Carlo is an English qualified lawyer with more than twenty years of experience in corporate finance, M&A and private equity. He spent seven years practicing in Europe before moving to Dubai in 2008. He routinely assists government-related entities, strategic and financial investors, as well as founders and exit shareholders on domestic and cross-border transactions across the Middle East, Europe, North America and Africa.
Carlo is a member of the Faculty of Postgraduate Studies at LUISS University in Rome, where he regularly lectures on matters of corporate and commercial law in the GCC.
Carlo was recognized as a notable practitioner for M&A in the UAE by IFLR1000 in 2022, 2023 and 2024 and he was recommended for M&A in the UAE by Legal 500 in 2018.
Practices
- Cross-border and domestic mergers and acquisitions
- Joint ventures
- Corporate finance
- Early-stage investments
- Strategic advice to boards and shareholders
Qualifications
- Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales and Member of the Italian Bar Association
Education
- University of Nottingham, L.L.M. in International Commercial Law, 2001
- University of Florence, JD (summa cum laude), 2000
- University of Leicester, Certificate in European Higher Legal Studies, 1998
Ranking and Awards
- IFLR: Notable Practitioner for M&A (UAE), 2022 – 2024
- Legal 500: Recommended for M&A in the UAE, 2018
Languages
- English and Italian
- Assisted Al Mansoori Specialized Engineering Company in the sale of one of their portfolio holding companies in the UAE, Gulf Technical & Safety Training Centre LLC and its subsidiaries in Egypt and KSA, companies specialized in the provision of technical trainings, to Transforming Training with Technology Limited.
- Assisted the shareholders of deNovo Partners (“deNovo”), a leading UAE-based advisory firm in the Middle East, on the acquisition of deNovo by PJT Partners, a premier, global advisory-focused investment bank headquartered in New York and listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
- Assisting Imkan Properties in the sale of a significant minority stake in ALJURF HOSPITALITY SERVICES, the developer of a reclaimed island positioned as the world’s first healthy-living island.
- Assisted Bayanat Holdings Limited BVI in relation to its sale of 60% of the share capital of Bayanat Engineering group (a provider of ICT-enabled civil aviation solutions) to Sirius International Holding Limited, a subsidiary of International Holding company PJSC.
- Assisted Etisalat, a leading group in the telecommunications sector, in the sale to Millicom International ventures AB of 85% of the share capital of Zantel, a company providing integrated telecommunication services in Tanzania and Zanzibar.
- Assisted TID, a GCC company listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange, in its debt restructuring project under the Kuwaiti Financial Stability Law which involves corporate reorganization, asset transfers and the entry into finance documents under Kuwaiti Law.
- Assisted Creative Technology Solutions DMCC (a provider of IT-enables solutions in the education sector in the Middle East) and its founders, in relation to an investment by e& Capital VC Holding (the venture-capital arm of Emirates Telecommunications Group Company PJSC, an ADX listed company) by way of a primary and secondary transaction in the company.
- Assisted Rasmala and one of its shareholders in connection with sale of part of Rasmala’s shares to European Investment Bank, an Aim-listed investment bank based in the UK.
- Assisted Aqua Ventures International, a UAE-based investment company and its shareholders in a project financing of USD 125 million granted by Nomura International PLC (“Nomura”) to Aqua’s subsidiary, Aqua Europe Connected Limited.
- Assisted ACCUMED Practice Management DMCC, the leading revenue cycle management (RCM) company in the GCC, in the sale of a majority stake in its share capital to Gulf Capital, one of the largest and most active alternative asset management firms in the Middle East.
- Assisted a leading construction engineering company in connection with a major real estate development project in Dubai and the financing thereof, including senior bank debt and junior unsecured financing.
- Assisted to a group of investors in the setting up of a fund-like structure in the form of a British Virgin Islands company for the purpose of making diversified investments in technology-related early stage businesses in the Middle East and North African region.
- Assisted a foreign-based family conglomerate on the sale of a majority stake in a Fujairah company that owns, operates and leases bulk storage tanks.
- Assisted a Swiss-based multinational energy and commodity trading company in its sale of a Fujairah based refinery.
- Assisted AlMansoori Petroleum, a UAE-based group and a leading provider of oil field services, in connection with the sale of its business and affiliated companies in Thailand to Vautron Holdings, a portfolio company owned by SCF Partners and Viburnum Funds.
- Assisted the selling shareholders of Al Yusr Industrial Contracting Company, a major industrial company in Jubail in Saudi Arabia (valued at 800 Million Saudi Riyals) disposing of their interest in the company via an auction process to Investcorp.
- Assisted Al Faris Equipment Rentals LLC, one of the largest crane, transport and temporary energy providers in the MENA region, in the sale of a portfolio of temporary energy and power solutions assets to Energia Model Trading & Contracting Company LLC, a turnkey rental solutions provider for power generation in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- Assisted the shareholders of Al Islami Foods, the leading manufacturer of halal food products in the Middle East, in the sale of a minority stake in Al Islami to Mitsubishi Corporation, the Japan based globally integrated business enterprises.
- Assisted the shareholders of ACCUMED Practice Management DMCC, a revenue cycle management services provider in the United Arab Emirates, in the sale of controlling stake to Gulf Capital.
- Assisted NY-listed Iron Mountain, an American enterprise information management services company, in connection with acquisition of certain assets of Black Box Records Management LLC, a records management company located in the United Arab Emirates.
- Assisted Tenfu (Hong Kong) Holdings Company Limited, a leading traditional Chinese tea company listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, in a joint venture with Rise General Trading (part of National Holding) to undertake the promotion, sale and part of distribution of Chinese teas in the MENA region through a newly established UAE joint venture company – Tea Trading International.
- Assisted Fakih IVF, the leading fertility treatment provider in the region, in the sale of the entire share capital of Fakih IVF to NMC Group.
- Assisted a UAE-based hospital group in the acquisition of 70% of the shares of a prominent UAE-based healthcare provider.
- Assisted NMC Health PLC (NMC) in the acquisition of Al Zahra Hospital, one of the largest private hospitals in the United Arab Emirates, from Gulf Medical Projects for around AED 2.1 billion.
- Assisted the main shareholder of a group carrying out retail activities in the fashion, footwear and accessories sectors in the Middle East, in a transaction of USD 187 million sale of 51% stake to a KSA based retail.
- Assisted a regional retail player on acquisitions and disposals of several GCC based franchisees of major US and European fashion brands, both through asset and share deals.
- Assisted Pine S.A.L, a holding company located in Lebanon, in the acquisition of stake in the five-star Movenpick hotel in Beirut, Lebanon for more than USD 125 million. After the acquisition, the property will remain under the same management.
- Assisted the shareholders of Medica Group Holding Inc. in the sale of 70% stake to Glow Holding Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gulf Capital, a UAE based private equity fund.
- Assisted Sama Jordan Group for Food and Industrial Investment Company in a primary and secondary share sale to Centurion Partners Investment.
- Assisted the shareholders of Alpha Lloyds Insurance Brokers LLC, a leading insurance and reinsurance broker in the United Arab Emirates, in the sale of 80% stake to MSH International LTD, an international healthcare solutions provider in the commercial agreements.
- Assisted NMC Health PLC and Fakih IVF LLC in the acquisition by NMC of the outstanding 49% minority stake in Fakih IVF at approximately the same Enterprise Value as the original acquisition cost set in 2015.
- Assisted Kaleida Holdings S.A, the holding company owning citrussTV, in the issuance of shares to Global Home Shopping Co., Ltd., one of China’s largest full-media retail platforms.