Christopher Lester

chris.lester@lw.com

+971.4.704.6369

"Very easy to work with and a safe pair of hands. Even though he is in a different time zone, he is always accommodating."

Chambers Global 2025

"Great partner on any complex transaction, able to mobilise resources internally across departments and regions to deliver the highest quality of service."

Chambers Global 2025

"Experience which spans the full gamut of mergers, demergers and acquisitions, in addition to restructurings, privatisations and joint ventures."

Chambers Global 2024

"Chris is very good at negotiating on our behalf."

Chambers Global 2024

"Chris is a fantastic lawyer. His work is excellent and he is solution-oriented, hard-working and very diligent."

Chambers Global 2022

Profile

Chris Lester, Co-Chair of the Middle East Corporate Department, specializes in public and private mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and restructurings.

Experience

Chris' representative transactions include advising:

OCTAL, a major global producer of PET sheet based in Oman with operations in the UAE, KSA, and the US, on its US$620 million sale to Alpek, S.A.B. de C.V. (Alpek)
Funds managed by Silver Lake Partners, a global private equity firm focused on investments in technology, technology-enabled, and related industries, on their minority investment in G42, an Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing company
SIG Combibloc, a Swiss listed leading systems and solutions provider for aseptic carton packaging company, on its acquisition of the 50% stake in its Middle East joint venture SIG Combibloc Obeikan held by the Obeikan Group
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) on the merger of the agri-nutrients businesses of SABIC and Saudi Arabian Fertilizer Company (SAFCO)
J.P. Morgan on the three-way merger of Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, United National Bank, and Al Hilal Bank
Mubadala Healthcare and China UAE Fund on the acquisition of Amana Healthcare
Dubai Holding on the acquisition of a significant minority stake in Azadea
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank on the acquisition of Barclays’ UAE retail banking business
Mubadala on the US$15 billion merger of EMAL and DUBAL to form Emirates Global Aluminium
Mubadala on mining investments in the Republic of Guinea
Oldendorff on the acquisition and disposal of shipping assets
Government of Dubai on the restructuring of Dubai World