Howard Kennedy's Islamic Finance practice offers advice to both investors and financial institutions which require their finance or equity to be provided in a Sharia compliant manner.
Islamic Finance is a niche area. We are experts in catering to the needs of predominantly Middle Eastern and Asian investors and financial institutions who require their funds to be deployed in a Sharia compliant manner.
We are one of the few Islamic Finance practices which offers a fully London-based service offering, ranging from structuring advice to execution.
Our Islamic Finance team provides our clients with a seamless service throughout a transaction, liaising with clients' Sharia scholars as necessary, and taking into account any considerations required to ensure that the transaction is executed in both a tax efficient and a Sharia compliant manner. There are also a number of domestic, mainstream institutions that look to offer Sharia compliant products who also benefit from our advice in this area.
We also work with clients to find solutions where Sharia compliant finance must sit alongside conventional debt. We ensure that this is done in a manner which does not cut across the requirements for the investment or financing to be Sharia compliant.
Typically the most commonly used, and tax efficient structures, are the commodity murabaha structure and the Ijara lease structure. We work with our clients to ensure that not only are the commercial terms reflected in the financing, but that in practical terms, our client is able to meet all components required to implement each structure.
Our Islamic Finance practice sits alongside our Real Estate Finance and Hotel Finance practices. Our depth of expertise in these areas ensures that our clients' interests are taken into account and well-protected in any Sharia compliant products or services which they deliver or participate in. We advise senior financiers, mezzanine financiers, equity investors and intermediaries in this area.
