EXPERTISE
Arbitration and Litigation
The Firm possesses extensive experience in arbitration law and practice and has worked on several commercial arbitrations for domestic and foreign clients. The Firm manages the full range of arbitration services, including pre-arbitration planning, arbitration, filing of awards, and post-award proceedings in the Courts. The Firm’s attorneys have represented numerous clients; in more than 500 cases before the Supreme Court of Pakistan, in more than 800 cases before various High Courts, and in more than 2000 cases before lower courts, tribunals, and various forums.
Banking and Finance
The Firm has been rendering legal services to commercial and investment banks, NBFCs, and mutual funds, including review and drafting of credit & security agreements, syndicated & consortium financing documents, investment agreements, guarantees, undertakings and debt instruments, legal audits, due diligence on immovable properties, mortgages, and pre-mortgage matters. The Firm’s attorneys have advised on acquiring and resolving non-performing loan portfolios of the banking sector of Rs.100 billion and facilitated the revival of distressed industries. They carried out due diligence on over 700 cases of non-performing loans & sick industrial units, negotiated the acquisition of almost 250 such cases for liquidation, and facilitated the restructuring & rescheduling of many loan default cases. The Firm has been actively involved in banking litigation in all Courts in Islamabad and Lahore and has represented several financial institutions.
Business Organisations & Arrangements
The Firm has rendered services on structuring and restructuring companies, partnerships, trusts, societies, statutory authorities, and public-sector enterprises (PSEs). The Firm’s attorneys have rendered classified services on re-organizing and restructuring PSEs. The Firm has mainly worked in the areas of inter-state organizations, joint investment companies, multi-lateral institutions, and multi-national companies.
Companies, Contracts & Commercial
The Firm’s attorneys have long worked for corporate and commercial entities, businesses, and international institutions. They have developed specialized skills to carry out transactional work of all kinds and are proficient in structuring, reviewing, and strategizing their clients’ business deals, plans, and operations. The Firm specializes in reviewing and drafting agreements, deeds, and instruments, including joint venture agreements, concession agreements, commercial leases & franchises, shareholders agreements, asset & business acquisition deeds, and technology development agreements. The Firm possesses solid experience in securitization and IPO transactions.
Foreign Direct Investment
The Firm has advised several foreign companies on foreign direct investment in Pakistan’s commercial, industrial, and real estate sectors. The Firm’s attorneys have mainly handled investment approvals, competition analysis, foreign exchange controls, local business incorporation or registration, the joint venture with local investors and entrepreneurs, and royalty and technical service agreements. The Firm mainly renders legal services to foreign investors to set up liaison and branch offices and subsidiary companies to undertake commercial activities in Pakistan.
Intellectual Property
The Firm offers a complete range of legal services for registering, protecting, and dealing with trademarks and copyrights. These services include searches at the IP Registry, preparing and filing IP registration requests, defending IP requests before the IPO, challenging violations of registered IP rights, and renewals and cancellations. The Firm’s IP resources include a team of highly trained lawyers and experts with rich experience in IP laws and practices in Pakistan. The Firm’s attorneys and experts represent clients before the Intellectual Property Organisation of Pakistan at its offices in Islamabad and Lahore and before the Courts of law.
Legislative and Regulatory Reforms
The Firm’s attorneys have extensive experience providing legislative drafting consultancy to the Government, statutory entities, regulatory authorities, and development and international financial institutions on legal and regulatory reforms, including legislative review and drafting. The Firm’s legislative work includes subjects such as anti-money laundering, corporate rehabilitation, corporate restructuring companies, credit bureaus, deposit guarantee fund, securities, futures trading, demutualization, real estate investment trust, private equity and venture capital, arbitration, intermediated securities, modarabas, companies, biological and toxin weapons convention implementation, gas utility companies, Securities and Exchange Commission, takaful, Institute of Chartered Accountants, mutual legal assistance, taxation, healthcare services, human development, netting of finance contracts, national savings, take-overs, and petroleum levy.
Oil and Gas
The Firm advises domestic and international oil & gas companies on all aspects of the oil and gas supply chain, including upstream (exploration and production), midstream (storage and transportation), and downstream (fuels and lubricants, marketing and refining, retail, and chemicals). The Firm advises clients on transactions relating to project development, M&A (both public and private), funding (equity, debt, and Islamic financing), and litigation and arbitration. The Firm is the leading practice to advise on the LNG integrated and unbundled projects under the LNG policy and law. The Firm has lately done extensive work on gas market reforms, including regulatory framework reform and licensing regime for gas transportation and marketing activities.
Private Power
The Firm’s attorneys have represented sponsors and lenders in energy and power projects and have significant experience in negotiating, drafting, and reviewing energy-related agreements, including implementation agreements, power purchase agreements, fuel supply agreements, EPC contracts, equipment supply contracts, loan & security documentation, and shareholders agreements. The Firm deals at all regulatory and administrative levels concerning private power and energy companies, including National Electric Power Regulatory Authority, Private Power and Infrastructure Board, National Transmission and Dispatch Company Limited, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority, fuel suppliers, and other relevant agencies. The Firm’s attorneys have been carrying out assignments on alternative energy such as wind, solar, and coal power and possess the rare experience of advising on LNG projects in Pakistan.
Privatisation and Disinvestment
The Firm offers a wide range of privatization services for parties interested in bidding for projects offered for sale by the Privatization Commission of Pakistan, including preparation of bidding documents, financial structuring of bids, and consultancy involving the privatization process and post-bidding procedural requirements. The Firm advises on all types of disinvestment transactions, including initial public offering (IPO); further public offering (FPO); private offer for sale or public auction by promoters; and strategic sale of a substantial portion of the government shareholding. The Firm has also advised Privatisation Commission on privatizing 32 state-owned properties.
Property & Real Estate Development
The Firm has vast experience in real estate development and regulatory regime. The Firm’s Managing Partner reminded the Senior Legal Adviser of the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), a development authority established under The Lahore Development Authority Act, 1975. LDA, inter alia, establishes and regulates housing and industrial developments in Lahore. The Firm is advising the significant players in the development of housing schemes, including Defence Housing Authority Lahore (DHA), Lahore Smart City, Meraj Housing Scheme Sialkot, Urban Developers (Private) Limited, and Central Park (Private) Limited. The Firm also advises commercial complex/ multistorey developers, including Amanah Estate (Private) Limited and Amanah Noor Residences.
Regulatory Affairs
The Firm provides specialized consultancy services on the regulation of banking, companies, securities, energy, telecommunication, and petroleum. The Firm offers a complete range of services in regulatory matters concerning capital and debt markets, modarabas, financial institutions, mutual funds, and telecom entities, ranging from advice on the pre-license phase to implementation and rollout phases. The Firm has done extensive work on competition issues and pre-merger appraisals. The Firm’s attorneys have a thorough understanding and extensive experience in capital markets. They have advised the Government of Pakistan and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan on developing the regulatory framework of capital markets and working on stock exchanges. The Firm’s attorneys have worked on various capital-market transactions, including GDRs, IPOs, TFCs, securities listing, portfolio investments, prospectus preparation, and obtaining regulatory approvals.
Telecommunication
The Firm’s attorneys have industry and government experience, giving them significant insight into how clients can best meet their strategic goals. The Firm’s expertise in the telecommunication industry includes (a) financing for telecommunication ventures; (b) structuring mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures for telecom companies; (c) regulatory counseling and developing solutions; (d) obtaining remedies in Courts of law and regulatory authorities; (e) competition analysis; (f) technology outsourcing and service level arrangements; and (g) content licensing, acquisition, and distribution. Notable Clients include Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Space Telecom (Private) Limited.
FinTech
The Firm’s attorneys draw on vast experience across the financial and technological spectrum in helping fintech-focused clients innovate, invest and grow. The Firm deeply understands the relevant technology and regulatory landscape and possesses a broad fintech skillset. Notable Clients include Karandaaz Pakistan and YAP Pakistan (Private) Limited.