Danny Rifaat is a member of the Beirut and Paris Bars. He has spent his entire career in the Gulf and the Middle East: Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai) and Oman.
Prior to joining Teynier Pic, Danny founded Rifaat Associates, one of the leading law firms in Beirut, and Al Misnad & Rifaat in Doha. Ever since his first arbitration experience at the ICC in 1995, he has built a significant arbitration practice in the region.
For nearly 30 years, Danny has been advising and representing corporate clients based in the Gulf and the Middle East, as well as major players in the global economy with regard to their projects in the region. Danny has developed a strong expertise in real estate, construction, telecommunications, and infrastructure.
Danny’s experience includes acting as both arbitrator and counsel in international arbitrations conducted under the auspices of the leading global arbitral institutions (ICC, LCIA), as well as the regional institutions in the Gulf (Dubai International Arbitration Center (DIAC), Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA), Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Qatar International Center for Conciliation and Arbitration (QICCA), Oman Commercial Arbitration Centre (OCAC) and ADGM Arbitration Centre), and the Middle East (Lebanese Arbitration and Mediation Centre (LAMAC)).
In addition, he has appeared before domestic courts in the region including in Dubai, Amman, Doha and Beirut. Danny has also extensive experience in the prevention and management of disputes and risks, including alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, as well as a cross-cutting understanding of the legal and business issues in the Arab world.
Éric Teynier, Managing and Founding Partner of Teynier Pic, comments: “We have had the pleasure of working with Danny for 25 years and we are delighted to have him join our team. His arrival is a testament to our firm’s continuing international development, particularly in the Arab world, a region with which we have had and continue to have close ties. With Danny, we aim to further strengthen our position in the Gulf and Middle East and our presence in the world’s leading arbitration centres.
Danny Rifaat adds: “I am proud to join Teynier Pic, a leading firm in dispute resolution whose reach extends beyond our borders. I see joining Teynier Pic’s partnership as the logical and natural continuation of my long and fruitful collaboration with Pierre and Eric, with whom I have developed a close relationship for many years. I feel perfectly at home in the – very international – Teynier Pic team, whose values and commitments I share.”
Press contacts:
Cécile Roche, MCBD Services, T. + 33 (0)7 82 23 40 46, E. cecile.roche@mcbdservices.com
Raphaël Kaminsky, Teynier Pic, T. + 33 (0)6 60 81 91 35, E. raphael.kaminsky@teynier.com
About Danny Rifaat:
Key dates
- 1972: Born in Lebanon
- 1994: Joins Raphaël, Ziadé, Abirached, Rifaat & Associés (Lebanon) as an Associate and later becomes a Partner
- 1995: Is admitted to the Beirut Bar
- 2008: Founds Rifaat Associates – Lawyers & Legal Consultants (Beirut)
- 2011: Founds Al Misnad & Rifaat Lawyers & Legal Consultants (Qatar)
- 2022: Rifaat Associates – Lawyers & Legal Consultants (Beirut) enters into a strategic alliance with Teynier Pic
- 2022: is admitted to the Paris Bar
- 2022: Joins Teynier Pic’s partnership
Biography
Danny Rifaat, 50 years old, was born in Beirut. He holds a Master’s degree in private law from the Saint-Joseph University of Beirut. In 1994, he joined Raphaël & Associés as a trainee, and became an associate at the firm after being admitted to the Beirut Bar in 1995. In 2006, he joined the firm’s partnership, following which the firm was renamed Raphaël, Ziadé, Abirached, Rifaat & Associés. In 2008, he founded Rifaat Associates in Lebanon, where he built a full-service multidisciplinary business law practice. In 2011, he joined forces with Khalifa Al Misnad and founded a law firm in Qatar, Al Misnad & Rifaat. In addition to his advisory work, he has developed an arbitration practice, acting both as an arbitrator and as counsel in international commercial arbitrations related to the Gulf and the Middle East. Since 2016, he has been listed on the panel of arbitrators of the region’s leading arbitration institutions. In October 2022, Danny was admitted to the Paris Bar and became a partner at Teynier Pic. Danny is fluent in English, French and Arabic.
About Teynier Pic:
Founded in 2004 by Eric Teynier and Pierre Pic, Teynier Pic is the first independent boutique firm dedicated to international and domestic dispute resolution in France. Our firm focuses on dispute resolution and offers a full range of services, from the prevention of disputes to the enforcement and setting aside of court decisions and arbitration awards, through to the conduct of arbitral and court proceedings, which is the core of our practice.
Our firm is recognised as one of the major players in litigation and arbitration, and acts for a wide variety of clients, whom we assist in their complex and sensitive cases.
We assist in the resolution of disputes on every continent. The vast majority of our cases involve cross-border issues. Our team is composed of lawyers with international backgrounds and profiles.
Historically based in Paris, we also are present in other major arbitration centres, such as London, New York, Dubai and Beirut, through strategic alliances with Griffin Litigation (based in London and New York), Nassif Arbitration (based in Dubai) and Rifaat Associates – Lawyers & Legal Consultants (based in Beirut).
