The Legal 500

‘Well-regarded’ senior jurist Fakhruddin G Ebrahim heads Fakhruddin G Ebrahim & Co. His expertise culled as a former Attorney General and judge of the Supreme Court means the firm attracts high-profile High Court and Supreme Court matters.

Khalid Anwer & Co has a strong track record in landmark commercial and constitutional law cases. Name partner Khalid Anwer is particularly recommended for his constitutional law knowledge.

S Sharifuddin Pirzada & Co undertakes work across a broad range of litigation matters, but is best known for its consitutional work. Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada is known both nationally and internationally for her constitutional law experience, having previously served as a foreign minister and Attorney General of Pakistan.

Abraham & Sarwana’s team is led by former judge SA Sarwana and acts for national and international clients in arbitration and litigation matters. Clients have included Cargill, Microsoft, International Power and Standard Chartered Bank.

‘First-class’ dispute resolution firm Bhandari, Naqvi and Riaz draws on its transactional work and national and international client base to act in general litigation, banking matters (including recovery proceedings) and international arbitration. The ‘impressive’ Iftikharuddin Riaz is ‘clear and thorough’, and Uzair Bhandari has a ‘sound legal mind’. Feisal Naqvi, who is currently acting as arbitrator in three Dubai property disputes, is also recommended.

Khan & Associates represents its international and multinational corporate client base in national litigation and arbitration matters. It is advising Tethyan Copper Company in ongoing Supreme Court litigation relating to copper and gold mining exploration. It has represented Ithmaar Bank (Bahrain) in proceedings to enforce foreign arbitration awards, personal guarantees and a foreign judgement in Pakistan, and has advised Etisalat (UAE) on disputes with the Pakistan government. Mansoor Khan is the key contact.

Liaquat Merchant Associates handles contentious and non-contentious matters across the gamut of its practice areas, as well as medical negligence cases. It also handles mediation and arbitration. Senior partner Liaquat Merchant and partner Akbar Mirza are the key contacts.

Orr, Dignam & Co represents domestic and international clients across a range of civil litigation matters. It also acts in mediated disputes and international arbitrations. Karachi-based Sajid Zahid is recommended.

Amhurst Brown is known for advising its energy sector clients in major, complex arbitration and mediation matters. It is currently acting for a multinational integrated oil company in several high-value litigation proceedings. Munawar Akhtar is the primary contact.

Leveraging its banking and capital markets teams, Haidermota & Co’s litigation practice represents banking and corporate clients in contentious commercial, banking and shareholders’ rights disputes before the Pakistan courts, as well as in international arbitration. It successfully represented minority shareholders in their petition challenging the proposed amalgamation of Pfizer Laboratories Ltd with Parke Davis & Company Ltd. Kazim Hasan leads the team.

Lahore-based Syed Ali Zafar heads Mandviwalla & Zafar’s contentious practice. The team represents clients in constitutional matters before the Supreme Court and in commercial matters at all levels. It also undertakes arbitration work on behalf of international clients. Karachi-based Mehmood Mandviwalla is also a key contact.

Corporate firm Meer & Hasan Law Associates has a dedicated litigation department that represents its clients in civil, criminal, constitutional, corporate, banking, consumer, and employment matters before various courts and tribunals. The firm is also known for its IP practice and thus is regularly engaged in IP disputes. Farooq Amjad Meer is recommended.

Rizvi, Isa, Afridi & Angell ‘offers the complete package’. It acts for national and international corporations in commercial civil litigation in the areas of banking, tax, IP and insurance law. It also acts in white-collar/corporate crime cases. It is currently representing Cohen Brown Management Group in a civil claim for copyright infringement worth $100m. It is also acting for its clients in challenging certain statutory provisions requiring court permission to issue proceedings. Omer Soomro heads the team. Ahsan Rizvi is ‘supremely knowledgeable’.

Ahmed & Qazi represented Sultan Mahmood and Company in its claim against its blacklisting by the NHA, which resulted in an award of Pr700m. Senior Partner Nadeem Ahmed is ‘a great strategist’. The ‘knowledgeable’ Saim Hashmi and Jam Asif are also recommended.

Akhund Forbes is new to the table. It is representing Makro-Habib Pakistan Limited in its case before the Supreme Court of Pakistan. It also acts for United Bank Limited in various banking litigation matters. Rabel Akhund and Rizwan Akhund are the key contacts.

Cornelius, Lane & Mufti represents domestic and international clients in civil litigation matters with a focus on corporate, commercial and banking litigation, sales tax and customs duty disputes, and constitutional law issues. Hamid Khan is recommended, as are Munawar-us-Salam and Salman Aslam Butt for their complex fraud and white-collar crime work.

Mujtaba Jamal Law Associates has a dedicated dispute resolution practice group that acts in local and international matters. It handles ADR, regulatory and enforcement proceedings, and other civil and criminal litigation matters. It represented a public-private partnership company in a construction dispute against a contractor on a multi-million rupee project.

Rana Ijaz & Partners represents international clients in both criminal and civil litigation matters, including banking fraud, white-collar crime, and money laundering. It also acts for local clients in property-related civil disputes, as well as family law matters. Rana Sajjad Ahmed is the key contact.

Islamabad-based Az Zaman Advocates & Legal Consultants represents its corporate and private client base in litigation proceedings and commercial arbitrations. Khaliq-uz-zaman Khan is the key contact.

Hassan & Hassan (Advocates) represents its financial services clients in litigation proceedings, including actions to enforce foreign arbitration awards. Clients have included JK Group and RBS.

Based in Karachi, Kabraji & Talibuddin represents clients in commercial and general civil litigation proceedings, as well as in national arbitration matters. Former high court judge Salman Talibuddin is recommended.

Qayyum & Associates acts in local and international disputes, including international arbitration, in the areas of banking, tax, IP and construction law. Mohammad Qayyum is the key contact.

Surridge & Beecheno acts for domestic and multinational companies in national and international ICC arbitrations. It also assists clients in litigation and in the enforcement of awards and judgements.