Essam Taha, Of Counsel, joined Zaki Hashem, Attorneys at Law, in 2005 with an in-depth focus on the legalities of upstream exploration and production of oil & gas including: rig rental contracts, drilling contracts, gas sales agreements, sale and purchase agreements, seismic survey contracts, service contracts, joint operating agreements, farm-in & farm-out agreements, consortium agreements, consultancy agreements, lifting contracts, marketing contracts, joint venture companies, by-laws, employment contracts and dispute settlement, electricity (power purchase agreements, transmission agreements, distribution agreements, etc.), mergers & acquisitions, requests for proposals, EPC contracts, FEED Contracts, License Agreements, Technology Transfer Agreements, and other types of contracts and legal due diligences.
With over 39 years of experience, selected recent examples of the matters he has contributed to include:
- Advising on the dispute between Prysmian SPA, EETC, and SEC under the HVDC interconnection between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. (In progress)
- Advising Red Sea National Petrochemicals Company on a green project for a refinery and petrochemical products. (In progress)
- Conducting legal research highlighting the outline of the legal environment for foreign contractors to undertake EPC contracts in Egypt. (In progress)
- Advising Socar Trading S.A regarding purchase of urea from Egypt. (In progress)
- Advising on the Second Container Terminal Damietta Port Concession Agreement. (In progress)
- Advising the Egyptian Chemical Industries Company (KIMA) on the finalization of the EPC Contract for the expansion of its USD 475 million and EGP 772 million Fertilizer Complex Project in Aswan. (In progress)
- Advising OCI on the first e-methanol green bunkering in Egypt. (2023)
- Advising Red Sea Port Authority on the establishment of the multi-purpose terminal at Safaga Port, Red Sea. (2023)
- Advising on a gold and associated minerals exploration and exploitation concession agreement. (2021)
- Advising Middle East Oil Refinery (MIDOR) on its USD 1.2 billion EPC contract for the upgrade and expansion of a new refinery. (2019)
- Extending legal support to RAKTA regarding the EUR 10.5 million tender for rehabilitation of machinery. (2019)
- Advising the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company in its EPC contract with the Saudi Electricity Company in the Egyptian-Saudi Linkage Project. (2018)
- Advising on the lease to purchase an artificial lifting system for an oil field and for providing operating & maintenance services. (2016)
- Advising on a declaration of force majeure, amending the term of a petroleum exploration and exploitation concession agreement. (2016)
- Obtaining and registration of three concession agreements in the Western Desert of Egypt. (2016)
Essam’s professional track-record holds appointments in significant positions such as having been the Legal Advisor to H.E. the Minister of Electricity of the Sultanate of Oman, as well as having been the Senior Lawyer for EGPC’s Petroleum Agreements Department and having participated in negotiating and drafting over 25 petroleum production sharing agreements and over 10 gas sales agreements.
He is member of the Egyptian Bar Association, was admitted before the Egyptian Supreme Court in 2006, and is a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators. He is proficient in Arabic and English.
Essam achieved the LL.B. from the University Mansoura’s Faculty of Law in 1986.
Email: Essam.Taha@hashemlaw.com
