Layal Sakr

Layal Sakr

senior partner

Legal Advisory and Human Rights

Layal Sakr is a Senior Partner at Beyond Group, where she serves as a legal advisor and leads the firm's efforts in human rights advocacy. A highly skilled legal expert, Layal has spent more than two decades supporting the public, private, and non-profit sectors by offering strategic legal counsel and guiding the development of policy reform initiatives across the MENA region.

Layal is the Managing Partner of Seeds for Legal Initiatives (NPO), a non-profit organization she co-founded to advocate for marginalized populations. Her work with Seeds focuses on promoting human rights, legal empowerment, and social justice. Layal has spearheaded a wide range of initiatives, from designing advocacy campaigns to drafting legal roadmaps and policy recommendations, all with the aim of strengthening the rule of law and ensuring equality for all.

Throughout her career, Layal has worked closely with a variety of international organizations, including the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) and OXFAM, providing legal expertise on issues such as freedom of speech, gender equality, and LGBTQAI+ rights. Her legal insights have contributed to the development of capacity-building programs and policy frameworks that ensure compliance with international standards, particularly in the areas of human rights, governance, and freedom of association.

In addition to her consulting work, Layal was an instructor at Université La Sagesse in Beirut (2009 - 2019), where she taught courses on civil law, human rights, and political regimes. Her experience in legal education and training has positioned her as a key figure in shaping the next generation of legal professionals dedicated to human rights and public service.

Layal holds a Master’s in Law with a specialization in banking and capital markets from Université Saint Joseph (USJ) in Beirut, where her research focused on financial transactions within the context of Lebanese law. She is also an active member of the Beirut Bar Association and the Yale Arab Association.