Tarek Badawy is a partner specialising in arbitration and international disputes at Meysan. He represents clients before international tribunals, as well as national and regional courts and administrative boards and authorities. He also sits as an arbitrator under various institutional rules.
Tarek also advises clients on competition and commercial matters in the aviation, shipping & transportation, banking & finance, energy, oil & gas, insurance & financial services, pharmaceuticals, sports and TMT industries. He represents and counsels some of the leading players in the TMT sector, ranging from global IT and telecommunications companies to the largest regional and global media companies and news agencies, and has acted as counsel for sports associations and marketing agencies before the COMESA Competition Commission in all investigations involving the sponsorship and broadcasting of sports events within the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.
Tarek’s experience is recognized by the principal legal directories, which consistently rank him as a leading practitioner of arbitration, TMT, and blockchain. He recently received individual recognition for his expertise in the Dispute Resolution: Arbitration and Litigation practice areas of Chamber & Partners (Global) 2023 where clients described him as “… a very international lawyer who has been invaluable in helping us navigate the Egyptian legal system”, and “an excellent lawyer, with a very strong, client-focused mindset”.
Defended the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in various precedent-setting investigations before the COMESA Competition Appeals Board; and in an ICC Emergency Arbitration under Swiss law concerning the alleged unlawful termination of a one-billion-dollar sports broadcasting and marketing contract.
Represented an Asian State-owned company in the first BIT claim brought before the Egyptian Counsel of State. Claim exceeded US$ 1 Billion and is estimated to be one of the largest argued before Egyptian courts.
Served as co-counsel for an oil & gas company and a number of its shareholders in four major international arbitrations against the Arab Republic of Egypt and various State entities.
Acted for two major regional media companies in a multi-million-dollar arbitration under UAE law concerning breaches of several licensing and broadcasting agreements
Advised a major logistics company in a claim involving State immunity before the Kuwaiti Court of Cassation
Represented a European sports marketing company before the COMESA Competition Commission with respect to its alleged breach of COMESA Competition Regulations following its execution of a multi-million-dollar sports broadcasting contract with a European-based international sports association.
Acted for an Indian company in a multi-million-dollar arbitration under Egyptian law concerning the breach of a construction contract.
Advised a contractor in a multi-million-dollar construction arbitration under Saudi Arabian law
Represented a high-ranking world squash player in an anti-doping investigation before the International Testing Agency (ITA)
Acted for a global telecommunications company in a set aside application before the DIFC court
Counselled an international oil & gas company in two multi-million-dollar arbitrations under Qatari law
Represented an international association of airlines in a multi-million-pound insurance dispute before the Egyptian Financial Regulatory Authority’s Dispute Settlement Committee, closing the chapter on a longstanding legal battle between an Egyptian insurance company, a US-based reinsurer, and the client.
After much anticipation, Egypt’s Prime Minister issued Decree No. 1120 of 2024 (Decree) revealing the long-awaited amendments to the Competition Act’ executive regulations (Regulations). By way of background, in December 2022, the Egyptian Competition Act underwent a major overhaul with the introduction of a pre-merger control regime that grants the… Read more
The Cairo office of Meysan successfully represented professional squash player, Moustafa El Sirty, resulting in his return to the courts with immediate effect after the International Testing Agency (ITA) had sought to impose a two-year suspension. In January of 2023, the ITA informed El Sirty that he had triggered an… Read more
The Egyptian Competition Authority (the “ECA”) has traditionally been known for its aggressive stance towards historically tolerated anti- competitive acts. To live up to its slogan, “a stronger economy…for a better life”, it recently began shifting its focus to awareness-raising (in parallel with enforcement), a much-needed step in a market… Read more
Following an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) for a prohibited substance commonly found in cough medicine, the International Testing Agency (ITA) – the entity that prosecutes doping cases for various sports federations – called for the imposition of a two-year suspension on the athlete pursuant to the WSF Anti-Doping Rules. Through… Read more
The UAE has amended its federal arbitration law to introduce more flexibility to arbitration proceedings and lift certain restrictions on the parties’ freedom to nominate arbitrators. While most of the amendments are cosmetic and reiterate established principles of UAE law (e.g., the tribunal’s freedom to assess the evidence and the… Read more