Mahbub & Company > Dhaka, Bangladesh > Firm Profile

Mahbub & Company
FLAT E1, HOUSE 37
ROAD 12/A
DHANMONDI, DHAKA 1209
Bangladesh

Email firm Visit website +88 01 72 515 0912 88 02 914 1866

Bangladesh > Banking and finance Tier 1

Practitioners who are part of Mahbub & Company's team in Dhaka ‘provide personalised solutions in a quick and efficient manner', and often appear in court, as the firm has an excellent reputation for banking litigation, regularly handling complex Supreme Court matters. The diverse workload undertaken by the group includes mandates both in the traditional banking and the emerging fintech sectors, and it is lauded for its ‘vast knowledge of industries, from small company policies to wider legal advice.’ Practice head Saqeb Mahbub is a banking litigation and fintech expert, emblematic of the whole group, and is well supported by Tasmiah Zaman and Rifat Rahman at associate level.

Practice head(s):

Saqeb Mahbub

Other key lawyers:

Rifat Rahman; Tasmiah Zaman

Testimonials

‘Mahbub provides personalised solutions in a quick and efficient manner. They also do not hesitate to seek clarification when facts presented are unclear.’

‘We have been associated with Mahbub for more than 3 years. This statement itself showcase their strength and our trust in their services. They have vast knowledge of industries, from small company policies to wider legal advice.’

‘Saqeb Mahbub and Tasmiah Zaman have been great support for our firm.’

‘Special mention to Tasmiah Zaman, who has been handling our account and has always helped us with government work, banking work and with other related documents.’

‘The firm has a very good banking and finance practice. Their knowledge of banking regulations, corporate governance in banks and also banking-related disputes is exceptional.’

‘Saqeb Mahbub has advised us on our banking and finance matters. He is a very talented lawyer with very good attention to detail.’

Key clients

Italia Wanbao-ACC S.r.l.

Mastercard

DHL Global Forwarding Bangladesh

Fourth Partner Energy Bangladesh Limited

Dream’s Power Private Limited

Mostafa Group

Sena Kalyan Sangstha

Metro Homes

Pragati Life Insurance

Singtel

Terrapay

City Bank Limited

Mutual Trust Bank Limited

Multiplier

KEXIM

Work highlights

Advised Export-Import Bank of Korea on its cross-border development assistance loans to government entities in Bangladesh and procurement practices.
Advised and represented Singapore’s largest telecommunication network on a bank debt claim which has arisen out of their shareholding in a Bangladeshi entity.
Advised the world’s second largest payment processing corporation on fintech regulatory compliance and corporate restructuring in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh > Corporate and M&A Tier 1

At Mahbub & Company, the ‘supportive and knowledgeable' practice head Saqeb Mahbub's ‘network and subject matter expertise makes him a true partner for any business.’ The group is fast-growing when it comes to M&A mandates, which is symptomatic of a growing Bangladeshi economy, and the team has increased the number of mandates in the technology startup community. The team is commended for its ‘timely delivery and detailed work for any query'. Elsewhere, the group has a foreign investment practice, including entity structuring and set-up support for foreign investors. Also notable in the team are associates Mohua Morshed, Tasmiah Zaman, and Rifat Rahman, who have excellent client service protocols and a customer-oriented attitude.

Leading Individuals

Saqeb Mahbub - Mahbub & Company

Practice head(s):

Saqeb Mahbub

Other key lawyers:

Mohua Morshed; Tasmiah Zaman; Rifat Rahman

Testimonials

‘The team has an incredibly diversified skillset. They have helped us on cross-border deal structuring. Seamless operation.’

‘Saqeb Mahbub is a supportive and knowledgeable person. His network and subject matter expertise makes him a true partner for any business.’

‘Timely delivery and detailed work for any query.’

‘Saqeb Mahbub and Tasmiah Zaman have excellent client service protocols and a customer-oriented attitude.’

‘Their team is very professional and competitive. We always get good service from them.’

‘Timely delivery, profound knowledge of legal issues professionalism.’

‘Valuable advice.’

‘Their work is detailed, and I felt as they were on my team wanting the best for me. Seqeb Mahbub, Mohua Morshed, and Tasmiah Zaman were all exceptional in their insightful advice on the joint venture.’

Key clients

Marc Group

MedEasy Heathcare Limited

Babuland Limited

Dekko ISHO Ventures Limited

North End (Pvt͘) Limited

Kochan Management Inc.

Jubilant Foods Limited

DAI, Bangladesh

Xiaomi Bangladesh

SBK Tech Ventures Ltd

Shikho Technologies Ltd

Tetratech

Peak Plan Management Pty Ltd.

Decathlon Bangladesh

InResource International ltd

ETAM Group

Export-Import Bank of Korea

Work highlights

Advised the largest global sporting goods retailer on corporate restructuring, employment law, compliance, and intellectual property matters, among others.
Advised a leading international ride sharing services company on setting up a company, legal compliance, and obtaining enlistment, license, and regulatory approvals in Bangladesh.
Advised a leading Australian Accounting Services Company on its cross-border investment structuring and acquiring of a leading private local company in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh > Dispute resolution Tier 1

A.M. Mahbub Uddin and Saqeb Mahbub lead Mahbub & Company's experienced dispute resolution team has a strong track record in judicial review and white-collar crime litigation, and is praised as 'one of the top dispute firms in Bangladesh'. Uddin regularly appears in the High Court and Supreme Court of Bangladesh, and Mahbub leads most of the group’s high stakes arbitration cases. As a whole, the group has a strong litigation practice in the Supreme Court and the District Courts of Dhaka and the port city of Chittagong. In 2022 and 2023, the group has continued to see an increase in commercial disputes and the firm’s arbitration practice handles a range of dispute types, including cross-border commercial, employment, construction, and real-estate disputes.

Leading Individuals

Saqeb Mahbub - Mahbub & Company

A. M. Mahbub Uddin - Mahbub & Company

Practice head(s):

A M Mahbub Uddin; Saqeb Mahbub

Testimonials

‘Mahbub & Company has handled our entire disputes portfolio for more than a decade because we have found their team to be diligent, reliable and extremely efficient. They have lawyers who are able to represent in the lowest tiers till the Supreme Court. They use a tech platform where we can log in and automatically be updated about our cases. This is very good for us as we have a large number of litigations with them.’

‘A M Mahbub Uddin has a very good standing in the High Court and Supreme Court, and Saqeb Mahbub is also well known for his commercial disputes expertise. He is our point of contact partner and he is extremely diligent at maintaining communication, managing his team and being well prepared for cases.’

‘They are prompt in response. Very good at specific response preparation.’

‘Individuals are very much supportive in terms of accompanying our colleagues to face any arbitration.’

‘Mahbub & Company has a very good reputation as one of the top dispute firms in Bangladesh. Their standing in the sector is always a major pull for us. The team is very adept at handling all kinds of disputes. Their speciality is complex commercial disputes. They handle cases with a lot of care and skill and their team is very good at research which always helps.’

‘We have worked with both Mahbub Uddin and Saqeb Mahbub. Saqeb Mahbub punches above his weight; he is well known in the judiciary for his exceptional advocacy, particularly in commercial litigation.’

‘They have a group of young, talented people that are self-organised and self-motivated individuals that are full of passion.’

‘I think they have great communication skill and team work which makes them different from their competitors.’

Key clients

Top Grade International Enterprise Limited

Cartonal Italia Spa

Madina Group Limited

Premier Power Generation Limited

Identity International Co. Ltd

Tala Elhendy Josephano

Qasem Industries Ltd

Marriott International

Europe-based drilling services company

A Dubai-based construction firm

Zetwerk Manufacturing Businesses Private Limited

Sports Direct

Fresenius Medical Care Asia Pacific Ltd

Regent Airways

DHL Global Forwarding Bangladesh Limited

Metro Homes

Work highlights

Advised a leading international hotel chain on a cross-border construction and contractual dispute.
Represented one of the world’s largest international freight forwarding companies before the law enforcement and investigation agencies.

The firm: Mahbub & Company was established in 1995 under the leadership of AM Mahbub Uddin, barrister-at-law (Lincoln’s Inn, UK). Starting with a team of five, the firm has now grown considerably to have specialists in core practice areas. The firm has made a name for itself in dispute resolution with a strong litigation practice in the Supreme Court and the District Courts of Dhaka and the port city of Chittagong. The firm’s arbitration practice focuses on cross-border commercial disputes and disputes involving government departments and is growing fast with wider use of alternative dispute resolution methods. Mahbub & Company advises large multinationals and local businesses in Bangladesh spread across the construction, energy, real-estate, consumer product, banking and shipping industries and is a full-service firm with a dedicated corporate team. Members of the firm have expertise in a wide range of areas of law and regularly participate in policy-level meetings on legislative reform.

The head of chambers, AM Mahbub Uddin, is a respected figure in the legal profession and is currently one of 14 elected members of the Bangladesh Bar Council, the highest regulatory body for lawyers in the country, and since 2012 the secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association. He has over 20 years of litigation experience and regularly appears before the Supreme Court particularly in matters of judicial review. He also has immense expertise in white-collar crime, commercial law and banking litigation. He has represented a former Prime Minister in corruption charges since 2007, was legal adviser of the Bangladesh Cricket Board from 2001-2006 and advised Occidental Petroleum Corporation in a dispute with the Bangladesh government following a gas-field explosion in 1997.

Associate partner Saqeb Mahbub heads the corporate and commercial team and has recently advised PepsiCo India, Sainsbury’s UK, UNDP, UNHCR and the Royal Danish Embassy.

Areas of practice
Litigation and arbitration: The core practice of Mahbub & Company and the reason for its rise to prominence in the legal arena is the firm’s dispute resolution practice. Head of chambers AM Mahbub Uddin brings over two decades of dispute resolution experience spanning across commercial, banking, industrial, construction, environmental, labour, administrative and criminal laws. The firm has over the years dealt with some of the biggest cases in the Supreme Court and the firm’s counsel have been involved in over 100 reported judgments. The firm is also a reputed name in construction and real estate arbitration. In 2014 Mahbub & Company was on the winning side of a landmark case in corporate governance (Hafiz Ahmed Mazumder v Pubali Bank Limited, reported in 66 DLR 234) that established a minimum shareholding for Directors of listed companies. The firm has acted for multinationals and Bangladeshi conglomerates alike in several high value litigation and arbitration matters.

Labour law and employment: Mahbub & Company’s labour and employment law practice has kept up with the voluminous new legislation in the area which has made enterprises focus on compliance. The firm’s advisory work ranges from creating and reviewing codes of conduct, various HR policies, appointment letters, handling key employee terminations, NDAs, ESOPs, etc. The firm has been engaged to conduct investigations in disciplinary actions and representing companies in the labour courts. Mahbub & Co.’s clientele in this area include PepsiCo India, Sainsbury’s PLC UK, Just Farming (BV) Netherlands, Muslim Aid UK, Double A (Thailand), Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) and Justice and Care UK.

Banking and finance: The firm’s banking practice relies heavily on both its litigation and corporate teams. The firm has immense experience in representing clients in the specialised money loan recovery courts, foreclosure proceedings, liquidation proceedings and cheque dishonour charges. The firm has advised and represented businesses in debt restructuring negotiations, most notably a consumer goods conglomerate in the past year which had loan exposure in 29 banks and non-banking financial institutions. The firm has advised the National Bank Ltd on its cross-border remittance agreements with partners in the USA, Malaysia, UAE, etc. The firm also advises The City Bank in high stake company, criminal, civil and administrative litigation cases.

Business incorporation: Mahbub & Company is truly full service when it comes to setting up a business in Bangladesh. This includes incorporation advice and support, facilitating Board of Investment registration, income tax and VAT registration, investor and employee visa and work permits, trade license, fire certificate, environmental clearance certificate, factory certificate.

International trade and shipping: Mahbub & Company is a trusted name in cross-border trade advice and dispute resolution with expertise and experience in the field of cargo and L/C disputes and negotiations, export and import transactions, maritime law and disputes with customs and port authorities. The firm also advises on multi-modal transport, cross border sales and product liability, and extends its reach to importers and exporters across several industries including pharmaceuticals, ready-made garments, automobiles, etc. Clients advised include Premier Cement Mills, Multimode Ltd and Mongla Cement Factory.

Intellectual property: The firm provides low-cost and hassle-free registration support for IP rights and is involved in various IP disputes in courts including the High Court and Supreme Court. Clients are advised on structuring, licensing, franchising, joint-ventures, mergers and acquisitions, IP audits/Due Diligence. Notably, Mahbub & Company has previously represented big names like Casio in high stakes trademark dispute.

Taxation: Mahbub & Company provides comprehensive tax advice and tax solutions to companies and groups in a wide range of industries. The firm is a one-stop destination for new companies and market entrants in obtaining income tax, VAT and Customs registration and licenses. The litigation team represents clients at all stages of tax disputes including forums of first instance, Appellate Tribunals, Review Committees and the High Court and Appellate Divisions of the Supreme Court.

Real estate: Mahbub & Company has a robust practice in the fast growing real estate industry. The firm advises real-estate developers and investors on all legal aspects of investment providing them with services of title verification, encumbrance search, permissive land use, RAJUK (Capital Development Authority) rules and regulations, effect of DAP (Detailed Area Plan) of the Government, land ceiling, zoning, and issues such as non-transferability of lands, negative covenants, environmental license and all regulatory and approval issues.

The firm advises and represents real-estate developers and land-owners in construction contracts, drafts and reviews contracts, including Powers of Attorney, for land development and creates sample Agreements for property sale to end-customers.

Foreign investment: Mahbub & Company is truly full service when it comes to advising foreign clients on overall regulatory regime in Bangladesh, entity structuring and supporting with setting up a business in Bangladesh. The support includes incorporation advise and support, creating “Project Profile” for approval of the Bangladesh Investment Development Board, income tax and VAT registration, investor and employee visa and work permits, trade license, fire certificate, environmental clearance certificate, factory certificate and EPZ formalities. Notably, in 2018 the firm has advised and supported Brother Corporation (Japan), Span International (India), CPP (UK) on entity structuring and incorporation of subsidiaries and UPL Limited (India) on its acquisition of a Bangladeshi company.

Corporate mergers and acquisitions: Mahbub & Company provides cutting-edge corporate advisory and transactional services. The firm’s truly international outlook is geared towards serving clients in the fast growing market of mergers and acquisitions. The firm has acted various stakeholders and executed mergers through the Company Bench of the High Court and acts for investors and promoters alike in investment transactions, takeovers, joint-ventures and buyouts. The firm also has a growing clientele in Bangladesh’s budding technology industry and regularly advises clients on cross-border share/asset acquisitions.

Insolvency: Mahbub & Co is a leading firm in corporate insolvency in Bangladesh. The firm has immense experience in representing clients in the specialised money loan recovery courts, foreclosure proceedings, liquidation proceedings and cheque dishonour charges. The firm has advised and represented a number of large businesses in debt restructuring negotiations, most notably a Chittagong-based consumer goods conglomerate which had loan exposure in 29 banks and NBFIs. The firm led the first creditor-driven winding up of a real estate company in 2018.

Department	Name	Email	Telephone
Administrative and public	A M Mahbub Uddin
Arbitration and litigation	A M Mahbub Uddin
Banking	Saqeb Mahbub	saqeb.mahbub@mahbub-law.com	01725-150912
Corporate and commercial	Saqeb Mahbub	saqeb.mahbub@mahbub-law.com	01725-150912
Intellectual property	Saqeb Mahbub	saqeb.mahbub@mahbub-law.com	01725-150912
International trade and shipping	Saqeb Mahbub	saqeb.mahbub@mahbub-law.com	01725-150912
Labour and employment	Saqeb Mahbub	saqeb.mahbub@mahbub-law.com	01725-150912
Real estate	A M Mahbub Uddin
Taxation	Saqeb Mahbub	saqeb.mahbub@mahbub-law.com	01725-150912

Name	Position	Profile
Mr Sabbir Ahmed	Associate	View Profile
Mr Pranta Barua	Associate	View Profile
Mr Md. Aminul Haq	Associate	View Profile
Mr Ariful Haque Rokon	Associate	View Profile
Ms Farah Huq	Associate	View Profile
Ms Tajriyaan Akram Hussain	Associate	View Profile
Mr Saqeb Mahbub	Partner	View Profile
Ms Mohua Morshed	Associate	View Profile
Ms Tasmiah Zaman Priyanti	Associate	View Profile
Mr Rifat Rahman	Associate Areas of Practice- Dispute Resolution, Corporate Affairs, Mergers & Acquisition, Cross…	View Profile
Mr H M Shanjid Siddique	Associate	View Profile
Mr A. M. Mahbub Uddin	Head of Chambers	View Profile