Paul Mercer

Date of Birth:

6th December 1971

Nationality:

British / Bahraini

Education:

• MA Law, Girton College, Cambridge University
• Post graduate diploma in law, College of Law, Chester

Professional:

Practising English law solicitor since 1997

Employment Career:

• Macfarlanes (UK law firm) 1995-1997
• Norton Rose, London (UK law firm) 1997
• Norton Rose, Bahrain (UK law firm) 1997-2000
• Clifford Chance (UK law firm) and the Law Firm of Yousef &
• Mohammed Al Jadaan, Saudi Arabia August 2000 – Dec 2003
• Kuwait Finance House (Bahrain) (Bank) – December 2003 – June 2019

Board Experience:

• Ibdar Bank (Investment bank) (Chairman) – Sept 2011 – April 2016
• MenaTelecom (Telecoms) (Vice Chairman) – April 2012 – Dec 2017
• Turkapital Holding (Investment company) (Chairman) – May 2008 – June 2017
• Motherwell Bridge (Engineering company) (Member) – May 2008 – Apr 2014
• Liquidity Management House (Investment Bank) (Member) – May 2018 – to date

Languages:

English

Experience:

Paul is an English law qualified lawyer with a focus on banking, particularly Islamic finance.
Paul has extensive experience of corporate governance and working as a board director and has used his skills and experience as a director on a number of boards representing the KFH Group.

Paul was the chairman of Bahrain investment bank, Ibdar Bank, and as chairman of the board, he oversaw a three-way bank merger involving Elaf Bank, Capital Management House and Capivest.

Paul accepted an assignment as a “contract expert” for the International Monetary Fund and delivered a seminar to an audience of banking regulators on governance and Islamic banking.

As an Executive Manager at Kuwait Finance House (Bahrain) Paul headed the following departments, Legal, Compliance, Anti Financial Crime, Risk, Operations, IT, Strategic Planning, HR and Credit Administration.

In recent years Paul has been actively engaged on Islamic bank regulation in Bahrain and Kuwait and the implementation of Basel capital and governance requirements.

While working as a lawyer in private practice Paul advised on a full range of legal issues relating to Islamic finance and helped in the preparation of transactional documentation designed to comply with Islamic law.

Whilst in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 2000 – 2003 Paul worked with the Law Firm of Yousef & Mohammed Al Jadaan in co-operation with Clifford Chance and was involved in a number of high-profile project financings.

Throughout his professional legal career Paul has worked on a number of litigious matters. He has advised clients in relation to their disputes and recently has managed a number of litigious matters for Kuwait Finance House (Bahrain), providing strategic legal advice on court and arbitration cases, instructing legal counsel, both within Bahrain and outside Bahrain (specifically the USA and New Zealand) and has advised on a number of disputes. Paul completed the “Mediation in Commercial Disputes” course at the Saudi Center for
Commercial Arbitration.

Paul established Mercer Consultancy W.L.L. as a network of expert consultants with extensive experience across a range of industries with the objective of being a leading GCC based consultancy.

Recommendation:

Whilst working in Saudi Arabia Practical Law Company listed Paul on their website as “recommended” and a “specialist lawyer in Saudi Arabia”.

Whilst working in Saudi Arabia Legal 500 rate Paul as “highly recommended” for banking and
finance work in Saudi Arabia.

Hobbies:

Tennis, swimming, sailing, golf and reading.