Ahmed & Qazi

A & Q is a leading commercial law firm in Pakistan offering quality services with an overall focus on helping clients achieve their commercial objectives. It is unique in the country for being equally strong in offering corporate services as well as those in commercial litigation.

A full time staff of 64, with 33 full time lawyers (highest number of lawyers in any local law firm) enables A & Q to cover the whole landscape of commercial laws in the country. Such a large team of experienced lawyers has made it possible for the firm to have a lead position in more than one field of practice and also to maintain high quality and fast turnaround time when offering services to a large number of major clients.

In terms of innovation, A & Q has been transaction lawyer for certain pioneering transactions in the country such as issuance of commercial paper and infrastructure project finance. Out of a total of eight securitization transactions that have been duly approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission to date, A & Q was transaction lawyer in the first seven transactions.

Also, A & Q acted as transaction legal counsel in an Islamic syndicated transaction (Shirkat-ul-Aqd) involving issuance of Pakistan's first short term sukuk by KAPCO. This transaction won The Asset Asian Award.

As for capital markets, A & Q was selected by Karachi Stock Exchange for preparation of the entire regulatory plan for its demutualization and to draft the memorandum and articles of the demutualized entity. A & Q also re-drafted rules and regulations of Karachi Stock Exchange.

A & Q is also the law firm of choice for Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan.

In 2014, Privatization Commission of Pakistan invited bids from law firms for selling federal governments shares in United Bank Limited, a leading bank in the country. While all the leading firms submitted bids, A & Q was selected to represent the Commission. That transaction stands satisfactorily completed.

Again in 2014, the Privatization Commission invited bids from law firms for the transaction of GDR and GDS of 10 per cent shares of OGDCL, the leading oil and gas company in the country. A & Q's bid was accepted and we were again engaged to represent the Commission in this transaction that is worth almost US $ 1 billion. The transaction, which involved a comprehensive due diligence of OGDCL, is heading for successful completion.

Over the years, A & Q has offered legal services in a whole range of fields such as company laws, mergers and acquisitions, shipping laws, infrastructure project finance, securitization transactions, transactions through Islamic modes of finance, oil and gas laws, power generation, telecommunication, public procurement laws and insurance law, sukuk, asset financing, derivatives and infrastructure project financing.

A & Q has acted for multinational corporations (operating within and outside Pakistan) in a number of international transactions and has handled legally challenging cross-border securitization transactions too. A & Q's international and local client base includes corporations in the power generation, oil and gas, telecommunication, transportation, cement, water, fertilizer, shipping, real estate and construction, infrastructure project, information technology, and textile sectors.

In banking and finance, having the advantage of almost three dozen experienced lawyers, A & Q handles almost half of the legal services that are availed every year by banks and financial institutions in the commercial hub of Karachi. These include giving opinions, drafting finance agreements, drafting security creating documents, getting mortgages created and registered. These services also include filing and pursuing recovery suits in case of defaulted loans.

A & Q is the only law firm that has conducted legal audit of all the leading banks in the country. We have also drafted standard financing and security documents for various banks.

Apart from above, with regard to immovable properties, A & Q provides the largest number of title opinions every year.

Our litigation section too has a lead position in the field of commercial litigation, having a whole range of clients from real estate developers to Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, and from largest media houses to leading banks.

Over the years, we have pursued or defended a whole range of complex and challenging claims based on civil and commercial contracts, construction and engineering contracts, conflict of laws, maritime laws, information technology laws, intellectual property laws, and laws relating to real estate.

Also, we have gotten mergers and acquisition of both private and public limited and listed companies approved by the courts in record time.

We also have an experience of handling arbitration and other alternate dispute resolution matters.

In media laws too, A & Q has the lead position in the country, offering opinions and litigation services to the largest media houses of the country.

We are rated as the top tier firm by The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.

According to The Legal 500, A & Q is "very experienced" in their delivery of "a first-rate level of service" within banking and finance.

For capital markets, according to The Legal 500, A & Q team is "knowledgeable" with "very fast turnaround times" and "excellent business acumen" always providing "appropriate advice".

As to Chambers and Partners, following are a few excerpts from their website about A & Q:

"They are very prompt and responsive."
"They never delay matters."
"They are always available."
"They have a good strategy and a solid grasp of legal concepts."

"In notable practitioners managing partner Nadeem Ahmed is praised for his excellent problem-solving skills and his "clear understanding" of the issues."

Practice Areas	No. of Attorneys
Corporate	8
Energy and Oil & Gas	2
Finance - Banking	6
IP	2
Real Estate	5