The Legal 500

Fakhruddin G Ebrahim & Co’s Fakhruddin G Ebrahim is a well-respected constitutional expert, a former Attorney General and a justice of the Supreme Court. His reputation has attracted numerous high-profile High Court and Supreme Court instructions.

Khalid Anwer at Khalid Anwer & Co is particularly known for his constitutional law expertise and litigation prowess, and is respected at the Supreme Court.

Abraham & Sarwana is jointly led by Zaki Ahmed and SA Sarwana, who is a former judge of the High Court of Sindh. Recent work includes pursuing enforcement proceedings for Cargill against two Pakistani companies. Other clients include Etihad Airways, Parfums Givenchy, and new clients the British Council and the University of Cambridge.

Lahore heavyweight Bhandari, Naqvi and Riaz provides corporate and commercial clients with a full dispute resolution service. Recent matters have included several international arbitrations. Clients are drawn from the media, gas, banking, construction and real estate sectors, and include ARY Communications Ltd and Samsung Gulf Electronics FZE. Feisal Naqvi serves on the panel of arbitrators for the Dubai International Arbitration Centre and Iftikharuddin Riaz is recommended. Mian Muhammad Kashif was made up to partner.

Khan & Associates’ Mansoor Khan is the key contact and has acted in some of Pakistan’s largest cases. Clients included Tethyan Copper Company, Ithmaar Bank, Motorola, and Toyota Motor Corporation.

Liaquat Merchant Associates mainly represents clients in the financial services, medical and insurance sectors. Akbar Mirza handles complex commercial litigation, whereas senior associate Dr Khalid Mahmood Shah manages the firm’s medical negligence cases and often receives instructions from one of Pakistan’s largest private hospitals. Practice head Liaquat Merchant is also recommended.

Orr, Dignam & Co acts on a range of commercial litigation, including cases with an international element. ‘Intelligent and articulate’ practice head Sajid Zahid successfully advised Nokia Siemens Networks OY and its Pakistani subsidiary in an action brought by Telenor recording an injunction barring the subsidiary from pursuing arbitration proceedings. Taha Alizai is also recommended.

RIAA Law is ‘exceptional in every regard, providing a faultless service’. Omer Soomro heads the team, which acts in a variety of commercial disputes and is noted for acting for international corporations. The firm represented UK-based RCM2 in its appeal to the Civil Court over the interpretation of an arbitration clause and whether the clause prevents action being taken in the Civil Court. The firm also successfully defeated an injunctive order brought against its client Faber Industries S.P.A., a leading Italian manufacturer of gas cylinders, which had prevented the company from operating in Pakistan. Karachi-based Ashan Zahir Rizvi and Islamabad-based Nadir Altaf have ‘a wealth of expertise and provide an excellent service’.

Haidermota & Co’s dispute resolution lawyers are ‘very professional and their industry knowledge is outstanding’. Many of the firm’s instructions arise from clients of its banking and corporate practices. Highlights included representing 1LINK, a leading ATM Switch provider, in relation to regulatory action from the Competition Commission over alleged price-fixing on ATM withdrawal charges. The group also represented the Mutual Funds Association of Pakistan in a constitutional petition to challenging an amendment to the Workers Welfare Fund Ordinance 1971, which required mutual funds to contribute to the government fund. Kazim Hasan leads the department.

Lahore-based Syed Ali Zafar heads Mandviwalla & Zafar’s contentious practice, which has a strong focus on constitutional disputes. Recent examples include the filing of a constitutional petition that the Election Commission was appointed in a manner inconsistent with the constitution. The team was also instructed on behalf of a media channel to challenge the Electoral Roll of Pakistan in a landmark case arising from the allegation that 36.5m votes were bogus out of a total of 81m voters on the roll.

Meer & Hasan Law Associates has a dedicated litigation department, which is particular renowned for its coverage of intellectual property disputes, and also covers a wide range of other matters including civil, constitutional and corporate cases. Senior partner Farooq Amjad Meer is recommended.

Ahmed & Qazi’s disputes practice ‘never compromises on its level of service’, and provides a ‘one-window solution’ for its banking clients to handle disputes. For example, it represents Allied Bank of Pakistan, Askari Bank and National Bank of Pakistan in recovery claims. 2011 also saw an interesting media dispute when the team acted for Independent Media Corporation in a case against the Federation of Pakistan concerning corruption in the media. Ishaq Shah and Nadeem Ahmed are recommended.

Akhund Forbes represents banking and corporate clients in litigation. Rabel Akhund and Rizwan Akhund are the key contacts.

Amhurst Brown has a strong reputation in the energy and oil sectors, and has been representing oil sector clients in high-value litigation. Munawar Akhtar and Javaid Akhtar are recommended. The latter recently acted for a national energy provider in a major ICC arbitration.

Cornelius, Lane & Mufti represents domestic and international clients in civil litigation, particularly cases concerning constitutional, banking and corporate law. Hamid Khan specialises in these and criminal law. Munawar-us-Salam and Salman Aslam Butt are also recommended.

Ebrahim Hosain’s teams in Karachi and Lahore handle commercial and banking disputes. Karachi-based Zahid F Ebrahim recently represented Taisei Corporation, a Japanese construction company, in ICC arbitration in Singapore. The matter is now being pursued in the courts in Pakistan. Khwaja Ahmad Hosain is recommended.

Mujtaba Jamal Law Associates (MJLA) has altered its structure to focus on core practices, one of which is dispute resolution. The firm’s clients encompass sectors such as food, health and safety, and environment. It recently advised a leading food company in an appeal before the High Court over the enforcement of food standards. Abid Rasool Awan is an arbitration and mediation expert, and Mujtaba Jamal is ‘an excellent litigator’.

Rana Ijaz & Partners covers a range of civil matters, including property disputes and family law, as well as constitutional and criminal law. Recent work includes acting in a high-profile UK banking fraud case, involving monies illegally transferred to Pakistan. Team head Rana Ijaz Ahmed Khan is the key contact.

Khaliq-uz-zaman Khan is Az Zaman Advocates & Legal Consultants’ key litigator. The firm’s clients include government organisations, as well as clients from the power and financial services industries.

Lahore-based Hassan & Hassan (Advocates) represents commercial clients in litigation proceedings. Senior partner Parvez Hassan is the key contact.

Kabraji & Talibuddin acts in general civil and commercial matters. Salman Talibuddin is recommended.

Qayyum & Associates handles banking and tax litigation, and has experience in international arbitrations.

Surridge & Beecheno acts in national and international arbitrations, and assists clients in the enforcement of awards and judgements.