Alem & Associates has been actively involved in law reform in Lebanon and other Middle Eastern countries. Our counsels are part of various governmental and parliamentary work groups dedicated to study, research, propose and draft new laws, regulations and policies to adapt emerging country's laws to the process of evolution undertaken in the rest of the world.

With the upcoming of new technologies, changing thus the way business is conducted, with the establishment of rules and regulations governing international trade and opening markets, and with the introduction of regional and international partnership agreements bringing different countries closer to each other, law reform practice has been and shall be in the center of government's interests and long term strategies.

Because of our strong commitment and outstanding global knowledge of legal developments, our lawyers are invited on a regular bases to discuss, plan, draft and establish new laws and policies through the Middle East.

For example, we have been invited by the Lebanese Ministry of Economy and Trade to join the Committee for the Drafting of the Law on Electronic Signature. In the said committee our lawyers were entrusted the duty to conduct a thorough research on the international practice, while taking into consideration Lebanon's legal system, and propose a draft law in this respect. Such draft was proposed and agreed by the Lebanese government and is currently awaiting enactment after review from several parliamentary committees.

Other law making efforts by our Practice Group include:

• Assisted the Lebanese Government on the drafting of Electronic Signature Law, by invitation of the Lebanese Ministry of Economy and Trade (as members of the Committee created for such purposes). Such draft was proposed and agreed by the Lebanese government and is currently awaiting enactment after review from several parliamentary committees.

• Assisted the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) - Lebanese Committee on Intellectual Property on drafting the Guidelines for the Lebanese Domain Name System and Registrar.

• Assisted the Lebanese Central Bank Committee of Banking Information Technologies (COBIT) on drafting Regulations related to Online Banking.

• Assisted the Lebanese Central Bank Committee of Banking Information Technologies (COBIT) on drafting Laws and Regulations on Data Privacy.

• Assisted the Licensing Executive Society - Arab Countries (LES) on preparing a Model Law on Transfer of Technology for the Arab countries.

• Assisted the Lebanese Ministry of Justice on preparing amendments to the Lebanese Arbitration Law.

• Assisting the Lebanese Ministry of Economy and Trade on issues related to e-commerce (electronic signatures, data privacy, electronic contracts, consumer protection, etc) as members of the Legal Advisory Committee on charge of drafting an E-commerce Basket of Laws under a Financing Agreement for the Investment Planning Programme (IPP) between the European Union and the Lebanese Government.