Litigation

Introduction

Shalakany provides comprehensive litigation and dispute resolution services to multinational, regional and domestic clients across complex commercial, corporate, financial, tax, employment, insurance and other contentious matters in Egypt. The Firm represents clients throughout the Egyptian court system, including proceedings before the Courts of First Instance, Courts of Appeal, Administrative Courts and the Court of Cassation, and manages substantial portfolios of ongoing disputes for corporate clients. Our experience includes sophisticated, high-value litigation, with the Firm’s credentials recording more than 400 financial litigation matters and disputes involving claims reaching as high as USD 154 billion. We combine courtroom representation with strategic, commercially focused advice to manage disputes from their earliest stages through appeals and final resolution.

Shalakany has the largest corporate litigation department in Egypt and handles the most corporate cases on an annual basis than any other firm in Egypt. Shalakany prides itself on its litigation portfolio management capabilities and the Firm’s selling point is that it is able to handle large portfolios of diverse cases for large corporate clients in a manner which is high in quality but also cost efficient. To this end Shalakany has in place internal systems which automate and distribute litigation cases across Egypt in order to ensure proper litigation services for the client.

Shalakany’s portfolio management department consists of 33 litigation specialists each specialized in a separate field of corporate litigation. Our litigation specialists are supported by several crucial and essential litigation support employees at the firm.

Shalakany has the largest number of paralegals in Egypt at any firm with a large team ofparalegals who support our litigation specialists in following up and obtaining ‘on the ground’ information from courts all across Egypt’s 27 governorates. Shalakany’s paralegal department is well experienced in dealing with the various needs of corporate clients including dealing with the courts, government entities, GAFI, Industrial Zone Authorities, the Egyptian Tax Authority, Customs Authorities etc..

Shalakany is also proud to have a large team of litigation administrative assistants who are trained in assisting the litigation department in managing and organizing the Firm’s large number of cases as well as filing reports and updating the Firm’s database and clients.

In order to share and distribute the Firm’s substantial knowledge and experience in litigation the litigation department meets on a weekly basis to discuss particularly complex cases and recent precedents issued by the Egyptian courts. Furthermore, our litigation specialists have access to a large electronic legal library, internal reports and opinions, and several precedent databases to assist them in preparing for their written and oral pleadings.

Lastly, to ensure seamless communication between the Client and the Firm communication occurs mainly through a dedicated Client Relationship Manager who is updated on a weekly basis of developments in the Client’s various cases and is available to answer any of the Client’s queries. Shalakany’s online systems, billing and administrative department also ensures that invoicing is done in a clear manner even for large portfolios with hundreds of cases. Shalakany’s IT system also allows Clients to access Shalakany’s internal litigation reports for that Client via the Firm’s tailored reporting system.

Major Cases

Representing Google LLC, Alphabet and Google Egypt LLC in proceedings concerning alleged breaches of Egyptian laws relating to artificial intelligence applications, with approximately USD 154 billion in compensation sought. Shalakany secured a favorable judgment from the Cairo Economic Court in August 2025 and continues to represent the clients before the Court of Cassation.
Represented Global Telecom Holding (formerly Orascom Telecom Holding) in significant tax and shareholder claims totaling approximately EGP 4 billion.
Represented Misr Insurance Company against the National Bank of Egypt in Egyptian litigation involving claims of approximately EGP 3 billion.
Successfully assisted Abu Dhabi Airports Company in proceedings before the Abu Dhabi courts concerning an Assignment of Rights Agreement arising from construction works on the new terminal building at Abu Dhabi International Airport, with approximately AED 2.6 billion in dispute.
Acted as co-counsel alongside White & Case and Galadari in two applications for payment orders totaling approximately AED 2.3 billion. The team secured orders for the full amount and subsequently prevailed in the appeal and cassation proceedings.
Acted as co-counsel alongside White & Case and Galadari in proceedings seeking nullification of a provisional arbitral award concerning an Abu Dhabi airport construction project, with approximately AED 2.3 billion in dispute. The team secured favorable outcomes before both the Abu Dhabi appellate and cassation courts.
Successfully represented Abu Dhabi Airports Company in litigation concerning provisional arbitral measures and the liquidation of unconditional on-demand bonds, ultimately securing final rulings confirming the client's entitlement to liquidate the bonds with a total value of AED 1.2 billion.
Acted in two major Egyptian antitrust cases concerning beIN Media Group, involving a maximum potential fine of approximately EGP 600 million.
Successfully represented a major regional real estate developer in proceedings concerning the nullity of an ICC award arising from four construction agreements. Following victories in the underlying ICC arbitration and four related court cases, Shalakany secured the rejection of the nullity action before the Cairo Court of Appeal, leaving the client a net creditor of approximately EGP 305 million plus annual interest.
Representing Ajinomoto Foods Egypt S.A.E. in litigation arising from an adverse judgment issued in absentia for approximately EGP 110 million plus interest, including proceedings seeking annulment of the judgment and lifting an attachment imposed against the client's Egyptian bank account.
Representing Sumitomo and SE Wiring Systems Egypt S.A.E. in criminal investigations and proceedings relating to alleged embezzlement and forgery, together with related civil and labour disputes, involving claims of approximately EUR 8 million.