ASTRUC & CO - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director and Founding Partner of the Real Estate and Construction Law Department of LVI
- Founder and Director of the International Desk
- Lawyer
José Ibanez, lawyer admitted to the Paris Bar, holds a Master's degree in Commercial Law as well as a Master's degree in Real Estate Construction and Promotion Law from the well-reputed University Paris II Panthéon-Assas.
Currently, José Ibanez is the director and founding partner of the Real Estate and Construction Law department of LVI , assisting his clients on their Real Estate investments and projects in France and abroad in the consultancy phase as well as the litigation phase. Moreover, he is the manager of the professional trainings within the firm.
José Ibanez is the founder and director of the International Desk, a special section created within LVI in order to assist its clients on their investments. The International Desk team provides permanent assistance to their clients on their professional and personal projects through all the administrative, legal and judicial phases throughout Spain, North America, Latin America and Middle East.
He speaks French, English and Spanish
He can be contacted at j.ibanez@lvi-avocats.fr or info@astruc-and-co.com
Me. Sabine Lacassagne Family and Real Estate Laws Expert Me. Sabine Lacassagne is an Advocate registered at the French bar since 2004. She is partner at Avocats Cabinet Conseil, a Paris based law firm. She holds a Master in Private Law from one of the top Paris Universities, Paris-Nanterre and a PhD in private international laws. Me. Sabine Lacassagne focuses her practice on individuals and entrepreneurs of small and medium size companies, for most of their legal issues, starting from commercial lease, through succession planning and family disputes, to construction contract management and corporate litigation. Her international clients are mostly based in Europe and in the United Arab Emirates. Being an excellent legal technician from the early days of her carrier, she enhanced her practical experience so to offer her clients exceptional results when it comes to finding out result-oriented solutions and advantageous negotiated deals. Trained to the collaborative practice and alternative dispute resolution methods, she performed to the satisfaction of her clients, without exception and is reputed for a gentle but firm approach and for never giving up on what matters the most. She speaks and write French and English. Me. Sabine Lacassagne can be contacted at avocats@capitalconseils.fr or info@astruc-and-co.com https://capitalconseils.com/
Job Titles:
- Investment Fund and M & a Expert
- Senior Legal Counsel
Mr. Raftopol is also Senior Legal Counsel and/or a member of the Board of Directors of several private equity funds located in the United States focusing on the healthcare sector, and is actively involved in several transactions that form the center of the U.S. government and private-sector response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also on the Board of Directors of several start-up and pre-IPO medical device and med-tech companies based in the United States.
Mr. Ghislain Omar ElGeddawy is French-Egyptian lawyer graduated from Ein Shams University in Cairo in 1988 and is Managing Partner of International Group Law Firm since 2009, which offer full legal services for all Egyptian based matters.
He obtained a Master Degree in Business law and Economics from Université Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne in Paris in 1991 and wrote a thesis on "Laws of Foreign Investments in Egypt". Omar embodies both cultures, which has helped him build a solid professional career from 1988 to this day with both the French business community and the Egyptian community, in both countries and in the United Arab Emirates.
Mr. Ghislain Omar ElGeddawy worked with several international law firms such as Backer & Mackenzie and Clifford Chance after invaluable experience in the banking and financial sector as head of credits at National Société Général and as portfolio manager at SCIB Investment.
Since the early days of his carrier, Mr. Ghislain Omar Elgeddawy focused on the tourism and trading sectors. As Executive Vice President of Orascom Group, in charge of large scale projects, or as Secretary General of ACCOR Egypt, managing a portfolio of 22 Hotels, he had the chance to deal with top Government officials and developed practice thereafter a practice as adviser to the Egyptian Government, whether for international trade and financial affairs or for drafting Egyptian Competition and Anti-Trust regulatory framework.
Mr. Ghislain Omar ElGeddawy speaks French, English and Arabic. He can be contacted at omargeddawy@internationalgroup-lawfirm.com or info@astruc-and-co.com
Ismaeel MOHAMMAD is a French qualified in-house lawyer, working in the financial industry for 12 years.
He obtained his Master Degrees from both universities Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne and Paris V Rene Descartes and is specialized in international cross-borders' banking and financial transactions.
He has a strong knowledge and expertise of international banking and financial laws and regulations from various jurisdictions (France, Luxembourg and APAC) and has worked with renowned financial firms such as Rothschild, AIA, Swiss Life International, BNP Paribas.
He speaks French, English, Urdu/Hindi/Punjabi and Mauritian creole.
He can be contacted at ismaeel@astruc-and-co.com
Job Titles:
- Generalist and Criminal Law Expert
ASTRUC & CO. was founded in 2020 by Mr. Romain Astruc. He initially specialized in criminal law, insolvency and international business law, and obtained a Master Degree from University Paris XI and a Certificate in the Practice of Criminology and Criminal Science from University Paris II.
However, over the last 10 years in the Middle East region in another law firm as associate and then as partner, he has developed a know-how, directly or on a management basis, on various other areas of law in the Gulf Cooperation Countries, in Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon and Egypt, and kept a track of legal developments in France and the European Union in general.
He is also a business adviser in the field of building material, e-commerce and digital transformation.
He has in-depth experience in helping victims of criminal businesses, especially in the fields of healthcare, loan-finance, and real estate.
He is also highly experienced in mediation for business or family matters.
Mr. Astruc can be contacted via email at: romain@astruc-and-co.com
Me. Simon Hajjar is a French lawyer practising in the Middle East and France for close to 20 years.
He has been head of legal of various international banks, including but not limited to BNP Paribas, Bank Of Sharjah and a large Qatari bank.
He focuses on accompanying his or the firms' clients for all their banking transactions and provide compliance/regulatory advises.
His clients are also banks and financial institutions for which he provides high-level advisory services for major transactions or compliance issues.
He practices fluently French, English, and Arabic.
She speaks and writes French and English.
He can be contacted at simon@astruc-and-co.com
Job Titles:
- Real Estate and Business Development
Thomas Collignon is an entrepreneur and investment consultants whose clients remain loyal to because of his dedication to find the most suitable solution to their needs and capabilities.
He accompanied start-ups and led them from being small size businesses to becoming multi-million companies ready for international growth or exit strategy.
He specializes in wealth management, business development and venture capital in the Middle East and CIS countries.
He speaks French and English and manages the Astruc & Co. Luxembourg office.
He can be contacted at thomas@astruc-and-co.com
Mrs Geraldine Heimburger is a senior legal associate at Astruc & Co.
She holds a Master Degree in Notarial Law and a Higher Diploma in Notarial Law from Aix Marseille University.
Initially, for more than 10 years, she worked in various areas of notarial field such as Real Estate Law, loans and securities, Family Law and Company Law. Then, she joined CRIDON Lyon, a prestigious notarial organisation, where she specialised in Family Law, particularly in marriage contract, divorce, estate planning and inheritance agreements. Her mission was to address complex legal issues arising in notarial law firms and to give lectures to notaries.
Since 4 years, she has been teaching French Civil Law in Sorbonne Abu Dhabi University.
She speaks and writes French and English.
She can be contacted at geraldine@astruc-and-co.com