Profil
Christian Adams is Greenberg Traurig’s Co-Managing Shareholder of the Abu Dhabi office. He has been in the UAE since 2008 and represents government and government related entities, corporations, sponsors, banks, and private credit lenders on complex financing transactions across the Middle East and internationally. His practice spans multiple industries, with particular focus on investment, hospitality, leisure, entertainment, energy, infrastructure, and real estate sectors.
Christian handles a wide range of financing matters, including conventional and Islamic lending, refinancings, restructurings, distressed debt matters, private credit transactions, structured financing, securitizations, leveraged and acquisition financings, and real estate financings. He regularly advises clients on significant transactions involving bespoke deal structures throughout the Middle East.
Christian’s restructuring experience includes advising on organizational and financial restructurings, bankruptcy processes under UAE Federal Bankruptcy Law, and complex debt restructurings. He also works on corporate and M&A matters, including public offerings, joint ventures, and strategic acquisitions.
Kluczowe Praktyki
Doświadczenie
- Representing Brookfield Asset Management on corporate loan facilities extended by a consortium of regional banks.°
- Representing FIVE Holdings on its US$460 million revolving credit facilities extended by a consortium of regional and international banks.°
- Represented a UAE-based asset manager on the establishment and financing of a hospitality asset management platform and the subsequent acquisition of a series of hospitality assets into the platform.°
- Represented Investcorp Capital plc on its US$800 million revolving credit facility extended by a consortium of regional and international banks.°
- Represented Tabby on its debt financing by way of receivables securitization from a major financial institution, which earned the 2024 IFLR Middle East Award Impact Deal of the Year.°
- Represented SACE and HSBC Bank on a first-of-its-kind SACE guaranteed financing with an Islamic finance structure (Commodity Murabaha) in favor of the IFFCO Group, an international food & beverage group headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, as part of SACE’s Push Program.°
- Represented the mandated lead arrangers in relation to a US$200 million revolving credit facility for FIVE Holdings (BVI) Limited in conjunction with its debut bond offering.°
- Represented the financiers with respect to the refinancing of existing indebtedness of Merex Investment Group LLC, a joint venture between Dubai Holding and Brookfield Asset Management, comprising conventional and Islamic facilities.°
- Represented Brookfield Private Capital in connection with the financing of its acquisition of a majority stake in Magnati – a payments business owned by First Abu Dhabi Bank.°
- Advised on the closing of a receivables warehouse facility of up to US$150 million for Tamara, the leading shopping and payments platform in the GCC region, from a major financial institution.°
- Represented Dubai Holding in connection with AED7.6 billion pre-IPO financing of the TECOM Group and the financing and acquisition of marquee real estate and hospitality assets located in Europe.°
- Represented Axian Telecom, a leading pan-African telecommunications services provider, on a US$42 million revolving credit facility.°
- Represented TECOM Group in connection with AED7 billion conventional and Islamic term loan facilities to fund multiple real estate development projects.°
- Represented Meraas Group in connection with AED4.75 billion conventional and Islamic term loan facilities to fund multiple real estate development projects.°
- Represented Meraas Holding in connection with AED2.4 billion conventional and Islamic acquisition facilities made available to Merex Investments to fund the acquisition of assets into its joint venture with Brookfield Asset Management.°
- Represented Emirates International Telecommunications in connection with AED2.5 billion conventional and Islamic term loan facilities to refinance existing financial indebtedness and provide new working capital facilities.°
- Represented Dubai Holding and Marsa Al Arab LLC in connection with the US$350 million financing of the Marsa Al Arab hospitality development in Dubai.°
- Represented Dubai Properties Group in connection with AED2.5 billion trade credit and receivables discounting facilities.°
- Represented the borrower in connection with loan facilities made available to finance the redevelopment of Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Knightsbridge, London.°
- Represented the sponsor in connection with loan facilities relating to the Dubai Harbour master project.°
- Represented the lenders to Alabbar Enterprises in connection with the financing of the US$2.4 billion acquisition of Kuwait Food Company (Al Americana).°
- Represented Credit Suisse as the arranger of a US$500 million European Term Loan B financing for Taghleef Industries.°
- Represented Skai Holdings in connection with US$300 million term loan and ijara facilities to finance the development of The Viceroy Hotel on Palm Jumeirah, Dubai (recognized as Middle East Structured Finance Deal of the Year by EMEA Finance 2015).°
- Represented two major financial instutions in connection with a SAR750 million / US$360 million dual-currency term loan facility made available to Almarai Company.°
- Represented two large financial institutions in connection with a series of financings for Electricity Holding Company (Oman) and its subsidiaries, with a total aggregate value of approximately US$1,65 billion (recognized as Middle East Loans Deal of the Year by The Banker 2016).°
- Represented a large financial institution in connection with a US$200 million acquisition facility made available to Abraaj Capital in connection with the acquisition of Network International.°
- Represented the lenders to Qatar Telecom in connection with US$960 million credit facilities.°
- Represented Etisalat in connection with a €3.15 billion multicurrency term loan facility to finance Etisalat’s acquisition of a controlling stake in Maroc Telecom.°
- Represented Etisalat in connection with a US$13 billion-dollar acquisition finance facility.°
- Represented Credit Suisse in connection with the US$10 billion investment by Qatar Holding in Credit Suisse.°
- Represented the purchaser in connection with the acquisition of assets out of a formal bankruptcy process conducted under the UAE Federal Bankruptcy Law.°
- Represented Emirates REIT in connection with the restructuring of its existing debt facilities and the execution of new loan facilities — Emirates REIT is the largest Islamic REIT in the UAE and the first REIT to be listed in the GCC.°
- Represented Dubai Holding in connection with the restructurings of Dubai International Capital and Dubai Holding Investments Group.°
- Represented the shareholder in connection with the organizational and financial restructuring of the Meraas Group and integration into the Dubai Holding Group.°
- Represented the sponsor and majority shareholder in connection with the financial restructuring and subsequent public to private acquisition of DXB Entertainments PJSC — a first-of-its-kind transaction that used the mandatory acquisition provisions of the UAE Securities and Commodities Authority’s Takeover Code.°
- Represented the majority shareholder in connection with restructuring of AED1.2 billion term loan facilities made available to finance the Marsa Al Seef development.°
- Represented the Government of Dubai in connection with the establishment and capitalization of the Dubai Financial Support Fund.°
- Represented the Dubai Financial Support Fund and the Government of Dubai in connection with the financial restructuring of Dubai World and its subsidiaries (recognized as Restructuring Deal of the Year by Acquisitions Monthly, Deal of the Year 2011 by The Banker, and Turnaround of the Year for deals with a value greater than US$5 billion by Global M&A Network.°
- Represented the underwriters on the initial public offering of TECOM Group PJSC (TECOM Group) and listing of its shares on the Dubai Financial Market.°
- Represented Emirates REIT in connection with the issuance of US$205 million secured trust certificates due 2028 issued by Emirates REIT Sukuk Limited.°
- Represented Meraas Holding in connection with AED5 billion joint venture partnership with Brookfield Asset Management.°
- Represented Dubai Holding in connection with acquisition of a material stake in Azadea Group.°
- Represented Dubai Holding in connection with the acquisition and subsequent redevelopment of a marquee real estate asset in Paris with a total transaction value of c. €1 billion.°
- Represented Dubai Holding in connection with its investments in Dubai Mercantile Exchange and Emirates REIT.°
- Represented Dubizzle.com, a classifieds website across the Middle East, from inception through multiple rounds of equity investment and subsequent sale to a global strategic investor.°
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Adams prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig P.A.
- Vice President – Legal, Dubai Holding Group, 2017-2021
Wyróżnienia i aktywność zawodowa
- Listed, Chambers Global Guide, Banking & Finance, 2017 and 2025
- Listed, The Legal 500 EMEA, Banking & Finance: Corporate Finance, 2024 and 2025
- Listed, The Legal 500 EMEA, 2004: Next Generation Partner – Banking & Finance: Corporate Finance
- Listed, Islamic Finance News: Leading Lawyer in Islamic Finance Restructuring
- England & Wales (solicitor) 2006-Present
Wykształcenie i uprawnienia do wykonywania zawodu
Wykształcenie
- LPC, College of Law, York
- LL.B., University of Leeds
Uprawnienia
- Anglia i Walia
- Dubai Legal Consultant