1. Introduction

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international non-governmental organization that provides medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. Our teams are made of health professionals, logistic and administrative staff, most of them hired locally. Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality.

2. Background

MSF Lebanon, a branch of MSF International, focuses in its mandate on communication and recruitment in support of the whole MSF Movement. MSF has been operating in Lebanon since 1976 and MSF Lebanon, under its mandate, has been active in Lebanon since 2018.
In the course of its activities and operations, MSF Lebanon requires the support of a qualified law firm or legal services provider (the “Provider”) able to deliver a full and continuous range of legal services across the contract year. The objective of this assignment is to engage a competent Provider to deliver comprehensive legal advice, drafting, representation and related support to MSF Lebanon, ensuring full compliance with Lebanese laws and regulations and protecting the organization’s interests in all its operations in Lebanon.

3. Scope of Services

MSF Lebanon is seeking proposals from qualified providers to deliver the following services. The full description of each service area is set out in Section 3 of the attached Terms of Reference.

•    General legal advisory and consultation: ongoing verbal and written advice on day-to-day operations, employment matters, legal opinions and memoranda, legal research, and regulatory updates, with availability for urgent matters.
•    INGO operations, registration and governance: maintenance of registration with the Ministry of Interior (NGO Department), including change of representative, annual budget and annual filing, governance advice and government relations.
•    Regulatory compliance: advice on compliance with applicable Lebanese laws, monitoring of legal developments, and review and registration of internal regulations at the Ministry of Labour.
•    Contracts and agreements: drafting, review, negotiation and finalization of all types of contracts, including employment, supplier, consultancy, service, purchase and lease agreements, NDAs and MoUs.
•    Employment and labour law: advice on all employment matters, employment contracts, disciplinary and termination documents (Arabic and English), NSSF matters, and support in labour disputes.
•    Intellectual property: advice, protection strategies, and registration of trademarks and copyrights, and action against infringement.
•    Immigration, visas, work permits and residency: full process management for international staff and visitors, NSSF registration or removal of non-Lebanese staff, and liaison with General Security.
•    Dispute resolution and litigation: pre-litigation, mediation and arbitration, representation before all Lebanese courts, pleadings, and enforcement of judgments and awards.
•    Criminal defence: representation in pre-trial proceedings, trials and appeals, and advice on white-collar crime and global sanctions.
•    Specialized corporate and sector advisory (as required): real estate, banking and finance, insurance, taxation and VAT, and data protection and technology.
•    Ongoing support and coordination: regular follow-up meetings (for example quarterly), participation in meetings and negotiations, and regular progress updates.
Services may be requested individually or in combination, on an ongoing or ad-hoc basis, throughout the contract period.
Service modalities:
•    Services will be provided on a retainer basis for ongoing advisory and support, with the possibility of ad-hoc or project-based assignments for specialized or litigation matters, as separately agreed.
•    The Provider will designate a small number of named lawyers as principal points of contact, supported by the wider resources of the firm as required.
•    Deliverables include, as applicable: written legal opinions and memoranda, drafted and reviewed contracts, compliance and registration filings, permit and residency applications, pleadings and court submissions, and periodic activity reporting.
•    The Provider will be available during standard business hours and reachable for urgent matters outside those hours.

Duration: one (1) year, extendable up to a maximum of three (3) years.

4. Proposal Requirements

Bidders must meet the following minimum qualifications:
•    Duly licensed law firm or legal services provider registered with the relevant Bar Association in Lebanon
•    Demonstrated experience advising national and international NGOs/INGOs operating in Lebanon
•    A multidisciplinary team with proven expertise across the areas listed in Section 3, including litigation capability and access to specialized counsel
•    Working proficiency in Arabic and English (French is a plus)
•    Capacity to handle both routine ongoing work and substantial or urgent workloads
Proposals must include a technical proposal and a financial proposal, submitted as separate documents.

Technical proposal:
•    Overview of the firm’s qualifications and relevant experience, in particular with NGOs/INGOs in Lebanon
•    Profiles and CVs of key staff who will deliver the services, including the named lawyers proposed as principal points of contact
•    Organizational structure, including access to specialized counsel
•    Description of how each service area in Section 3 will be delivered, including the proposed service model, availability and response times for urgent matters
•    At least three references from recent or current clients, preferably comparable organizations
•    Proof of registration and good standing with the relevant Bar Association
Financial proposal (pricing): to allow comparison across different commercial models, please indicate, as applicable:
•    An annual or monthly retainer fee covering ongoing advisory and support services, stating clearly which services are included and whether the number of consultations or hours is limited or unlimited
•    Any services excluded from the retainer and offered at additional or project-based fees (for example litigation, arbitration, intellectual property registration, or visa and permit applications), with the corresponding unit rates
•    Applicable hourly rates, where relevant
•    The treatment of taxes (VAT), out-of-pocket expenses, governmental and court fees, and travel costs
•    The currency of the offer, the validity period of the offer, and the proposed payment and invoicing terms

5. Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:
•    Relevant expertise and track record, including experience with NGOs/INGOs and the qualifications of the proposed team
•    Coverage and depth of the services offered against the scope in Section 3
•    Availability, responsiveness and proposed service model
•    Quality of references and professional reputation
•    Cost-effectiveness: financial offer and overall value for money
•    Alignment with organizational needs