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Simon Bryan

Managing Director / Partner - GLS Law Firm

UAE / Singapore

GLS Global

+971 (0)4 333 1002

simon.bryan@gls.global

Simon is a Partner of GLS Law and a Principal of the GLS Group, a specialist platform that delivers 24/7/365 world-class legal solutions that are genuinely accessible to all business globally, whether big or small. Simon specialises in advising on complex, high-value corporate and commercial transactions and projects, especially in the technology, telecommunications and media sectors. Simon is an emerging markets expert, and has led teams advising on numerous industry-firsts and record-breaking deals across the EMEA region. Simon has significant in-house experience at the senior executive management level. Prior to that in private practice, Simon was a partner at DLA Piper, where he assisted in establishing the pre-eminent Technology, Media and Communications/Intellectual Property and Technology team in the Middle East & Africa.

Indicative Experience

UAE: Advising on the conception, formation and creation of Media Zone Authority / TwoFour54 in Abu Dhabi, arguably the World’s largest media project.

UK, Australia: Advising Etihad Airways in their record breaking sponsorship of Manchester City FC and renaming of the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.

KSA: Advising Mobily in relation to their telecoms licence acquisition and subsequent 1 billion Saudi Riyal (US $285 million) IPO in KSA.

UAE: Led the restructuring and reorganisation of DPG’s 49 group companies (multi-billion dollar project).

UAE, Bahrain: Led DPG’s advisory team across all new hotel development projects, including 3 separate O&M arrangements in 2014 (4 & 5 star properties).

MENA, Africa, Asia: Advising on numerous telecoms licence acquisitions including in UAE, KSA, Palestine, Qatar, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Ghana, Maldives & Pakistan.

MENA, Africa, Asia: Advising on multiple telecom and technology vendor supply arrangements throughout the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

Bahrain: Advising on the creation of a JV between state owned entities for the development and construction of a major tourism and leisure project.

Pan-MENA: Advising Ejadah Asset Management company on its regional expansion strategy, including JV & M&A activity throughout the MENA region.

UAE, USA: Advising on the creation of a US $500 million film fund with a leading Hollywood film studio and production house.

Mali, West Africa: Advising in relation to privatisation of the state owned telecoms operator in Mali.

UAE: Advising in relation to the strategic disposition and monetisation of key assets formally comprised within the Sama Duba and Tatweer group of companies.

Eastern Europe: Advising in relation to a technology infrastructure-sharing / sale & lease-back project in Eastern Europe worth an estimated US $1.1bn.

MENA: Advising in relation to the solvent reorganisation of a multi-listed MENA based corporation and its international group of companies worth in excess of US $1bn.

US: Advising on the US $440 million disposition of a business (and associated asset sale) comprising part of a US-listed entity.

Ghana, Nigeria, New Zealand, UAE: Advising on multiple M&A deals in relation to the acquisition of majority stakes in the issued share capital of companies based in Ghana, Nigeria, New Zealand & UAE.

Pan-Asia: Advising on creation and incorporation of a tri-partite joint venture arrangement relating to the purchase and subsequent wholesale of international telecommunications bandwidth.

Professional Qualifications

Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England & Wales

Prior Positions

DPG (Part of Dubai Holdings), UAE

Director of Group Legal (2013-2015)

Doha Film Institute, Qatar

Chief Legal Officer (2012-2013)

Acision, UAE / Pan-MENA

MEAP Regional General Counsel (2011-2012)

Onside Partners, UAE / Hong Kong

Partner & Co-Chief Executive (2010-2012)

DLA Piper, UAE

Partner, TMT/IPT/Commercial (2006 – 2010)

Education

University of Law (formerly College of Law), York

Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice (1999)

University of Lincoln

Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) – Law and Criminology (1998)

Key Strengths

Blue-chip in-house and market leading private practice capability

Brings “order to chaos”

Able to balance entrepreneurial requirement with managed risk

Quick thinking and outcome focused

Delivers on time

Expertise

Telecommunications

Technology

Procurement and Outsourcing

Private Equity / Venture Capital

IP, Commercialisation

Food, Drug and Health Law

Media, Entertainment and Sports

E-Commerce / Internet Law

Data Protection and Privacy

Corporate Governance

Company Law

Commercial Law / Contracts