Imen Enneifar: Fostering Legal Innovation & Empowering The Tunisian Justice Sector

What does a country need to grow economically and operate with confidence? At the top, a stable and transparent legal system. Like every other country, Tunisia has required legal innovation to address the challenges of a rapidly changing world, including promoting digital sector growth, fostering entrepreneurship, and improving access to justice. With a vision to implement innovative solutions and a commitment to bring transformative change within the Tunisian justice system, Imen Enneifar, Partner and Business Lawyer at ATR is blazing trails by spearheading the pharmaceutical sector. With her 15+ years of cross-border expertise in law and multilingual mastery, she is creating a crucial connection between Tunisia and global investors, and contributing largely to make Tunisia a hub for foreign investment.

Imen’s determination towards her career has been extraordinary. From a very young age, she dreamt of a career in law and has been steadfast in her convictions and unwavering in her actions towards her goal. Fueled by confidence, Imen’s dreams got wings when she decided to take risks, persevere through challenges, and pursue law while believing in her abilities, making her an achiever in various aspects of her life. At ATR, Imen successfully participates in several major restructurings, M&A transactions, legal due diligence, and legal structuring of projects across North Africa.

Let’s hear it from Imen.

What are the key roles and responsibilities that you shoulder at ATR?

At ATR, I majorly contribute to supporting the drafting and revision of policies governing the use of corporate tools, as well as in the drafting of codes of ethics and conduct for international clients for 22 platforms including data protection and business development. I also have significant experience in the pharma sector, currently advising more than 15 international pharma laboratories based in Tunisia. I also help the government regarding access to medicines for patients and help build alliances between international pharma companies in Tunisia, the Tunisian government, and the central pharmacy. I take immense pride in the kind of work I do as I have worked hard to come this far, understand something as complex as the pharma sector, and be recognized as one of the rare lawyers in Tunisia to have this level of legal expertise in pharma.

Having read and learned the English language, I have been able to mitigate some of the major challenges of Tunisia. My multilingual expertise is helping us in building connections with clients globally.

I have worked hard to come this far, understand something as complex as the pharma sector, and be recognized as one of the rare lawyers in tunisia to have this level of legal expertise in pharma

How do you find a perfect balance between your professional and personal life?

Imen (Arabic) in English means faith. As my name suggests, I have always been holding immense faith in my hard work. Faith gives me the resilience to overcome challenges, helping me persevere in each of my roles and maintain a positive outlook. As the Partner and also the Head of the Corporate Department, I get to interact with international clients who come from diverse cultures and business practices. My role here helps me and my team to acquire diverse perspectives and opportunities to boost innovation.

Apart from being a lawyer, you are also a lecturer. How do you manage time to pay equal attention in both roles?

As a lecturer at Carthage Business School, I find happiness in meeting young minds, sparking their curiosity, and making a tangible difference in their lives. Interacting with my students has always been a source of continuous learning for me, constantly exposing me to new perspectives and ideas, thereby enhancing my knowledge.

Keeping aside all my roles in the professional world, my biggest achievement is becoming a mother. I have a 10+ years old son and balancing both my worlds (professional & personal) has not been easy. However, I have always tried to balance both through effective time management and prioritizing tasks, all while embracing the unique challenges and rewards of both roles.

Tell us about your leadership philosophy.

I believe in communicating effectively and connecting with my team or students. My ability to build strong connections with my team and understand their stressful situations have helped me foster a culture of growth and encourage continuous learning and development among my team.

What would be your advice for aspiring women leaders?

You must have unwavering faith in your abilities, skills, and potential. Your belief in yourself is a powerful motivator and can significantly impact your actions and outcomes. When you trust your abilities, you are more likely to take initiative, persevere through difficulties, and ultimately achieve your goal.

Imen Enneifar, Partner & Business Lawyer, ATR

Partner and Lawyer at the Court of Appeal, Head of the Corporate M&A Department, and a Business Law lecturer at Carthage Business School, Imen is supporting the drafting and revision of policies governing the use of corporate tools, as well as in the drafting of codes of ethics and conduct for international clients. She is a data protection expert with concern to data guidance and holds a track record of writing more than 10 articles on data protection legal frameworks in North Africa.