LPA-CGR avocats strengthens Its Africa Practice with the arrival of Lazhar Sahbani as partner

Paris, September 8, 2023

LPA-CGR avocats reaffirms its commitment to strengthening its expertise dedicated to the African continent by welcoming Lazhar Sahbani as a partner

With a presence on the African continent for over fifteen years, in Algeria and Morocco, and later in Cameroon, allowing the firm to offer expertise in African law, LPA-CGR avocats provides a unique cross-disciplinary offering in private and public business law.

With its multidisciplinary and multicultural teams, the firm’s Africa practice, comprising professionals based in Africa and Paris-based teams dedicated to the continent, includes nearly forty lawyers and legal advisors, including a dozen partners. They assist European, African, and international clients in establishing and developing their activities on the African continent, as well as in investment, partnership, and financing transactions.

As a partner in the Paris office, Lazhar Sahbani is a lawyer who advises clients on the tax and legal aspects of investment operations. He has developed advanced expertise in cross-border tax assistance, international taxation, tax structuring, and tax litigation. He works in the Maghreb region, particularly in Algeria, and will also be tasked with strengthening the Middle East – North Africa (MENA) strategic focus in collaboration with our Dubai office.

Lazhar Sahbani commented: “I am very pleased to join LPA-CGR avocats to support the firm’s development in the Maghreb and the Middle East. In addition to expanding the firm’s legal and tax offering, we have identified numerous synergies with other teams. The firm’s strong local presence over the years and their in-depth understanding of client issues have impressed me.”

Samir Sayah, partner and Head of the Africa practice, commented: “Our expertise in Africa is both longstanding and deeply rooted. It relies on skills and individuals with a decidedly African professional profile. I have been working alongside Lazhar for over a decade, and it is with great pride and genuine pleasure that I welcome him to our team dedicated to development in the North Africa and Middle East region. Lazhar is an iconic figure in Maghreb law, and his expertise strengthens our project.”

Frédéric Bailly, partner and President of the firm, added: “Following the arrivals of Samir Sayah and Marc Veuillot in 2022, Lazhar Sahbani’s arrival is another key step in our commitment to strengthening our Africa practice, a strategic focus for the firm. His legal and tax expertise and strong connections with the Maghreb, France, and the Middle East enrich our service offering and strengthen our position as the leading French firm for clients operating on the African continent and for our African counterparts.”

With this addition, LPA-CGR avocats’ Paris office now counts 42 partners.

Biographical Information

Lazhar Sahbani is a member of the Hauts de Seine Bar.

With over 22 years of experience in international law firms (Partner at PwC Société d’avocats since 2014 and previously Senior Tax Manager at EY in Paris and Algiers from 2007 to 2011) and major corporations (Tax Manager at Total and Tereos, followed by North Africa Tax Director at Schlumberger), Lazhar Sahbani is known for his commitment, teamwork, interpersonal skills, agility, and strong connections with the Maghreb, France, and the Middle East.

He holds degrees from ENI (Clermont-Ferrand), DESS 221 (Paris IX-Dauphine), ENA (Tunis), and HEC Tunis Carthage. Fluent in French, English, and Arabic, Lazhar regularly teaches and publishes articles, including in Oxford Business Group Algeria and for the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation (IBFD) Algeria.