Haytham Shaaban

My name is Haytham Shaaban; an Egyptian qualified lawyer before the courts of first instance in Egypt with four years’ experience. I am currently working as a Senior Legal Specialist at Paymob Solutions S.A.E “Paymob” which is a fintech SME company in Egypt. I am working remotely for Paymob from Bristol, UK after I joined the country at 1st of August 2023 with five years residency and the right to work.

After graduation, I commenced my legal career as a Staff Attorney at Khalifa and Associates Law Firm_ a boutique arbitration law firm in Egypt_ for four months where I have successfully represented a European state-owned entity in enforcing an arbitral award in Egypt, conducted extensive research in international arbitration, and conducted Arabic-English legal translations. Nevertheless, I left Khalifa due to the obligatory military service which lasts for one year and two months

I joined Ibrachy and Dermarkar Law Firm “I&D” _ one of the top ten Law firms in Egypt_ after completing my military service as an Associate in General Corporate and Banking & Finance team for almost two years and five months. In the meanwhile, I have been chosen to conduct a secondment for one of our top clients which was Mercedes-Benz Egypt S.A.E. “MBEg” where I managed all in-house legal matters, including drafting sales and purchase agreements, collaborating with internal teams, coordinating external legal counsel, overseeing corporate governance, drafting official notices, and maintaining communication with MBEg's global legal and compliance teams. At I&D, I was specialized in general corporate and commercial law, provided comprehensive legal services to multinational corporations and financial institutions in various industries such as Automotive, Pharmaceuticals, Tourism, Aviation, and Catering; such legal services included legal opinions, drafting bilingual (Arabic and English) agreements. 

Furthermore, at the beginning of 2022 I joinedSarie-Eldin & Partners Legal Advisors “SE&P” _one of the top ten Law firms in Egypt_ as an Associate at Capital Market department for only year. I had different and special experience at SE&P; I was leading a group of junior associates and reporting directly to the Senior and Managing Partners; which enhanced my leadership skills significantly. My experience at SE&P included drafting various agreements, advising on the merger and acquisition transitions for number of multi-national companies, and providing legal opinions in different fields of law. 

Nonetheless, I decided to leave SE&P and join Paymob as a Senior Legal Specialist due to the fact that I realized the growth and the importance of the fintech industry not only in Egypt but globally. My role at Paymob makes me responsible for drafting, negotiating agreements, advising internal teams, ensuring legal compliance, resolving complex issues, and overseeing corporate legal policies and matters at Paymob

I graduated from Faculty of Law English Section Cairo University with Very Good with honours, class 2017 and I am currently pursuing my master’s degree in Law and Economics from Faculty of Economics and Political Science (FEPS), Cairo University in collaboration with the Institute of Law and Economics (ILE), Faculty of Law, University of Hamburg in Germany, 2021/2022; also, I was awarded a scholarship to attend the third semester of the Master degree in Hamburg, Germany (August, September 2022) in the framework of the DAAD project: Subject related partnerships with universities in developing countries. Furthermore, I have duly submitted my thesis tilted “Is the European Central Bank Independent?” at June, 2023 and I am waiting for the grades to be announced. 

Prior to embarking on my legal career journey, I distinguished myself as a diligent and dedicated law student, prioritizing deep comprehension over rote memorization. This approach translated into achieving exceptional grades throughout my four years in college, leading to my placement in the top ten ranking on two occasions. This commitment not only fostered my academic success but also laid the foundation for my legal character and career growth. Moreover, active involvement in diverse student activities and participation in simulation models significantly enhanced my interpersonal skills, honed my abilities to work both independently and collaboratively, and greatly expanded my professional network.