Energy and Natural Resources

Energy is an industry of constant change, demand and complexity – with the emergence of new sources of energy production, electric mobility, energy storage systems, energy efficiency, new electricity market designs, changing policies and financial support mechanisms.

Our highly experienced team has developed a multi-disciplinary approach, providing corporate, real estate, project finance advice in connection with energy and natural resources projects and investments.

We regularly assist our clients with due diligence investigations, mergers and acquisitions, project financing, licensing processes, regulatory compliance, and the perfection of security interests.

Power

Our energy lawyers apply their industry knowledge when advising clients on the development, financing, construction and operation of power and utilities projects. Our team of experienced energy experts will take you through the lifecycle of your project, from planning to construction, financing and divestment. Our lawyers also offer ancillary advice in the areas of environmental law, tax, regulatory, employment and construction and planning law.

Renewables

The global power sector has been defined in recent years by the rapid growth of renewable energy. With a functional renewables framework in Tunisia and in most of the African continent, the sector is experiencing an increased amount of investment, particularly in wind and solar. Our lawyers have advised on the development of legislative frameworks for renewables and have worked on a wide range of renewable energy projects involving investment in new technologies.

Oil and gas

Our energy lawyers have a clear understanding of the constraints faced by oil and gas investors and offer pragmatic legal advice, while maintaining good relationships with the relevant regulators. Our lawyers have participated in several projects across the region and are ideally placed to provide you with unique insight into all of your oil and gas matters.

Financial Institutions

With disruptive technologies challenging the traditional models for the provision of services, new financial technologies are changing the way financial services are being delivered.

Regional expertise and strong relationships with local, national, and supranational regulatory bodies ensures that companies are provided with the insight and advisory they need.

In light of these extraordinary changes in the financial services industry, Meziou & Elleuch is dedicated to keeping you on track with the latest developments, foreseeing potential risks and adapting to the latest industry challenges.

Meziou & Elleuch advises across all market sectors, including retail and investment banks, intermediaries, peer-to-peer lenders, FinTech companies, alternative lenders, asset managers,

infrastructure providers as well as, industry bodies and regulators. We provide assistance in the rollout of new products and services, as well as in the acquisition of new businesses. Our team features legal experts with extensive national and international multidisciplinary experience in banking, structural reform, competition investigations, patenting new technology and entering new markets. We daily help clients successfully adapt to today’s dynamic markets conditions and support them in the most crucial aspects of their business.

Banks

Our team operates as a fully-integrated practice acting for banks on some of the most complex and innovative transactions on the markets we operate on. Our expertise includes acquisition and bid finance, structured finance, syndicated lending, secured lending, project finance, trade finance, asset finance and workouts and restructurings.

Funds

Our legal experts advise across key asset classes including private equity, real estate, infrastructure, hedge, venture capital, debt and exchange traded funds.

Insurance

Our lawyers have specialist knowledge in insurance products and are well versed in assisting global insurers with market entry and licensing requirements.

FinTech

Our legal experts advise clients operating across the FinTech sector, from startups to established industry names, as well as businesses partnering with or investing in FinTech firms, and financial institutions and asset managers developing their own FinTech services.

Food Production and Agribusiness

We assist clients in the agriculture and food processing industry with a wide variety of needs and concerning all segments of this industry sector, from processing and distribution, agrichemicals manufacturers, agricultural commodities processors, precision farming equipment manufacturers, alternative fuel producers, soft commodities traders and financial institutions.

Meziou & Elleuch helps clients from food production and agribusiness industry to create new businesses and divisions, bring products to market, diversify operations, manage supply chain pressures, and navigate the ever-present issues and opportunities that industry participants frequently experience.

Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals

One of the defining goals of any state government is the provision of good quality healthcare.

Recent investments in the private healthcare sector and privatization announcements across the region and the necessity to restructure state run healthcare services to better meet user needs, offer the promise of growth and the improvement of quality in both the public and private domain.

Whether you are investing, working on a restructuring project or establishing a new service, we will guide you through the system intricacies to help your investment reach its potential and move forward as smoothly as possible.

The pharmaceutical industry is an important economic sector and a large contributor to the regional economy. Although characteristic for being heavily regulated, it presents an attractive business opportunity for investment. The prospect of significant growth is revealed through manufacturing, research and development, export-oriented greenfield investments and production contracts, made even more attractive through access to large markets via free trade agreements. We advise clients from healthcare and pharmaceutical industries on all commercial and regulatory aspects of pharmaceuticals and medical devices including marketing authorizations, wholesale licenses, clinical trials, pricing and reimbursement, public procurement, and adverse effects and events.

Considering the quick and frequent changes in laws and regulations in the healthcare sector, our lawyers are always stay abreast with the regulatory requirements, compliance standards and industry trends. We advise leading healthcare companies on commercial transactions and investments, product licensing and development, acquisitions and divestitures as well as regulatory, antitrust, employment, compliance, privacy, litigation, tax and intellectual property issues.

Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism

Tunisia is well known as one of the most beautiful coastal destinations in the Mediterranean.

The hospitality, leisure and tourism industry are one of the most varied and vibrant in Tunisia, it encompasses a broad range of organizations and businesses that require multi-discipline legal advice. The region is characterized by dramatic landscapes, attractive coastlines with healing thermal water springs, impressive cultural diversity and rich gastronomy.

Hotel and resort development play an important role in the economies of the region, which benefit from being on the Mediterranean, as well as to numerous mountain ranges which are ideal for winter sports, spa getaways and alpine tourism. We advise owners, developers, private financiers, banks and leading hospitality operators on the full range of legal issues that may arise within this diverse sector. We focus on regulatory compliance, commercial transactions, dispute resolution, health and safety, crisis management, employment, intellectual property, information technology, and data protection, all from a perspective of a detailed understanding of the hospitality, leisure and tourism industry. The real estate lawyers cooperating with us are able to advise investors from beginning to end of the hotel/resort development process by applying their concrete knowledge of the practicalities of the regional market and permitting processes.

Industry & Manufacturing

Shifting global economics is increasingly impacting industry and manufacturing. Countries traditionally regarded as preferred manufacturing bases have seen their cost competitiveness deteriorate, which has opened a window of advantage for the countries in our region.

Since 1956, Tunisia has demonstrated that it can be competitive in certain industry and manufacturing sectors, particularly in apparel and automotive parts manufacturing and global business process and technology outsourcing, and with a geographic location efficient for serving neighboring markets like the EU and Middle East, the region has been the logical choice of several strategic investors.

With constantly evolving tax regimes, shifting business and legal landscapes, as well as constant pressure on profit margins, clients require an intimate understanding of individual sectors, local know-how and an international perspective.

Infrastructure and Transport

The successful development of infrastructure is heavily reliant on experiences gained on previous projects. Our team has engaged in the creation and update of key legislative initiatives and has pioneered several new financing and construction initiatives in an effort to increase transparency in this sector and promote investments.

Members of our firm have advised on a wide range of important projects in the region involving bridges, roads, airports, water treatment facilities, waste management facilities and healthcare facilities.

The transportation industry is always changing in terms of regulation, environmental concern and fuel prices – which presents challenges to our client’s business goals. We are experienced in advising on supply and procurement relationships, assisting in commercial transactions – such as the acquisition, financing and disposition of transportation businesses and equipment, private infrastructure investment and development, public-private partnerships, joint ventures and strategic alliances.

Our clients include air carriers, leasing companies, financiers, highway carriers, as well as warehouse and logistics services providers. We advise producers, manufacturers, exporters and importers of goods moving internationally – whether by air, ship, rail, truck.

Automotive

The automotive sector is one of rapidly changing technology and innovation, developing faster than before. Our legal experts understand the pressures that companies face and the issues they need to resolve, and offer clear, practical advice, considering both the industry and client’s business.

 Aviation

Meziou & Elleuch has extensive experience advising clients on all areas concerning aviation, including airport issues, such as ground handling contracts, airport charges, traffic control, slot allocation, concessions, tickets, waybills and conditions of carriage, route licensing, alliances, competition law and other regulatory matters, as well as aviation claims.

Our Lawyers are experienced in advising in strategic partnerships, airline acquisitions, representation before domestic and International regulatory bodies, full aircraft acquisition advisory, aircraft registration, project financing and airline union negotiations.

Maritime

Maritime transport significantly evolved, going beyond port-to port. Now it usually involves networks that link shippers, consignees and their products by road, rail and ship. Our team understands the legal, technical, regulatory and jurisdictional issues unique to the maritime transport sector, and provides commercial advisory for local, national and international clients.

Transportation and logistics

Our team of legal experts advises on all issues in relation to domestic or international transportation of goods. Our clients include logistics and post companies, railway operators and infrastructure companies, airlines and airports, as well as shipping and port companies.

 IT & Communication

Because IT is a one of the most dynamic and innovative industries today, and considering its’ fast pace, our team brings together experts from our intellectual property, employment, corporate and M&A, finance and tax, regulatory and commercial practices.

Our experts are knowledgeable of the applicable technologies that are ancillary to the industry, including cloud computing, web and smart phone applications, e-commerce, databases, algorithms and security. We advise international technology companies and startups on software development and licensing issues, commercial aspects of the internet such as internet privacy and data protection, internet domain claims and disputes, and technology-related procurement and outsourcing matters.

 IT and outsourcing services

Information technology outsourcing is the practice of outsourcing a company’s computer or Internet-related work – such as programming, coding, etc. Our IT legal experts regularly advise clients on effective legal and commercial solutions for their IT outsourcing projects.

Startups

We advise startups, entrepreneurs and emerging-growing companies. We understand the needs of start-up companies and we work closely with our clients advising them on all aspects of their formation and development, in order to help position them for growth and success. We also assist newly established companies in the industry of IT under the Tunisian Law to get the Start-up label under the Start-up Act.

Blockchain

Blockchain and cryptocurrencies are developing faster than regulators globally can respond to them, clients rely on our legal experts to anticipate and address emerging issues. We combine a wide range of practices and industries, including IT, Financial Services, M&A and Tax, and advise on the laws to be applied on blockchain-based products and services. We also help design token platform by supporting token operations with the relevant legal advice and documents. We advise on the corporate structuring and full compliance of initial coin offering and securities token offering.

Private Equity

With a detailed understanding of the market in Tunisia, and professional relationships with national and international financial institutions, our team is regularly advising fund sponsors to establish funds of all types, as well as fund investors, providing advice on structuring, governance, regulatory compliance and market expectations. Private equity financing plays an increasingly important role in encouraging entrepreneurialism and fostering economic growth in the region, particularly in the IT and real estate sectors. Our extensive banking and finance experience combined with our corporate and M&A capacities, has seen our team work on some of the largest multi-jurisdictional acquisitions and buyouts in the region. We are well placed to advise private equity funds on the legal framework for financing companies or making acquisitions in these high-growth markets.

Retail and Consumer Goods

Predictable and stable margins make the retail and consumer goods market very attractive to investors. Tunisia is no exception to this and with a rich agricultural industry and a strategic geographic position near to several large markets such as EU and middle east, it makes an attractive location for manufacturers, retailers and exporters.

Companies always look for new ways to drive revenue growth, expand, and develop new products.

We advised global consumer goods companies doing business in the region, helping them sell and market their products, protect their intellectual property, manage their risks, develop legal and commercial strategies in order to respond to the challenges in this industry.

Our retail and consumer goods experts have long-term experience advising fast moving consumer goods companies. We understand that the retail and consumer goods market is characterized by large corporations, high volumes, cross-border effects, costly overheads and the need to improve productivity, logistics and reach. We combine legal expertise with industry knowledge and a particular understanding of the interplay between commercial and regulatory challenges. Our lawyers have experience advising retail chains, cosmetics manufacturers and other retail and consumer goods companies across multiple jurisdictions on complex mergers and acquisitions, restructuring, financing as well as corporate, antitrust, commercial, employment, compliance tax and other legal matters.

Advertising

Advertising includes an increasing number of communication channels - which are highly regulated, complex and ever-changing. We advise clients on the review of advertising materials to ensure compliance with relevant legislation and regulations for all types of media, including print, radio and television broadcasting and materials for online distribution.

Trade law

International transactions are increasingly common, but they bring a new level of complexity.

We assist clients on all matters concerning the import and export of goods, technology, services, and foreign investment matters.