Venise Nassar
Managing Partner
venise.nassar@whitepencil.net
Venise Nassar specializes in civil and commercial laws, front end and back end, with a focus on construction, engineering, and energy projects, transportation, corporate and transactions, as well as in arbitration and dispute resolution.
Venise has taken part in high-profile arbitration proceedings before various arbitral bodies, including the ICC, ICSID, CAP, GAFTA, FOFSA, in different industries.
Venise has been a member of the Beirut Bar Association since 2003, a member of the International Bar Association, and a member of the CIArb. Before setting up Whitepencil, Venise lived and practised in Beirut, Paris and Doha.
Representative Experience
- Advised on an arbitration case before the International Chamber of Commerce between a multinational construction company and the main contractor of a governmental company, in connection with the expansion project of the world’s largest liquidated natural gas facility.
- Arbitration before the International Chamber of Commerce between an American construction and civil engineering company and a government of a country, in connection with the project of an airport design and construction.
- Advised a subcontractor in connection with claims arising from the construction of a plant project for solar energy.
- Arbitration before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes between a French company and the government of an African country under the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States (Washington Convention), in connection with an investment project for the construction of the country’s railways.
- Pleaded and advised on international maritime laws, including high-stake near-miss collision litigation and carriage of goods by various modes of transport.
- Advised on construction issues relating to the expansion project of a primary materials port.
- Advised on a joint venture relating to designing, procuring, installing, testing and commissioning of Electrical Low Voltage systems and technical solutions.
- Advised a major oil and gas company in Qatar to transition the exploration operations to the new developer under the Exploration and Production Sharing Agreement with the government.
- Advised and acted for “Beirut Container Terminal Consortium s.a.l. (BCTC)”, operator of Beirut port (management and policy of the company, agreements with the Port of Beirut, agreements with third parties, protocol, suppliers, accidents and expertise, negotiations, day-to-day activity …).
- Due diligence on behalf of a bank in connection with the potential acquisition by the bank of shares of an engineering & construction company.
- Advised on a joint venture related to clean energy concepts and solar energy for the purpose of developing, constructing, owning and operating a solar power project.
- Advised and acted in disputes for high ranked international underwriters.
- Advised on the restructuring of a contracting company and its affiliates.
- Advised on a joint venture of a contracting consultancy, including the setting up and operations of the joint venture.
- Advised a retail group of companies on its structure and contracts relating to its operations.
Practice Focus
- Civil & Commercial Laws
- International Dispute Resolution
- Construction, Engineering, & Energy
- Transportation
- Corporate
- Transactions
Education
- Université de Nancy 2, France, M.Res.
- Lebanese University, Lebanon, LL.M.
Admissions
- Beirut Bar Association, 2003
- International Bar Association
- CIArb Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
Languages
- Arabic
- English
- French