Ammar Ather Saeed explains what sets his law firm apart in Pakistan’s competitive market and what his aspirations are for the law firm going forward.

1) What do you see as the main points that differentiate Saiduddin & Co. from your competitors?

In Pakistan’s competitive market, a plethora of law firms exist both top and medium tiered which are well versed in corporate transaction and securities laws. What sets Saiduddin & Co. apart from its competitors is that we offer a one window solution to our customers. Considering that Saiduddin & Co. has been, in addition to our other areas of expertise, one of the leading taxation firms in Pakistan, we are able to offer our clients a unique service where as part of our advisory, we not only structure transactions and arrangements in a legally compliant manner but also ensure that they are tax efficient.

2) Which practices do you see growing in the next 12 months? What are the drivers behind that?

Considering the overall economic conditions in the world in general and Pakistan in particular, most businesses are looking for debt structuring, mergers and amalgamations to synergize and pool their resources and listing to maximum their investment pool. As such, I feel that our firm’s practice is likely to grow in areas which deal with corporatization, mergers, amalgamations, investment financing and related matters.

3) What's the main change you've made in the firm that will benefit clients?

A hands down approach, where you empower your sub ordinates to deal with clients personally without you being there to micro manage them, is something which we have consciously adopted in the past few years and we have found that this increases productivity and client satisfaction. We have opted to create inter personal relationships not just between our clients and ourselves but also our associates, which has helped not just us but also our associates intricately understand the needs of our clients and to address them accordingly. Going forward, we would like to take this a notch above and bring in subject matter specialists as partners who can add a further layer of quality and expertise to our firm.

4) Is technology changing the way you interact with your clients, and the services you can provide them?

The simple answer to this question is a yes. As far as the legal profession is concerned, our services are built on 3 pillars, reliability, availability and responsiveness. Technology has helped us harness each of these qualities. The use of virtual technology has meant that we are able to stay available to our clients and with our associates even if they may not be physically present in the same vicinity. Similarly, the use of web and mobile based applications for access to emails, and online access to laws, legal journals and legal precedents has helped expand our access to resources which has not only helped improve our turnaround time but also ensured that the reliability of our responses is maintained.

5) Can you give us a practical example of how you have helped a client to add value to their business?

In my opinion, one of the most crucial aspects of the connection between clients and law firms is a thorough comprehension of business. Clients view this as an essential attribute in their top-notch relationships with legal professionals, setting apart a select few firms who excel at it across the spectrum.

Our firm always aims to take a more proactive approach in learning about their business model and needs along with alerting the clients about probable risks as they are equipped with relevant insights on what needs attention.

This helps us deliver personalized recommendations that cater specifically to our client's industry and also aid in achieving its goals while fulfilling any legal obligations related thereto.

One such practical example is where we restructured a debt transaction into a trading contract keeping in view our client’s principal business model which not only addressed our client’s transactional concerns but also made the transaction tax efficient which, had it been structured as it was originally, would have created a significant tax incidence on our client.

Our client has since then, adopted this structure to expand its lending activities to its clientele which has ultimately added substantial value to their business.

6) Are clients looking for stability and strategic direction from their law firms - where do you see the firm in three years’ time?

There are two parts to this question. To answer the first part, yes, clients do tend to look at law firms in Pakistan for strategic direction and stability and that has largely to do with the web of laws which any budding or established business finds itself entangled in as they look to expand, grow or venture into newer avenues.

As far as the second question is concerned, in three years’ time I see Saiduddin & Co. not only among the top tier firms of Pakistan but also as a firm having a significant presence abroad primarily in the MENA region. Needless to say, we have and we continue to work towards the aforesaid goal. At Saiduddin & Co. our journey runs through the passage ways of learning ultimately leading to client satisfaction and these are and will always be the principles which will guide us.