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  1. Home
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  3. Rupert Harper
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Rupert Harper

Partner
Dubai +971 4 247 2120 rharper@cov.com Download V-card
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Rupert Harper has a wide ranging practice across the Middle East advising on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity buy-outs, and strategic investment transactions across a number of industry sectors.

Mr. Harper's clients include a number of regional sovereign wealth funds, banks, corporates and family offices based in the Middle East as well as large multinational corporations with investments in the region.

Mr. Harper has particular experience in the financial services, oil & gas, telecoms, defense, logistics/transport, healthcare, real estate and infrastructure sectors.

  • Advised IPIC on the exchange of its $1.6 billion bond issued by the Independent Public Business Corporation of Papua New Guinea (IPBC) into a 15% stake in Oil Search Ltd, the ASX listed LNG company. Also advised on IPIC's successful litigation in the New South Wales courts against IPBC.
  • Advised several major U.S. and international defense contractors on sensitive procurement, joint venture, commercial co-operation and product co-development arrangements with regional governments.
  • Advised the majority shareholders of Airports International Group, the operator of Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan, on the $525 million sale of a 90.5% stake in AIG to ADP, Meridiam Infrastructure and IDB Infrastructure. 
  • Advised a Middle East pensions institution on investments totaling approximately $500 million in Middle East renewable energy and oil pipelines projects.
  • Advised Invest AD on the disposals of its interests in Ekol Logistics, Unitra METS, Emirates Shipping and Krasnaya Polyana OJSC.
  • Advised SLH Holdings, the majority shareholder in Mediterranean & Gulf General Insurance Company BSC (Medgulf) on ORIX's $225 million investment in Medgulf.
  • Advised Mediterranean & Gulf General Insurance Company BSC on International Finance Corporation's U.S. $125 million equity investment.
  • Advised the lender co-ordinating committee on a proposed $800 million debt for equity restructuring in the Middle Eastern petchem sector.
  • Advised Jazeera Airways on its sale of 15 Airbus A320 aircraft for $507 million.
  • Advised Aabar Investments on the disposal of its 40% interest in Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Limited, which owns and operates the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team, to Daimler UK Limited.
  • Advised L Real Estate SCA SICAR, the real estate investment arm of the LVMH Group, on its U.S. $400 million joint venture with Tourism Development Investment Corporation of Abu Dhabi  to develop a "Louis Vuitton" shopping mall in the Sadiyaat Cultural District, Abu Dhabi.
  • Advised a number of sovereign wealth funds and government related entities on re-organization, corporate governance and risk management projects.
  • Advised Istithmar on the sale of Palm Utilities to Empower for $500 million.
  • Advised Etisalat on its $12 billion bid for Zain.
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  • Chambers Global, UAE, Corporate/M&A (2019)
  • IFLR 1000, The guide to the world’s leading financial and corporate law firms - Highly Regarded - M&A and Private Equity, UAE (2018-2019)

Practices

University of Canterbury, LL.B., 1998

  • Honors
  • New Zealand
  • Australia