BHC is amongst Iraq's leading law firms. It is registered with the Iraqi Bar Association to counsel clients and provide representation in local courts on all Iraqi legal, regulatory, technical, operational, policy and related matters arising from their presence and activities in, with, or for Iraq.
BHC's comparative advantage is its officially registered mandate that authorizes it to employ Iraqi lawyers and international legal advisors, which enables it to both counsel its clients on Iraqi law matters and help them ensure on-going regulatory and operational compliance of their Iraq structures and activities while saving time and resources; all through an efficient and confidential single-source solution--from initial legal advice and in country start-up, all the way to litigation in local courts, if necessary.
BHC lawyers and advisors possess both national (Iraqi) and international legal expertise; along with extensive experience in Iraq's executive, legislative and judicial branches and in international law firms and multinational companies.
BHC clients include national and international companies, contractors and employers; multinational, regional and bilateral organizations; banks and other financial institutions; investors and investment funds; governmental agencies and parastatals; non-governmental organizations; entrepreneurs; and private families and individuals.
While the Firm's main office is in Baghdad's International Zone, affording it direct access to the Iraqi government, Parliament and Judiciary, it also maintains global correspondent affiliate relationships with several international law firms. BHC furnishes its services in the Arabic, English, and Kurdish languages.
PEOPLE: Ahmed M. Salman Dawood, BHC Founder and Managing Partner, is a member of the Iraqi Bar Association. To date he has assisted BHC clients in a multitude of legal and technical assistance matters; ranging from basic business registrations to investment, supply and services contracts worth billions of dollars. He previously held senior positions in the Iraqi government, including a tenure as a Legal Adviser and Chief of Staff to Iraq's Minister of Planning and to the Office of Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister. He also served in senior positions with international companies, including as project manager for projects designed to strengthen the administrative capacity of Iraqi agencies. He holds a Juris Doctor and Masters in Commercial Law from Iraq, and a Masters of Law in International Legal Studies from the American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C., USA. He specializes primarily in private-sector commercial, financial, fiscal and litigation matters; particularly, trade and foreign investment, project finance and public-private partnerships, public procurement, privatization, licensing, franchising and contracting. He possesses extensive private and public sector legal expertise, having played a significant role in the drafting of many of Iraq's post-2003 laws and regulations, including those related to foreign investment, tax, procurement, banking, intellectual property, financial management and the commercialization/ privatization of State owned enterprises (SOEs). He also possesses Iraq-related international law experience, having been amongst the senior Iraqi lawyers responsible for developing the International Compact with Iraq, as well as certain bilateral investment and cooperation treaties with Iraq. Mr. Dawood regularly serves on tribunals as an Iraqi law expert.
BHC is organized around seven law practice areas, and it duly is qualified and authorized to render legal opinions and expert testimony on Iraqi law matters.
1. Corporate, Commercial and Intellectual Property: All aspects of doing business in Iraq and of corporate activities under different Iraqi legal and regulatory regimes (including, Company Law, Banking Law, Investment Law, Insurance Law, and Capital Markets Law); Iraqi law compliant complex corporate structures; company incorporation, capitalization, registration, operational compliance and dissolution; mergers and acquisitions; business and commercial/contract law (including drafting all types of contracts and their negotiations); labor law and employment agreements; commercialization and privatization; commercial agencies and distributorships; joint ventures; sales, supply and services; leasing; licensing and franchising; patents, copyrights and trademarks; intellectual property infringements; and environmental law (including, impact assessments, actions plans and mitigation/remedial measures resolution).
2. Foreign Investment and Trade: Investor legal due diligence; foreign investment license applications (central and provincial levels) and contractual preparation and negotiations; foreign military sales (FMS-Iraq) and related offset programs; export/import transactions; free trade and industrial zones; energy/power; mining; oil and gas; natural resources; renewable energy; maritime, ports and shipping; airports and aviation; vehicle assembly, manufacturing and sales; railways and roadways; telecommunications and media; pharmaceuticals; foodstuffs and commodities; housing; construction and building materials; tourism; hotels; employment, labor, visas and immigration (expatriates and Iraqis with the assistance of foreign counsel); and real estate ownership and leasing.
3. Project Finance and Public-Private Partnerships (PPP): Project due diligence; special project vehicles (SPV); infrastructure project development and financing (structured and project finance); venture capital; private equity; real estate and construction; concessions, leases, and guarantees; and public-private partnerships (BOT, BOO, BOOT, DBF, DBFO, DBFOM, DCMF, DBOM, and DCMF).
4. Banking, Securities and Insurance: Banking and finance; Islamic banking and bonds (Sukuk); letters of credit; trade financing; bank registrations, capitalization and operational compliance; capital markets (including issuance, purchase and sale of stocks and bonds); securities law registrations and transactions; investment funds; and insurance.
5. Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution: Administrative law and procedure; administrative, civil, commercial, criminal and regulatory litigation (before local courts and Iraqi administrative authorities/tribunals); construction litigation; corporate dissolution; insolvency; tax, accounting and auditing disputes; intellectual, personal real property rights adjudication; commercial arbitration; and dispute avoidance/amicable settlements (mediation and arbitration).
6. Taxation: Iraqi law compliant complex taxation structures; individual and corporate taxation; corporate, payroll and social security taxes; accounting, bookkeeping and payroll compliance; and internal audit and payroll due diligence and investigations.
7. Corporate Social Responisbility: This practice serves the efforts of the global community in eradicating human trafficking in the supply chain, preventing environmental degradation, and promoting ethical and sustainable business practices. The matters delegated to this practice include anti-human trafficking training and instruction; environmental law (including impact assessments, actions plans, and mitigation/remedial measures resolution techniques); and issues related to compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
