Experience & current activities of Thomas Forsch, MidEast Law, Lawyers Avocats Rechtsanwälte

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BIO
Thomas F. Forsch
CAREER
● Partner, Co­Owner, MidEast Law Ltd (UAE), since June 2015
● CEO / Owner, HalVent Beratungsgesellschaft mbH (Germany), 2014­2015
● CEO / Owner, GEFEB­Gesellschaft für ethisches Bauen mbH (German
construction LLC), Hanau, Germany, 2013­2014
● Owner / Managing Director, HalVent Limited (UAE), 2012­2015
● Vice President–Legal Operations, du (Emirates Integrated Telecommunications
Company PJSC, Dubai), 2006­2012
● Senior Legal Consultant, Andreas Neocleous & Co, (Limassol, Cyprus),
2004­2005
● Legal Consultant, different local law firms, Dubai (UAE), 1999­2004
● Legal Consultant, Alem & Associates, Beirut (Lebanon) / Dubai (UAE), 1997­1999
● Advocate, Law Office of Emil Epp, Strasbourg (France), 1996­1997
● Advocate, Fingerhut, Karg, Maul, Dresden (Germany), 1995­1996
● Advocate, Law Office of Fritz Ranke, Paris, 1994­1995
● Lecturer, University of Burgundy, Faculty of Law, Dijon (France), 1990­1991
EXPERIENCE
With more than 20 years' working experience in various positions in the legal arena (mainly
in the Middle East), Thomas as gained in­depth knowledge regarding a vast range of legal
and commercial matters in the region, in particular concerning
● all aspects of commercial, corporate and financial contracts, be it drafting,
negotiation, review, amendment or enforcement of cross­cultural and
interdisciplinary contracts in the region,

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● the setting up and management of in­house legal departments, incl. the
development and improvement of standard legal documentation, processes,
procedures and systems as well as compliance across all relevant business units,
● management of performance, quality, training, manpower and annual budgets,
● planning and management of cost efficient specialist external legal advice and
support,
● cross­cultural business relationship management,
● cross­cultural dispute resolution,
● large scale IT & Telecom projects,
● Government Procurement & Public Tender methods, processes and procedures,
including internal, external and state audit processes and procedures,
● Intellectual Property protection and commercialisation,
● Infrastructure projects,
● Technology transfer,
● Investment protection, and
● Corporate Structuring & Finance.
EDUCATION AND
TRAINING
2011
2011
7 Habits of highly effective people
7 Habits of highly effective managers
In­house training at du
MBA Leadership program
Manchester Business School
1995 Aptitude à la profession d'Avocat, École des Avocats, Dijon, France
Bar Exam at the advocates' school in Dijon, France
1994 2. jur. Staatsexamen, Ministry of Justice, Hesse, Germany
2​nd​
State Exam in Hesse, Germany, qualifying as a judge / advocate in Germany
1990 1. jur. Staatsexamen, Ministry of Justice, Rhineland­Palatinate, Germany
1​st​
State Exam in Rhineland­Palatinate, Germany, ending university studies in law
LANGUAGE SKILLS
MOTHER TONGUE German

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OTHER LANGUAGES English, full professional proficiency
French, full professional proficiency
Arabic, elementary proficiency
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
PUBLICATIONS
MEMBERSHIPS
INITIATIVES
European Company (SE) Taxation: The Cyprus Perspective
BNA International, Tax Planning International – EU Focus, November, 2004
Chapter on Cyprus (tax law; corporate law; real estate; free movement of capital)
Beratungshandbuch EU Osterweiterung, Kognos Publishing House, 2004 (in German)
Termination of emplyment relationships in the UAE – Overview 2014
CBB­lawyers.de, December, 2014 (in German)
The Economic Council, Germany (Wirtschaftsrat der CDU, e.V.)
Europa Union (integrated in the Union of European Federalists), Head of the EU­Middle
East resort in Hanau (Germany)
The Taxpayers Association (Bund der Steuerzahler), Hesse, Germany
The German Association for Small and Medium­sized Businesses (Bundesverband
mittelständische Wirtschaft), Frankfurt, Germany
Business United 4 Middle East Peace
Initiator & co­founder of a business and commerce based Middle East peace initiative
September, 2014