Atty. Rany Sader
President
SADER Rany (Beirut – 1974) (Beirut, Lebanon, 1974) Lebanese lawyer, intellectual property specialist, and legal innovation leader; fifth-generation member of the SADER family Rany completed his legal studies in Lebanon, obtaining a Bachelor of Law from Université La Sagesse (1996) and a Master’s degree in Private Law (LL.M.) from the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (2008–2009), with a thesis focused on publishing agreements and multimedia. He later pursued executive education in leadership, negotiation, and legal innovation, including programs at Harvard Law School, Georges Washington University, and Northwestern University. He was admitted to the Beirut Bar Association in 1996 and began his professional career as an attorney specializing in intellectual property, entertainment, media, and business law, advising regional and international clients on IP, brand protection, copyright, and regulatory strategy. In 1996, Rany Sader joined SADER Legal, marking the entry of the fifth generation into the institution. His arrival coincided with a structural shift in the legal publishing industry, as legal knowledge began transitioning from print to digital formats. He progressively assumed leadership roles within the group, notably restructuring and presiding over the SADER Law Research Center (est. 1921), and contributing to the transformation of SADER into a regional legal knowledge and innovation platform operating across publishing, legal data, and technology. As of 1997 onward, Rany led the expansion of SADER from a traditional publishing house into a multidimensional legal knowledge ecosystem, combining legal content, digital infrastructure, and innovation. In parallel to his role within SADER, he co-founded SADER & Associates (Advocates & Legal Consultants), where he served as Managing Partner for over 20 years, contributing to the development of one of Lebanon’s and the region’s leading intellectual property law firms, advising multinational corporations and high-profile clients across sectors including pharmaceuticals, technology, FMCG, luxury, fashion, telecommunications and media. While maintaining this legal practice, his work increasingly focused on legal infrastructure and large-scale projects, including: Development of one of the first digitized legal corpora in Lebanon (2000) Leadership of the UAE legal compendium (2001–2004), among the first structured legal databases in the Gulf Launch of bilingual and multilingual legal platforms and legal portals across Lebanon, UAE, and Kuwait Contribution to the development of legal databases, court automation systems, comparative law solutions and official gazette digitization projects in collaboration with ministries and public institutions He also led the creation of major legal publishing series, including SADER Annotated Codes and the SADER Cassation Series, which became reference tools for legal practitioners in the region. From the mid-2010s onward, Sader’s work shifted toward legal innovation and structured legal data, focusing on multilingual legal taxonomies, AI-ready legal content, and the integration of technology into legal knowledge systems. This trajectory culminated in the development of advanced initiatives combining law and artificial intelligence, including AI-native legal platforms and regional programs dedicated to legal transformation. Sader’s professional trajectory evolved within a context marked by regional instability, economic disruption, and institutional fragmentation. These conditions accelerated the need for accessible, reliable, and structured legal knowledge. His work contributed to addressing these challenges through the digitization of legal systems, the development of interoperable legal databases, and the modernization of legal content delivery across multiple jurisdictions. Sader has held leadership and advisory roles in several regional and international organizations related to intellectual property, brand protection, and legal development. He has been actively involved in legal forums and initiatives addressing the future of law, intellectual property enforcement, and legal innovation, and is regularly invited to speak at conferences across the Middle East and internationally.egularly invited to speak at conferences across the Middle East and internationally.
Pr. Rosy Sader
Board Member
Judge at Court of Accounts in Lebanon
Pr. Nidal al-Chaer
Board Member
Nidal El Chaer is a distinguished Lebanese jurist, legal scholar, and academic with more than two decades of experience in the judiciary, legal research, and higher education. He currently serves as Assistant Military Prosecutor before the Lebanese Military Court and as a Professor of Law at La Sagesse University and the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik. Dr. El Chaer holds a Ph.D. in Private Law and Criminal Science from the University of Poitiers, France, and has developed recognized expertise in criminal law, cybercrime, judicial reform, and digital evidence. An author and legal researcher, he has participated in numerous international programs and professional engagements with institutions including the Council of Europe, Europol, the USPTO, and the École Nationale de la Magistrature.
Atty. Patricia Seaiby
Board Member
Partner & Head of Conflict and Dispute Resolution at SADER & Associates Patricia J. Seiaby has been with SADER and Associates from its inception, having joined in 2003 as a specialist in IP Litigation, Criminal Law and Commercial Law. She is currently leading the Conflict and Dispute Resolution Department at SADER and Associates and her main focus is on Intellectual Property related cases and representing multinationals in a variety of IP disputes. Patricia also has a wide experience in serving as a legal consultant, where she advices municipalities on different administrative and civil matters. In 2019, Patricia joined the International Trademark Associations INTA's Panel of Trademark Mediators (PTM) as her expertise in the field highly qualify. In 2016, upon the completion of her professional Mediation training from the Lebanese Association for Mediation and Conciliation (LAMAC), Patricia has been serving as a Certified Mediator, emphasizing on IP Dispute Resolution. Her thesis which entitles: Mediation in Intellectual Property with an emphasis on the commercial world's interest in the field, portrays her passion and skills in IP. In 2014, Patricia earned a certificate from Expert Training on Professional Ethics and Disciplinary Proceedings for Defense at the International Criminal Tribunal Court in The Hague, organized for lawyers specialized in Criminal Law, Human Rights and International Law. Furthermore, she has received a letter from the Beirut Bar Association in 2001, in partnership with the Beirut Bar Association for her successful work in numerous Pro Bono cases. Along with her distinct work, Patricia has participated as research and co-author in many Legal publishing projects such as: The Legal Opinions of the Legislative and Consultation Body of the Lebanese Ministry of Justice-in Arabic:
General (Ret.) Sami El Khoury
Board Member
Distinguished Legal Strategist and Researcher with specialized expertise in Legal Technology. Former Judge at the Military Supreme Court in Beirut, bringing extensive judicial and strategic experience. Author of multiple acclaimed legal books and scholarly publications.
Charles Hayek
Board Member
A historian and researcher specialising in public history, he works to make history more accessible to the public through educational and cultural initiatives. He has served as Curator of the SADER Legal Archive since 2024, and has experience in developing projects that promote historical awareness and identity-building.
Joseph Sader
Board Member
Joseph Rany Sader (Zalka/ Lebanon – 2002) Legal researcher and legal data specialist; sixth-generation member of the SADER family. Joseph Rany Sader is a legal data specialist and sixth-generation member of the SADER family. He holds an LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law from the University of Edinburgh with Distinction (A2 mark) and wrote his dissertation on the EU sui generis database right. His work supports SADER’s digital platforms and operations, with a focus on legal data architecture and governance, multilingual legal content creation and editing, and the design of legal information platforms. He also works on emerging applications of AI at SADER and across the wider legal field as it undergoes significant digital transformation. His profile reflects an early specialization at the intersection of law, data, and technology, aligning with SADER’s transition toward AI-enabled legal knowledge infrastructure and the development of scalable legal knowledge systems that reshape how people interact with legal information.
Maria Elissa Sader
Board Member
Maria Elissa Sader is an IP legal counsel based in Dubai, UAE. Current Role: Serves as IP Legal Counsel at Hermès, managing intellectual property legal affairs across the Middle East. Professional Status: Trainee lawyer registered with the Beirut Bar Association (BBA). Law Firm Affiliation: Associated with SADER & Associates, specializing in commercial and intellectual property law. Education & Languages: Holds a Master 2 (M2) in Applied Intellectual Property Law (Droit de la propriété intellectuelle appliquée) from Université Paris-Est Créteil