Iraq

After spending nearly a decade at war following the invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition, Iraq’s economy has been in growth spurt, one delayed only somewhat by a difficult, Covid-19-induced 2020. GDP growth is expected to continue. 

Law firms operating in Iraq typically have offices in Baghdad, in the centre of the country, but many also have offices in Basra, near the Persian Gulf, and in Erbil, the capital and most populous city of Iraq’s Kurdistan region. 

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Ahmed Raghad is office manager of the Baghdad office of Abu-Ghazaleh Intellectual Property (AGIP), a regional IP firm with its roots in Kuwait, and its current headquarters in Jordan. Raghad is noted for his work IP registration and consultation, as well as legal consultation. The firm has been involved in revising and drafting important IP laws and regulations in at least half a dozen Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates. The firm has offices spread across more than 30 predominantly Muslim jurisdictions, as well as in China, India and Russia, each with their own significant Muslim minority populations. 

The IP practice at Airut Law Offices covers creation, registration, protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, as well as assignments and licensing agreements and IP litigation. The firm has offices in Baghdad and Erbil, as well as in Dubai and Beirut. Tahseen Shekhallah is a partner in the Erbil office, while Maan Zaki Kazim al Shomary is a partner in Baghdad. The latter has extensive experience in advertising, media, sports and other commercial matters.  

Al Hadeel Al Hasan Law (HHL) has an active intellectual property practice, which handles industrial property and patents, copyrights, trademarks and commercial data, among other things. Managing partner Hadeel A. Hasan is a top attorney in Iraq; prior to opening her own firm in 2011, she worked for a regional law firm, reopening that firm’s Baghdad office. The firm has offices in Baghdad, Basra and Erbil, as well as Amman, Dubai, Riyadh, Beirut and Sacramento, California.  

Al Muhamoon Al Mutahidoon in Baghdad offers IP as well as corporate and commercial advice. Managing director Muqdad Sami Al Juboori has three decades of experience in law, including a strong litigation background. His main area of expertise is civil law litigation before all levels of Iraq’s courts – First Instance, Appeal and Cassation – as well as before the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq and the Iraqi High Tribunal. 

Regional law firm Al Tamimi & Co. has offices in Baghdad and Erbil. The firm acts for a variety of clients, including MNCs, Iraqi government contractors and international law firms. Mohammed Norri is a partner and head of the Baghdad office; he has recently worked on franchise and distribution agreements for a well-known U.S. restaurant chain, a well-known mobile phone maker and a Japanese electrical devices company. Jawad Khalaf is a partner head of litigation in Iraq; has advised on medical disputes, including an agreement to supply medicines and medical equipment between a Swiss firm Iraqi Ministry of Health/KIMADIA, and acted on trademark infringement of highly-known companies such as Hitachi, for which he accomplished pioneering results from the Iraqi courts, including seizing counterfeit goods. 

Regional law firm Amereller is known as a go-to firm for transactions in Iraq, where it works in association with Mena Associates. The firm was one of the first to open an office in post-war Iraq, establishing its Baghdad office in 2003; today, it also has offices in Erbil and Basra. Partner Mohammed Al Tamimi in Baghdad heads the litigation team; he also has extensive experience in trademark registration.   

Full-service law firm Hannouche Associates has its office in Erbil, with another in Lebanon. The firm provides legal advisory services to a diverse clientele ranging from large, local and international corporations, to start-up companies, providing pragmatic legal and regulatory advice in order to help anticipating both day-to-day business issues and long-term strategic initiatives. Michel Hannouche brings extensive experience in complex cross-border transactions, all without his eyesight. 

Doha-based JAH & Co. IP has more than 20 years of experience in the Middle East and Africa, advising clients of all sizes, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies on a plethora of IP matters. “Intellectual property is among the most important assets of every enterprise,” says firm CEO Jehad Ali Hasan. “With the globalization of the world economy and commerce, the Middle East and Arab world with its young population and resources contributes significantly towards it.”  

Newton Law Group advises on the full-range of intellectual property, from registration and prosecution to maintenance, licensing and counselling services. Partner Yarob Jumaily is a highly regarded international attorney who focusses on corporate and commercial matters, and on litigation and dispute resolution in Iraq and the Middle East. He has advised a British manpower company with regards to its licensing and operations in southern Iraq. 

Saba & Co. Intellectual Property, also known as Saba IP, offers services in Iraq through its office in Beirut. The firm, as one of the region’s largest IP-focussed practices, handles the gamut of IP matters. The firm’s offices stretch from the Middle East to Central Asia and throughout much of Africa. 

The Sanad Law Group works in association with Eversheds Sutherland from offices in Baghdad. Eversheds’ Middle East managing partner is Tawfiq Tabbaa, who brings expertise in commercial agreements, technology and TMT. Tabbaa, based in Amman, is the founder of the firm’s Iraq office and co-founder of its Jordan office.