakany
ESCAPE FROMTHE SEVENTH CIRCLE OF
HELLIn his worst nightmares he never imagined Hellto be like this. He always had an image of fireand the nauseating smell of scorched flesh, acontinuous horrible pain that would blankeverything else out, one never ending screamof anguish. But this was worse, much worse.The constant faint illumination, the dizziness.
Dr. Firas El Samad, Partner, and Dr. Ingy Badawy, Partner,participated in the Lex Mundi 2007 Europe/MiddleEast/Africa Regional Conference which was held inMunich, the Capital of the State of Bavaria.
The conference consisted of several practice group andcommittee meetings, a Legal Writing Workshop, a LexMundi Informational Overview Session to provideinformation on Lex Mundi’s projects and initiatives as wellas meetings of the Client Advisory Council Forum on TheClient Perspective and Best Practices in Responding toRequests for Proposals.
2007 Europe/Middle East/AfricaRegional Lex Mundi Conference
May 3-5, 2007
Ahmed Shedid, Associate in the Contracts Departmentre-joined the office in June 2007. His principal areas ofpractice are capital market, banking and corporate law.Ahmed Shedid first joined the Firm in 2002.
Ahmed Shedid Re-joinsShalakany Law Office! June 2007
• Ahmed Farouk, Litigation Department• Yasmin Al Gharbawie, Contracts Department• Malak El Masry, Contracts DepartmentTheir promotions recognize each person's expertise,proven performance and dedication in his or herspecialized field.
Congratulations to our SeniorAssociates
Our collector in the Finance Department, Emad Mahmoud,was promoted to office Cashier effective August 1st, 2007. Thisappointment recognizes Emad's efficiency and promisingabilities.
Congratulations to Emad Mahmoud
Hossam Omar, Senior Associate in theContracts Department, re-joined the officein August 2007. His principal areas ofpractice are capital market and securitieslaws, corporate, banking and tax laws.Hossam Omar obtained a B.Sc. in PoliticalScience from Cairo University in 1992, anLL.B. from Cairo University in 1997, an M.A.
from the Institut de Droit des Affaires International fromCairo University (University of Paris IX) in 2000, and anLL.M. from Georgetown University, Law Center WashingtonDC in Securities and Financial Regulations in 2002. HossamOmar first joined the Firm in 1997.
Hossam Omar Re-joins ShalakanyLaw Office!
It gives us great pleasure to announce that Anwar Zeidanhas become a partner effective July 1, 2007. Anwar hasalways been a source of pride for our Firm at both theprofessional and personal levels. His performance has latelyexceeded all standard expectations from partners andsenior associates in terms of billable hours, quality of work,client responsibility and feedback, income generation,professional ethics, team work and capacity building. Thisappointment brings our total number of partners to 19.We would like to congratulate Anwar on his achievementsand welcome him in his new capacity as a partner withconfidence that he will add a great value to our institution.Anwar Zeidan obtained an LL.B. fromAlexandria University in 1997 and joinedthe Firm in May 1998. He is specializedin several legal areas, which mainlyinclude: Mergers and Acquisitions,I n v e s t m e n t B a n k i n g , T a x e s ,Employment and the capital Market.He has participated in a number ofmajor transactions conducted in Egyptfor multinational and Egyptiancorporations and banks. He is also anexperienced negotiator. He handles legal issues related toa significant number of clients in Egypt and abroad.He has extensive experience in conducting due diligenceproceedings and legal audits involving public and privateEgyptian companies and banks. He also advisesmultinational and Egyptian companies in all of the aboveareas of expertise and is experienced in drafting contractsof all types, such as joint venture agreements, mergeragreements, share purchase agreements, mortgage andsettlement agreements, employment contracts, real estateand lease agreements..etc.Recently he handled the first employees' stock option planin Egypt. This important project included the drafting of thescheme and all other related documents as well asconducting negotiations with several governmentalauthorities.He also advises clients on the new acquisition rules anddisclosure requirements of the Capital Market Law.
Congratulations to our most recently appointed Partner
18 News@SLO www.shalakany.com
Sameh Zein El Din, a Senior Associate inthe Litigation Department, Has recentlycompleted his Masters in Law (L.L.M.) atGlamorgan University, United Kingdom.His dissertation is a study aboutCorporate Governance with emphasison Directors' Duties in UK and Germany.Mr. Zein El Din has returned to ShalakanyLaw Office and continues to work in hisPrincipal areas of practice: litigation inthe field of computer law, banking andfinancial institutions.
Congratulations toAbdel Moneim Khaleefa
Our very own Abdel Moneim Khaleefawas appointed as an instructor at theCommercial Section, Faculty of Law,Cairo University in June 2007.
Congratulations toSameh Zein El Din
• George Michel Gorgui Senior Associate, Alexandria Office• Nabiha Abdel Hakam Associate, Alexandria Office• Hossam El Deen El Gazar Junior Associate, Alexandria Office• Sara Nader George Executive Secretary, Alexandria Office
Welcome to Members of our Alexandria Office
Our colleague Ghada Farouk of theHuman Resources and BusinessDevelopment Department attendedthe HR Committee Meeting on June12, 2007 at the American Chamber ofCommerce in Cairo. The speakers wereAhmed Hamouda and Karim Nafei ofprofessional services firm Ernst & Young,and Mohamed Ismail of Misr GlassManufacturing Co., a participant in thesurvey. The meeting aimed atpresenting and discussing the keyfindings of Ernst & Young's Middle EastHuman Capital Practices Survey 2006-7 at the AMCHAM.
Middle East HumanCapital Practices
Survey 2006-7 at theAMCHAM, June 2007
We are glad to announce the launch of an internal e-newsletter "SHALAKANYWEEKLY." This newsletter highlights significant events published in national newspapersand magazines and is circulated on a weekly basis aiming at raising the awarenessof ongoing business transactions taking place in the markets and community news.
"SHALAKANY WEEKLY"August 2007
Mr. Salah Beidas, our Financial Manager, attended the Cash Flow Analysis Workshop organized by LOGIC ManagementConsulting, July 1-4, 2007
Cash Flow Analysis Workshop, July 2007
Shalakany Law Office Welcomesthe New Executive Director
Effective July 1st, 2007 Shalakany Law office is pleasedto announce the appointment of Eng. Medhat Riadas its Executive Director. Eng. Riad brings to this positionhis extensive experience in management.
Educated in Pères Jésuites and graduated as anArchitectural Engineer, he has 28 years of experiencein Project Management, Architectural Design and
Construction, sustaining collaboration between entities and managing firmsexceeding 120 employees in multinational and local firms. Eng. Riad has built upa reputation as an architectural innovator and consultant. He is a member inseveral professional associations in Egypt and the USA, and was selected andnominated in "MARQUIS WHO'S WHO" in Science and Engineering in 1996.
"Shalakany Law Office is fortunate to have a professional of Medhat's caliber joinits team. Medhat will lead our administrative staff forward in our continuing effortsto provide quality support to our lawyers and clients." Khaled El Shalakany, ManagingPartner, commented.
Medhat Helmy Riad Executive DirectorAhmed Abd El Aal Of Counsel, Litigation DepartmentHossam Omar Senior Associate, Contracts DepartmentAhmed Shedid Associate, Contracts DepartmentDania El Samad Associate, Contracts DepartmentMahmoud Hamza Associate, Contracts DepartmentTamer Gaafar Associate, Contracts DepartmentWaleed Hassan Mohamed Associate, Litigation DepartmentAhmed El Gammal Trainee, Contracts DepartmentMai Ahmed Mansour Trainee, Contracts DepartmentMariam Fateen Trainee, Contracts DepartmentZienab El Orabi Trainee, Contracts DepartmentMohamed Hassan Kamal Trademarks AgentAmal Abd El Salam Amin Group Secretary, Contracts DepartmentAmira Abd El Aziz Ahmed Junior Secretary, Contracts DepartmentReham Yehia Group Secretary, Contracts DepartmentTamer Abd El Salam Assistant, Litigation DepartmentWaleed Emad Waiter, Cafeteria
Welcome on Board
As in previous years, our Office held two sessions ofour ever popular summer training program for lawstudents this summer. Through planning and byexperience this program was developed over theyears to fulfill the dual purpose of affording us acomplete picture of prospective trainees whileexposing them to the work ethic and character ofour Firm. Our goal is to continue our tradition ofoffering Egyptian students the opportunity to learnfrom us as we are enhanced by their diversity andexpertise. We balance the opportunity to learn aboutthe reality of the practice of law with the exposureto clients and how we serve their individual needs.Each of our summer trainees experienced thepractice of law from the Firm’s perspective withemphasis on meeting our clients' needs as they worked with partners and associates.This summer 40 second and third year law students joined our training program and were provided with a rich experience withsome being evaluated as outstanding and promising future lawyers. An intensive Trainees’ Lecture Programme was provided inaddition to a series of talks and discussions held with the legal mentors, the training supervisors and other in-house trainers.In the selection of trainees we considered not only excellent academic qualifications but also activities and interests that reflectleadership qualities and tell us that the applicant is held in high regard by his or her peers. For example, such activities and interestscan include holding a position of leadership in a student organization or community or volunteer group. We also consideredcandidates from various backgrounds and only the top 40 candidates were selected after personal interviews.In order to be considered for joining next year’s summer program, talented and remarkable law students are encouraged to submittheir resumes by e-mail to [email protected], or personally to the Human Resources & BusinessDevelopment Department before April 30, 2008.
Shalakany Law Office is extremely proud of this year'sSummer Training Program, July / August 2007
With the aim of enhancing existing skills of our employees anddeveloping new ones, the Human Resources and BusinessDevelopment Department organized a training workshop forthe IT and Finance Staff members. The workshop was conductedby Dr. Assem Tharwat, the Head of the Management InformationSystems Department.Long term classes in improving advanced computer skills andadvanced language skills will be offered in the fall and winter.
Time Management Workshopfor the IT and Finance Departments
13-17 May 2007
Our Firm was nominated for theprestigious 2007 Middle EastInternational Financial LawReview Awards for the bestM&A deal of the year. The2007 IFLR Middle East AwardsPresentation Dinner will beheld on the 30th ofOctober at the Burj AlArab Hotel in Dubai byinvitation only and will beattended by themembers of our Firm whoworked on this deal, Ms.Mona Zulficar, SeniorPartner, Dr. Ahmed ElWeshahy, Partner, andMs. Yasmin Al-Gharbawie, SeniorAssociate. Theseawards aregivenannually bythe magazine tohonor leading law firms and financial institutions in thefield of financial law.
Shalakany Law OfficeNominated for Prestigious
Award
Founded in 1912 by Abdel Fattah ElShalakany the Firm has achieved arecord of success and growth that todaymakes us one of the leading law Firmsin Egypt and the Middle East. The clientbase of the Firm is broad in terms ofnumber of c l ients , s i ze , andgeographical distribution of clients andsectors represented. With two domesticoffices and one correspondent officein Dubai the Firm is engaged in general
practice and has extensive experience in international businesstransactions, major contracts, investment agreements, bankingand capital market transactions, mergers and acquisitions, projectfinance , intellectual property, software protection, industrialproperty registration, telecommunications and informationtechnology, aviation, tourism, manufacturing, oil and gas, labor,
taxation, maritime, corporate and commercial, insurance andreal estate matters.
Shalakany Law Office also prides itself on being one of the firstlaw Firms in Egypt to develop specialized expertise in commercialarbitration. On average, the Firm handles about 10 new arbitrationcases annually. The last five years have also seen a substantialexpansion in the Firm's Litigation Department, which handles anaverage of 800 cases a year before all levels of Egyptian courts.The Litigation Department is proud to have some of the leadingretired Egyptian judges and professors as counsel to a dynamicteam of litigation partners and associates.
The Firm has developed considerable expertise in the field ofintellectual property protection as well as a good working relationshipwith government agencies and legislative and judicial authorities incharge of protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
Head Office12, Marashly St., Zamalek 11211,Cairo, EgyptTel. : (202) 2728 8888Fax: (202) 2737 [email protected]
Alexandria Address10, Orabi Square - El Manshia - RamlTel. : (203) 484 9998Fax: (203) 484 [email protected]
Dubai Correspondent OfficeAPI World Tower, Suite 204Sheikh Zayed RoadP.O. Box 22880 Dubai, United Arab EmiratesTel. : (9714) 332 7879Fax: (9714) 332 [email protected]
As temperatures soar in theconcrete jungle of Cairo in Julyand August, often reaching morethan 40 degrees Celsius, everyoneis looking for a place to escapefrom the summer heat. Unless youare stuck in your office with the ACblasting on high, most people head forthe Mediterranean shore line known asthe Northern Coast of Egypt as often andas long as possible for some relief and acool breeze. As numerous tourist villagesnow dot the beautiful beaches between
Alexandria and Marsa Matrouh for about500 km there are many places to stay allalong the coast including the resorts ofAgami, the Diplomatic Village, Marbella,Marina, Porto Marina and Sidi AbdelRahman and Marsa Matrouh. As well asbeaches there are other attractions inthe Mersa Matrouh area: Cleopatra'sBath, a rock-hewn whirlpool bath off-shore which was supposedly used byAntony and Cleopatra, a ruined templefort built by Ramses II, an early Copticchapel and "Rommel's Hideout", a cavewhere the general planned his military
campaigns and which has now beenturned into a military museum.There are fancy villas and chalets orsmaller apartments for sale or for rent andnew developments are constantlycropping up. There are marinas,supermarkets, restaurants, shops, cinemas,banks and even a golf course now aswell as four-lane highways to get youthere quickly by car or bus, etc., butabove all, there is the constant sea breezethat all are seeking and the sandy whitebeaches along the bright blue sea. Jumpin and cool off and enjoy!
The Mediterranean Coast of EgyptSummer Escape
The Mediterranean Coast of EgyptSummer Escape
