The Legal 500

Haidermota & Co’s team is spread across the firm’s Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad offices. It advises on capital restructuring, divestment, bifurcations and amalgamations, mergers and demergers, takeovers and acquisitions. It recently represented Singapore Telecommunications Ltd in its $700m acquisition of a 30% equity stake in Waird Telecom (Private) Ltd. Karachi-based Khozem Haidermota is recommended, as is Mohammad Anwer. Umar Shereef heads the Lahore arm of the team.

Orr, Dignam & Co focuses on project finance and the power and energy, pharmaceuticals and telecommunications sectors. It represents blue-chip clients in major domestic M&A transactions, recently advising on Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s acquisitions by Pfizer Inc and GlaxoSmithKline, respectively. Senior partner Maudood A Khan is recommended for transactional work. Aliya Yusuf and Asim Nasim are recommended for pure M&A work.

The ‘very sophisticated’ team at Vellani & Vellani advises clients from a broad range of sectors on corporate restructuring, tender offers, mergers and acquisitions, and divestments. The firm’s partners also represent shareholder’s interests as directors on the boards of Pakistan subsidiary companies. Badaruddin F Vellani is recommended. Ameen Vellani is another key contact.

Chima & Ibrahim advises an impressive roster of foreign clients on corporate transactions and concomitant regulatory approvals, particularly those involving foreign investment in Pakistan. It advised Maybank in its $1bn acquisition of a stake in MCB Bank Ltd, as well as Philip Morris in its $350m acquisition of a majority shareholder interest in Lakson Tobacco Company Ltd.Salman Chima and Khalid Ibrahim are recommended.

Cornelius, Lane & Mufti’s well-respected team advises its national and international client base on contractual issues, contentious matters, joint ventures and concession agreements, as well as M&A. Clients have included ICI, now part of the ExxonMobil group. Afzal Mufti, Munawar-us-Salam and Salman Aslam Butt are recommended.

Kabraji & Talibuddin acts for domestic and international companies on a variety of corporate matters, including Pakistan law aspects of M&A transactions. It recently advised Schering-Plough Corporation on its merger with Merck & Co. Kairas Kabraji is recommended.

Khan & Associates focuses on contentious and non-contentious corporate and commercial work. It recently advised Etisalat Pakistan on its exercise of an option to purchase 25% of A-shares in Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd at an aggregate value of approximately $2.6bn, granting management control to Etisalat; and continues to advise Etisalat on the residual issues surrounding the transfer of over 3,000 real estate assets by the Pakistan government. Mansoor Khan is recommended.

Mohsin Tayebaly & Co acts on both the buy-side and sell-side of transactions, and is currently involved in the corporate restructuring of Gulistan Group. It also acted as legal counsel for the Pakistan government in the incorporation and setting up of Sindh Bank Limited. Irfan Tayebaly heads the group.

Rizvi, Isa, Afridi & Angell’s team of ‘extremely professional’ corporate lawyers advise national and multinational clients on the gamut of corporate law issues for companies operating in Pakistan. In the realm of M&A, it is currently advising Makro-Habib on the first merger/demerger arrangement between two major cash-and-carry businesses. It is also advising on a complex merger scheme between two leading global oilfield service companies. Ahsan Rizvi and Omer Soomro are recommended. Associate Mayhar Kazi is ‘stellar’.

Abraham & Sarwana advises major IT clients on transactional and commercial matters. It has also previously advised Pakistan International Airlines. Farooq Abdullah is the primary contact.

Hassan & Hassan (Advocates)’ corporate and commercial practice casts a broad net, advising on competition, regulatory and securities matters, M&A, joint ventures and environmental issues. It recently advised on the transfer of a corporate shareholding to an affiliate company. Clients include Continental, Soza Group and ZTBL. Parvez Hassan and Mehr Saleem are recommended.

Liaquat Merchant Associates provides ‘prompt, professional, and practical advice’ on a wide range of corporate and M&A matters both locally and internationally. It has recently advised on the incorporation and registration of an SPV, anti-trust issues in respect of share acquisition, and novation agreements. Current clients include National Bank of Pakistan. Senior partner Liaquat Merchant is recommended. He and partner Darakhshan Vohra co-head the team.

Mandviwalla & Zafar advises domestic and international clients on takeovers and tender offers, demergers, divestments and auctions. It has acted in the mergers and acquisitions of insurance companies, banks and other financial institutions, and recently acted for GlaxoSmithKline in various merger transactions. Mehmood Mandviwalla is recommended.

The ‘top-notch’ team at Mujtaba Jamal Law Associates advises government companies on agreements with foreign local governments, and recently acted for a US media company in its acquisition of a 25% share of a publicly traded Pakistan company. It also advised several multinational companies on Pakistan corporate governance and regulatory framework issues. Mujtaba Jamal is ‘an experienced attorney with sound business acumen’. Jamal Mamdot has retired from the partnership.

Akhund Forbes is advising JS Private Equity in two transactions for the acquisition of minority stakes in pharmaceutical manufacturers and in its proposed full acquisition of a private subsidiary of an international conglomerate. It is also advising on the merger of Arif Habib Investments Limited and MCB Asset Management Company. Rabel Akhund and Rizwan Akhund are the names to note.

Amhurst Brown is known for its particular expertise in the energy sector. It is currently acting for a major multinational integrated oil company in the divestment of assets held in Pakistan worth $775m. Javaid Akhtar is the key contact.

Bhandari, Naqvi and Riaz’s team has ‘great depth in industry and legal knowledge, and business acumen’. It advises on corporate and commercial matters with an international element. It was recently engaged by a major international law firm to investigate potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by the Pakistan Subsidiary of a multinational firm. Other clients include the Competitiveness Support Fund. Feisal Naqvi and Iftikharuddin Riaz are ‘outstanding’.

Ebrahim Hosain is new to the table. It advises on a variety of corporate matters, including restructuring and M&A. It recently acted for a buyer in a $75m acquisition of a Pakistan company. Lahore-based Ahmad Hosain and Zaki Rahman are ‘exemplary’.

Known for its IP work, Irfan & Irfan Attorneys at Law is new to the table. It provides a ‘very professional, competent, and client-oriented’ service and has recently advised international companies on competition law aspects of setting up liaison offices in Pakistan. Hasan Irfan Khan is ‘an outstanding lawyer with a high level of business acumen’. Associate Mueen Qamar is also recommended for his ‘professionalism and technical skill’.

Sattar & Sattar provides corporate and commercial services to domestic and international clients with a particular expertise in matters relating to company formation in Pakistan. Ijaz-ul-Ahsan is the primary contact.

Surridge & Beecheno advises local and multinational companies on general corporate matters, M&A (including bifurcations), reorganisations and leveraged buyouts, and sale of goods. Its blue-chip client roster includes Kraft Foods, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. Khurram Rashid is the name to note.