Joseph Yazbeck

Managing Partner
Corporate Structuring & Mergers & Acquisitions, Tax Law, AI & Technology

Skilled, avant-garde lawyer with over 25 years’ experience in law and business. Equipped with a natural talent for law, leadership skills and global experience with long-term insight and modern-day awareness. Expert at combining legal knowledge with ethics, with a modernized vision, to offer best practices in both local and globalized settings. Member of the Beirut Bar Association since 1998. Fluent in English, Arabic and French. 

Proficient in software development with adeptness in utilizing Microsoft Office Suite, online applications and platforms, File Maker, Photoshop, as well as audio and video editing programs such as Sound Forge, Vegas, and Premiere.

Skilled in the fields of musical composition and conducting.

Education:

• Master in Private Law (M2)
  Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon 
  
• Master of Business Administration (with emphasis on Finance)
  American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
  
• Bachelor in Law
  Université Saint Joseph, Beirut, Lebanon

Areas of Expertise:

• Legal Solutions
• Legal Structuring
• Contracts
• Business Skills
• Legal Research
• Legislative Reform
• Legal Digital Transformation
• Legal-tech 
• Creative Thinking
• Training and Coaching

Professional Experience:

Began as lawyer before making managing partner. Advised local and international clients on all aspects of corporate, private equity, structuring, administrative law, real estate law, labor law, personal status law, criminal and international law. Participated in multiple legislative reform projects and offered legal consultations to the Participatory Supervising Ministerial Committee established by the Lebanese Council of Ministers (2020/2021).

Since taking over, Joseph established branches in UAE and Estonia and joined a network of legal and corporate affiliates across the world making it possible for the firm to offer its services to a large clientele base in multiple geographical locations. Some of Joseph’s career highlights include:

• Corporate and M&A
• Legislation and International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs):
  Advised Governments and INGOs on projects and agreements, as well as legislative efforts aimed at developing the legislative environments in countries of operation or interest. Examples of Joseph’s experience with teams of YAZCONSULT:
  • Environmental Laws: Led the team responsible for drafting amendments to Lebanese environmental law addressing issues related to batteries and associated waste on behalf of Arcenciel.
    Advised the Participatory Supervising Committee established by the Lebanese Council of Ministers to resolve issues related to cement companies operating in Lebanon.
  • Human Rights: Led and drafted reports for roundtable discussions concerning Foreign Workers’ rights organized by Caritas.
    Has been shortlisted by UNFPA to develop an online tracking/monitoring tool/programme in the context of Law No.205/2020 (ongoing).
  • Criminal Laws: Managed a team from YAZCONSULT supporting the Head of Research Department in drafting the UNICEF suggested amendments to the Lebanese Juvenile Law.
  • Gender Laws: Supervised YAZCONSULT’s team in drafting the report on legislative gender discrimination on behalf of the National Commission for Lebanese Women.
  • Corporate Laws: Drafted suggested amendments to the code of commerce within the frame of the LCGTF in the light of Corporate Governance best practices. (Lebanese Corporate Governance Tasks Force).
  • Government & Municipalities: Advised the Lebanese Government and Beirut Municipality on legal matters and led special governmental commissions.
  • INGOs: Provided legal and administrative support to local and international NGOs, including advising Insan, a Lebanese Association, during its regional expansion into the GCC and Europe, and assisting Tearfund, an international association based in the UK, with its setup and operations in the Middle East.
• Information Technology (IT):
  Advised IT Companies and Digital Incubators, and supported Etisalat (UAE) in its Digital Transformation project delivered to the UAE Ministry of Justice within the frame of the UAE Digital Government Strategy 2025 through preparing SOP on the actual work flow in all departments of the MoJ, discussing the enhancement of these services in workshops with representatives of the departments, and conducting a matrix comparison and benchmarking study on similar projects in different countries (2023).   
• Finance and Taxation
• Litigation and Arbitration 
• Real Estate
• Strategic Projects
• Legal Training
  Heads the Training Department: conducts workshops and training sessions for legal experts covering various legal areas and topics.