YB
Youssef Barakat
Manager
Admitted to Damascus Bar since 1997
Our Profile
About Barakat Law Firm
Founded by Maître Youssef Barakat in 2011, delivering multilingual corporate legal services from Damascus with a network across Syria.
Since 2011
Damascus Bar · Est. 1997
Starting off as an independent project, the firm was established by Maître Youssef Barakat in 2011 based on fourteen years of legal experience with Professor Jacque Al-Hakim law firm, and it has grown over ten years to include seven lawyers and legal advisors, who are multilingual and hold both national and international academic qualifications.
We ensure good knowledge of local and international laws, legal systems, procedures, and cultures of several jurisdictions around the world.
Our firm was founded on a strong belief in the relevance of experience, professionalism, and transparency to everything we do. We always strive to maintain long-term relationships with our clients and partners, based on confidence, efficiency, and a timely and cost-effective service.
The extensive local and international experience of our lawyers has enabled our areas of practice to branch out, handling the most complex cross-domain cases — including lawsuits, arbitration, customised legal consultation, contract drafting, agreements, and the registration of companies and commercial agencies, and tax affairs.
We have built our reputation on a commitment to meet the individual needs of each client. We understand our client's key objectives, and assist them in reaching their goals by providing our best advice and consultation throughout their business lifecycle.
The Firm operates through its strategically located office in Damascus and has established a wide network of local lawyers in the Syrian governorates for handling local matters under direct supervision of the Damascus offices.
Our firm is available to advise, draft, negotiate, and interpret documents in English, French, and Arabic.
Expertise
Full-spectrum legal services
01Real Estate, Urbanism & Construction+
Expert legal advice concerning real estate and construction transactions, infrastructure, and energy for funders, investors, lenders, agents, contractors, developers, and project managers.
- Legal advice from project inception through design, procurement, and completion
- Legal due diligence of real estate assets belonging to companies
- Tender documentation and contractor selection support
- Purchase, sale, acquisition, leasing, property development, and turnkey projects
02Banking & Insurance+
Counsel for conventional and Islamic banks, insurance companies, and financial intermediaries on incorporation, operations, and major transactions.
- Day-to-day operations and major local and international activities
- Board and executive management advisory
- Internal controls and corporate governance procedures
- Negotiating memoranda of understanding
03Telecommunication+
Commercial and regulatory advice on IT, e-commerce, telecoms, and media.
- Interconnection agreements and license applications
- Employment and headquarters lease agreements
- Supply agreements and national roaming
- Cell-phone equipment installation leases
04Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution+
Maître Youssef Barakat is well known in the judiciary community for being well experienced in litigation in all commercial and civil matters, including ADR.
- Commercial, banking, employment, energy, and insurance litigation
- Pre-litigation negotiations, mediation, and complex litigation management
- Internal and international arbitration representation
- Drafting witness statements, legal memoranda, and arbitral submissions
05Employment+
Labour and employment counsel based on extensive knowledge of local markets.
- Employment, consultancy, internship, and training agreements
- Non-competition and confidentiality clauses
- Employment handbooks and company policies
- Work permits, social security, and foreign worker employment
06Corporate, Merger & Acquisition+
Tailored corporate advice on incorporation, restructuring, joint ventures, recovery, insolvency, and foreign investment in Syria.
- Shareholders agreements and complex commercial contracts
- Compliance with corporate legislation and investment law
- M&A due diligence, structuring, negotiation, and deal documents
- NDAs, SPAs, framework agreements, and post-merger integration
07Intellectual Property+
Comprehensive intellectual property counsel in all areas including trademarks, design, patent, copyright, domain names, and franchising.
- Trademarks, design, patent, and copyright protection
- Domain names and franchising agreements
- Drafting and filing patents and provisional applications
- Innovations from industrial platforms to mobile applications
Our Team
Experienced legal advisors
FA
Fursan Al-Housh
Lawyer
EG
Elias Ghanem
Lawyer
AH
Antoine Hasbani
Lawyer
Languages of Service
Our firm is available to advise, draft, negotiate, and interpret legal documents in all three languages.