Our practices

Corporate and M&A

Ranked as a Tier 1 firm for corporate and M&A by Chambers Global, Legal 500 and IFLR1000, we combine extraordinary ability with cross-sector expertise.

Corporate

We provide our clients with the full spectrum of corporate and M&A legal advisory services, comprising a cross-section of industries and sectors. We act for public and private organisations, family business groups, and entrepreneurs.

We understand businesses and help them to evaluate and maintain their vision, constitution, composition, revenue and tax positions. We take the time to understand a business’s needs and operational and financial objectives to help build a successful and profitable enterprise.

We advise officers and directors on their duties and liabilities and negotiate and draft all types of contracts and agreements (including partnership and shareholder agreements). We regularly advise on complex domestic and cross-border business and financing transactions and provide general counsel services on various issues, including asset management and corporate expansion. Our dispute resolution lawyers are able to handle a wide range of corporate disputes, amongst others.

Renowned for our precision and swift delivery of our advice, we focus on results and devising the best possible commercial solutions. We also provide general corporate services such as corporate secretarial support to keep your organisation up-to-date and in good standing with both the provincial and federal authorities.

Practice areas

Corporate restructuring
Corporate governance
Compliance
Corporate and strategic advisory
Director arrangements and responsibilities
Earn-outs
Entry and exit strategies
General counsel services
Incorporations
Investments and security offerings
Mergers and acquisitions
Private equity
Investment funds
Foreign direct investment
Regulatory and government affairs
Restructuring and insolvency
Shareholder arrangements
Tax

At a glance

Al-Dorra Petroleum Services (Kuwait): represented client in its proposed investment of USD 20m in Progas Pakistan Limited and Sheffield Engineering Company Limited and in relation to this conducted a due diligence of Progas Pakistan Limited.
Aqualyng Holding AS: represented client in restructuring of its subsidiaries in Pakistan.
Deutsche Post International B.V.: represented client in its acquisition of the approx. 51% shareholding of DHL Pakistan (Private) Limited worth €10m.
ICI Pakistan Limited: represented client in relation to Rs 1b term finance certificates issued by client.
Makro-Habib: represented client in the proposed merger with Metro Cash & Carry Pakistan.
McKinsey and Company Pakistan (Pvt.) Limited, represented client in connection with its proposed business entity in Pakistan.
Synergy Paper Board Mills Ltd: represented the client in issues relating to the appointment of directors and SECP related fillings.
Ghani Glass Limited, representing the client’s shareholders the share purchase agreement with Swicorp Joussour SPV.

Mergers and acquisitions

We have worked on some of the most complex mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and corporate reorganisations in Pakistan and the UAE.

With clients operating in many industries, jurisdictions and business sectors, our lawyers have ranked as top advisors in handling the highest number and dollar volume of deals.

We have developed expertise in the energy, banking and finance, pharmaceutical and telecom sectors and our lawyers are dedicated to performing innovative and ground-breaking work.

Acting for large corporations, investment funds, institutional investors, family business groups, investment banks and private equity firms, as well as boards, management and shareholder groups, our services cover the full spectrum of negotiated and contested mergers and acquisitions. We have a strong record advising on takeover bids and shareholder contests and use our corporate and litigation lawyers to advise senior management, owners and boards of directors.

Our approach is to work closely from the outset with all parties to move deals forward. As the complex nature of mergers and acquisitions requires a multidisciplinary mindset, we often assemble a supporting team of tax, competition, real estate, intellectual property and employment lawyers to advise on the various aspects of the transaction.

Practice areas

Acquisitions
purchases
Carve-outs
Corporate finance
Divestitures
Entry and exit deals
Escrow arrangements
Exchangeable share transactions
Joint ventures
Leveraged and management buy-outs and buy-ins
Mergers
Private equity
Schemes of arrangement
Share purchases
Spin-outs

At a glance

Ashmore Energy International: represented client in their acquisition of the majority shareholding of a power generation and water desalination project.
Burj Capital and Burj Power: represented client in purchasing shares of Dewan Energy (Private) Limited.
Citibank NA and Standard Chartered Bank: acted as manager to the offer for acquisition of shares in Pakistan International Container Terminal Limited (a listed company) by ICTSI Mauritius Limited.
Deutsche Post International B.V.: represented client in its acquisition of the approx. 51% shareholding of DHL Pakistan (Private) Limited worth €10m.
FINCA Microfinance Coöperatief U.A.: represented client in the acquisition of the majority share of Kashf Microfinance Bank Limited.
KASB Capital: represented client in its acquisition of 40% shares of Shakarganj Food Products Limited
Korea South East Power Co. Ltd.: Sambu Construction Co. Ltd., Lotte Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd and Stx Construction Co. Ltd, represented clients in the acquisition of Mira Power Limited.
Makro-Habib: represented client in the proposed merger with Metro Cash & Carry Pakistan.
Morgan Stanley: represented client in the acquisition of shares in a financial institution of Pakistan.
Occidental Petroleum: represented client in the divestiture of its interests in Pakistan.
Orient Gulf Investments Limited: represented client in the acquisition of a petroleum exploration and development company
Pfizer Corporation: represented client in the re-structuring and merger of its subsidiaries in Pakistan.
Premier Oil Plc: represented client in the demerger of Premier-Shell Pakistan BV.
Premier Oil: represented client in the proposed acquisition of a petroleum exploration and development company operating in Pakistan.
Suroor Investments Limited: represented client in the acquisition of a majority stake in a local bank in Pakistan.
Tosca Fund: represented client in connection with the acquisition of substantial shareholding in Saudi Pak Bank.

Privatisations

Our privatisation lawyers have been directly involved in establishing and growing private independent investment in state-owned enterprises; and advising and assisting participants, investors, sponsors and financiers in privatising projects in the industrial, financial, irrigation, telecommunication and energy sectors.

We have advised on multi-tier divestiture aspects, including restructuring, deregulation, sale and transfer of assets, shares, concessions, franchises, public offerings and post-privatisation matters.

Furthermore, our team has drafted and negotiated various financial advisory agreements and sub-contracts with members of financial advisors’ team, bid documents, legal sections of information memoranda, advertisements, instructions to bidders, application forms, letters of intent/acceptance, share/asset sale agreements, guarantees and confidentiality agreements.

Practice areas

Equity divestitures
Deregulation
Sale and transfer of assets
Concessions
Public sector restructuring

At a glance

Counsel for one of the bidders, represented client in the privatization of Pakistan State Oils Limited.
Counsel for the acquirers, in the privatization of Millat Tractors Limited.
Counsel for the acquirers, of K-Electric.
Counsel for the privatisation of the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited and the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited.
Counsel for the purchasers, of NDLC.
Counsel for the purchasers, of Union Bank Limited.
Counsel for the sellers, of Dawood Bank Limited.
Counsel of PKP, in its demerger and re-structure.
Government of Pakistan, represented client in the USD 2.59b privatization of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited.
Magnitgorsk Iron and Steel Works, represented client, the leading single-site ferrous metallurgy company in Russia, in the privatization of Pakistan Steel Mills Limited. The Firm has successfully negotiated and obtained on behalf of the abandoned privatization of the Pakistan Steel Mills, the refund of the entire advance purchase price paid by the client.
NODC/ Zhenhua Oil, represented client in the privatization of Pakistan Petroleum Limited.

Contact one of our lead corporate partners today: Bilal Shaukat, Hasnain Naqvee, Yousaf Khosa and Nadir Altaf.

Publications and articles

Pakistan Chapter of the Chambers Corporate M&A Guide – August 2023
Lexology Public Private Partnerships in Pakistan – August 2023
Endeavor Global expands into Pakistan – August 2023

Our practices

Corporate and M&A

Bilal Shaukat

Hasnain Naqvee

Yousaf Khosa

Nadir Altaf

Corporate

Mergers and acquisitions

Privatisations

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