Mahmoud S. Bassiouny

Mahmoud S. Bassiouny

Regional Managing Partner, Group Head of Finance & Projects

Mahmoud S. Bassiouny is the Regional Managing Partner of Matouk Bassiouny and heads the Finance & Projects practice group and heads the firm’s energy &water and public procurement sectors. He has over 16 years of experience in trade and project finance and in the Energy and Infrastructure sectors. Earning him the trust of international commercial banks, export credit agencies and major players in the energy industry. He has excellent working relationships with conventional and Islamic financiers working in Egypt.

Referring to Mahmoud, recent periodicals have stated:

Mahmoud Bassiouny sets exactly the right tone from the top. He provides excellent strategic guidance and empowers his very able team to take ownership of client instruction.

Legal 500, 2022

Mahmoud is the leading lawyer for any projects in their team. We support his high ranking.

Chambers Global, 2022

Whenever I have a banking transaction in Egypt, I turn to Mahmoud.

Chambers Global, 2022

He is a strong negotiator with powerful deal-closure capabilities.

Chambers Global, 2021

Mahmoud Bassiouny is a pleasure to deal with and encapsulates the firm’s responsiveness and commerciality.

Legal 500, 2020

A supportive, strong negotiator and problem solver who can overcome any obstacles that may arise during the transaction.

Chambers Global, 2020

The "very commercially minded" Mahmoud Bassiouny is an acclaimed lawyer in this field. His practice encompasses a wide range of project finance, including for energy and oil and gas projects, and he is experienced advising on both conventional and Islamic finance. He also has experience in debt restructuring.

Chambers Global, 2019

’Has wide experience’ and is a ‘very commendable lawyer’

Chambers Global, 2018

Highly regarded for banking matters

Legal 500 EMEA, 2018

A lawyer who is sharp, switched-on, and doesn't spare any effort to get the work done and make sure the client is satisfied.

Chambers & Partners, 2016

Mahmoud Bassiouny [is] “high-level expert in this [banking & finance]"

Legal 500 EMEA, 2016

One client in the banking sector who worked with the project finance team describes them as "good, polite and responsive.”

IFLR 1000, 2016

Mahmoud as “one of the best and most reliable lawyers in Egypt” and has “good knowledge of the oil and gas sector.”

Legal 500 EMEA, 2013
Practice Focus
Mahmoud’s practice focuses on engaging and catering to clients that are primarily project/finance-centric. He also advises on the strengths and weaknesses of local security available to lenders in the Egyptian market. This advice may serve any client in any field such as those pertaining to but not limited to oil & gas, energy, lenders, consultancy firms, public and private parties.

Recent Rankings

  • Mahmoud Bassiouny ranked as Band 1  —  Chambers & Partners, 2024
  • Mahmoud Bassiouny ranked as a Highly Regarded  —  IFLR 1000, 2024
  • Mahmoud Bassiouny ranked as a Leading Individual  —  Legal 500, 2024
  • Mahmoud S. Bassiouny Ranked as Global Leader Project Finance  —  Who’s Who Legal, 2023
  • Selected Recent Experience

    • Representation of Export Import Bank of the United States on the financing of EgyptAir’s acquisition of 5 Boeing 737-800 aircraft through a finance leasing structure.
    • Representation of a syndicate of banks and financial institutions in connection with two financings in the defense sector backed by SACE SpA (transaction value: confidential)
    • Representation of inter alia, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited as Structuring Bank, Commerzbank AG and AKA Ausfuhrkredit-Gesellschaft mbH as Arrangers and AKA Ausfuhrkredit-Gesellschaft mbH as CIRR Agent and Facility Agent in connection with a EUR 250,000,000 facility extended to the Central Bank of Egypt covered by an export credit guarantee issued by the Federal Republic of Germany represented by Hermes.
    • Representation of the Export-Import Bank of China, Bank of China Ltd. Beijing branch and China Development Bank in relation to a USD 690 million extended to the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company.
    • Representation of Infinity 50 for Renewable Energy S.A.E in connection with a USD 95 million and EGP equivalent of USD 35.18 million financing of a 50MW solar power plant extended by Bayerische Landesbank and Arab African International Bank, backed by Euler Hermes and PwC Deutsche Revision.
    • Advising the Egyptian Ministry of Investment and the Egyptian Ministry of Planning on the creation of the Egyptian Sovereign Wealth Fund and assisting the relevant judiciary departments in the drafting of the Egyptian Sovereign Wealth Fund Law.
    • Advising the Egyptian Ministry of Trade and Industry on the drafting of the Franchise Law.
    • Advising the Egyptian Ministry of Environment on the creation of an entity for solid waste management.
    • Advising the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy’s Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA) on the construction of Al Dabaa nuclear power plant.
    • Advising Lekela Egypt Wind Power BOO S.A.E on a 250MW wind farm project under a Build, Own, operate (BOO) scheme located in Ras Ghareb
    • Representation of Aqualia Infrastructuras, as a member of the winning consortium Orasqualia for the New Cairo Wastewater project, the first PPP to reach financial close in Egypt.
    • Representation of Access Building Energy Solar One S.A.E. – part of the fast-growing developer and operator of power assets, Access Power - in connection with the financing of circa USD 55 million to facilitate the design, development, financing, construction, testing, commissioning, operation, and maintenance of a 50MW solar photovoltaic power plant under the Feed-in Tariff scheme.
    • Representation of Shapoorji Pallonji Energy Egypt S.A.E. – subsidiary of the Indian engineering and infrastructure company SP Group – in connection with the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of a turnkey solar PV project with a nominal capacity of 50 MW, located in Benban, Egypt.
    • Representation of Credit Suisse AG, London Branch and HSBC Bank Middle East Limited in connection with the facility of an amount up to USD 616 million and EUR 240 million extended to the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company.
    • Representation of Booz & Co, in their capacity as advisors to the Egyptian Government with legal advice relating to all laws, regulations and decrees regulating Nile transportation in Cairo. Advising on the creation of a company operating Nile transportation based on a public private partnership model.
    • Representation of International Finance Corporation (the lenders) on the major BOOT financing of EDF’s Port Said and Suez Gulf Projects.
    • Representation of J.P. Morgan PLC and Morgan Stanley & Co International PLC and a bank syndicate in granting Petroleum Export Limited V a USD 1 Billion Facility.
    • Representation of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Egypt, Banque Audi, Banque Misr, and the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD). Together with Clifford Chance with Mezzanine as senior mandated lead arrangers and mandated lead arranger respectively, in connection with granting a EGP 2.5 billion Senior and Mezzanine Istisn’a Ijara/Istisn’a Facilities to Al-Sharkeya Sugar Manufacturing Company S.A.E.

    Education

    Pantheon-Sorbonne_University_logo
    University of Paris I - Panthéon-Sorbonne/ Institut du Droit des Affaires Internationales: Maitrise in Corporate Law
    2004
    Pantheon-Sorbonne_University_logo
    University of Paris I - Panthéon-Sorbonne/ Institut du Droit des Affaires Internationales: Licence in Corporate Law
    2003
    Pantheon-Sorbonne_University_logo
    University of Paris I - Panthéon-Sorbonne/ Institut du Droit des Affaires Internationales: DEUG Law
    2002

    Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Egyptian Bar Association  —  Member
  • Egyptian Business Lawyers Association  —  Member
  • Association of International Petroleum Negotiators  —  Member
  • American Chamber of Commerce  —  Member
  • Canadian Chamber of Commerce  —  Member