Al Ruwayeh & Partners (Asar), a leading corporate law firm in Kuwait and one of the region’s top tier firms, said it has been awarded the prestigious "National Law Firm of the Year Award” - being constituted by the International Financial Law Review (IFLR), a leading financial market guide for financial law firms worldwide - for the eighth consecutive year.

The firm operates across an extensive list of practices including banking and finance, capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, privatisations, corporate and commercial transactions, energy, real estate, restructuring, private equity, shipping,  construction and government projects.

The awards ceremony was held last week at Burj Al Arab hotel, Dubai, which was attended by partners and representatives from other leading GCC and international law firms.

In addition to winning the above award, Asar was also nominated for its role in five other major transactions namely, for debt and equity-linked deal of the year – the Burgan Bank Tier 2 bond issuance, for project finance deal of the year – Orpic Liwa Plastics transaction, 2 nominations under the restructuring deal of the year – the National Industries Euro Sukuk restructuring and the Wataniya Airways restructuring, and for the domestic deal of the year – the National Industries Group bond issuance.

Sam Habbas, the senior partner at Asar, said: "It was a successful evening for the firm at this year’s IFLR Middle East Awards ceremony. We are delighted to have won the highly coveted National Law Firm of the Year Award for 2016 and to also have been nominated in so many other categories."

"We feel that this is a testament to the strength of our position as market leaders in Kuwait and in Bahrain. It is a reflection of our consistent diligence and commitment in providing quality legal services of the highest caliber. Always putting our clients first is a non-negotiable principle of our firm; their success is our success. We intend to keep it that way," he noted.

With dedicated offices in Kuwait and Bahrain coupled with its associated offices and relationships, Asar provides clients across an extensive range of industry sectors with comprehensive legal advice and support for their business activities in Kuwait, Bahrain, across the GCC and beyond.

Ahmed Barakat, the managing partner, said: "The IFLR award and nominations recognise our expertise across a whole range of legal areas and highlight the nature and extent to which we continue to forge ahead in leading the market.  These awards reflect the strength and depth of our practice and the extraordinary efforts of all of our lawyers in Kuwait and in Bahrain.”

The firm has been consistently rated as the leading corporate and commercial law firm in Kuwait by legal guides such as the Chambers Global Guide, International Financial Law Review and the Legal 500.-TradeArabia News Service