The emphasis of the Firm is upon professional precision, administrative excellence and swift international outreach. Although the Firm accepts general references, its forte is its ability to serve its clients in the areas of dispute resolutions, transactions and advisory services in a number of sectors.
- LITIGATION IN CIVIL COURTS, HIGH COURTS & SUPREME COURT
The Firm has extensive experience in civil and commercial litigation at all levels including Tribunals, Civil Courts, the High Courts and the Supreme Court of Pakistan in virtually all areas of law.
- ARBITRATION & ALTERNATE DISPUTE RESOLUTION
The Firm provides a full range of services in respect of arbitration including formulating arbitration clauses, preparing claims and conducting of arbitration proceedings.
- TAXATION
Changes in governmental policy are resulting in more aggressive pursuits for additional transparency and tax revenue from taxpayers, and crises-related restructurings pose new and difficult challenges for tax planning and dispute resolution. Unlike accounting firms, our experienced tax litigators have represented clients in all phases of tax dispute resolution. The firm has handled large tax controversies at the audit, appeals, judicial review and have successfully litigated some of the largest tax disputes on record.
- CONTRACTS
The Firm has substantial experience of advising both suppliers and customers on a broad range of commercial contracts across many different sectors. Its experiences include negotiating, commercial contracts for services, licensing, development, distribution, marketing, manufacturing, outsourcing, maintenance and support agreements.
- FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS
The Firm offers advice on various issues including private and public investments in Pakistan, bilateral treaties between the Government of Pakistan and others, taxation treaties and international conventions, infrastructure development, power generation, roads, oil and gas, and telecommunications sector. The Firm has addressed issues relating to sovereign contracts (including sovereign guarantees), debts and dispute resolution with institutional or foreign investors. The Firm assists foreign investors in negotiating special status or arrangements both on security of operations and investments.
- JOINT VENTURES
The Firm has extensive experience of advising on joint ventures, strategic alliances and has advised on some of the major joint ventures taking place in Pakistan in the past few years. It is equally at home with smaller joint ventures, advising either investors or entrepreneurs in the start-up phase. It has expertise in rapidly developing sectors such as publishing, financial services, new media, telecoms, aerospace, airlines, shipping, energy and e-commerce, as well as in more mature markets such as real estate.
- MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
The Firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions team has experience and expertise in complex, high-value work as well as a range of smaller transactions. It advises on the full range of deal structures from public takeovers, tender offers through to divestments, auctions and demergers. Its capability is focused on several sectors including energy & utilities, financial institutions, communications, media & technology, and private equity.
- INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS
Sheikh & Dahir offers specific expertise in consultative advice, drafting, and policy advocacy related to Free Trade Agreements, and Preferential Trade Agreements etc. In this respect the Firm has developed a network of national and international experts who are available to the Firm on major economic and trade sectors including domestic regulation, international dispute settlement and offshore litigation.
- CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The Firm frequently provides advice to its corporate clients on the legal issues which most regularly impact upon their businesses. It advises on all elements of company law, from the writing of minutes of meeting to the establishment of new corporate vehicles.
The Firm works by building strong relationships with in-house legal teams to provide reliable expert advice in matters relating to corporate law, listing rules, liability and risks of directors and other corporate governance issues.
- TITLE VERIFICATIONS
The Firm offers legal services to potential foreign and local investors who wish to verify titles for land development projects. In this regard, the Firm has human resource to verify and counter-check titles from Patwaris, LDA records and other custodian of land records. The Firm has rendered such services to International Brands, Joint-Venture Construction Companies, Financial Institutions and Leading Food Chains for their outlet openings.
- REGULATORY
The Firm provides legal and regulatory advice to companies, partnerships, funds, banks, insurers and other financial institutions. Our partner’s practical industry experience ensures that we are able to provide commercially driven legal advice in respect of matters pending before the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Competition Commission and various other Regulators and Tribunals.
- LENDING, SECURITY DOCUMENTATION & RECOVERY OF BANKING FINANCE
The Partners of the Firm have expertise in drafting of banking documents both for advancing and securing debts and verification of title documents to ensure the validity of various securities. If required by a banking client the Firm has the necessary capacity to commence appropriate proceedings to enforce security. The firm has also advised on banking regulations issues where both banks and professional accountants engage in the audit of the banks.
- ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE
The Firm’s Energy and Infrastructure practice cuts across traditional disciplines such as acquisitions, project financing, Islamic finance, securitization, real estate, tax, environmental and construction, to provide a one-stop shop for all aspects of legal advice needed in connection with any investment transactions or form public private partnership in the energy and infrastructure sectors. It has gained a thorough understanding likely to be faced by all commercial parties involved in energy and infrastructure businesses and has developed innovative solutions to address these challenges.
- OIL & GAS
The Firm has represented clients in the oil and gas industry in a number of transactions ranging from drafting and finalizing of concession agreements, joint operating agreements, farm out/in agreements, leases, title work, representation before regulatory bodies, and litigation. It has advised on a wide range of matters involving both upstream and downstream work and its lawyers are fully familiar with contracts used in the licensing, exploration and production, development, transportation and abandonment of oil and gas fields and associated agreements.
- TELECOMMUNICATION LAWS
The Firm is widely recognized for its expertise in telecommunications and technology issues and for its ability to apply creative approaches to complex legal issues. The Firm is representing both providers and users of telecommunications services. The Firm has represented wired and wireless carriers, including independent telephone companies and cellular and private radio licensees. We have also handled a broad range of telecommunications transactions, including sales and acquisitions, carrier agreements and telecommunications outsourcing contracts.
- MEDIA LAWS
The Firm has vast experience in handling matters relating to the prevalent media laws in Pakistan. The Partners have represented various channels with regards to their obligations under PEMRA and disputes arising thereunder.
- INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWS
The Firm understands new challenges in intellectual property protection and can provide unique and global solutions. We have developed people and processes to promote sound and cost effective stewardship of intellectual property. The Firm’s legal services in this regard include brand selection, availability, search and clearance in trade marks, copyright licensing, logos, patents and other related matters.