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We are your dedicated, experienced, quick and cost-efficient law firm for business in Pakistan.

Abraham & Sarwana has been meeting challenges and satisfying the most demanding of expectations for the past 45 years, with demonstrably advantageous results for our distinguished portfolio of international clients and associates. It is no wonder that we have managed to carve out a niche for ourselves in the international legal services market and are amongst the leading law firms in Pakistan. No problem is too complex, no commitment too arduous, no effort too great.  

Dedicated

At Abraham & Sarwana, we are dedicated to achieving the best possible solution through original and creative thinking and close scrutiny of the various implications and problems involved in your matter. Our primary objectives are to identify ourselves with your interests and to provide the finest legal expertise in keeping with your needs and international best practices.

In view of the growing legal complexities and uncertainties in international markets, and the ever-changing legal scenarios resulting from the information technology revolution, legal practice in this part of the sub-continent is vastly different from what it was 50 years ago. Consequently, we are always striving to keep pace with the variable needs of businesses and stay ahead of our competitors.

 

Experienced

Members of our firm have broad academic background, vast legal experience and on-the-ground knowledge of local custom and practice. Our resources both within and outside the firm consist of retired Judges of the Superior Courts, former  Government Secretaries and senior lawyers advising and assisting in both contentious and non-contentious matters. 

We are recognised for our experience in a wide range of sectors including, inter alia, energy and natural resources; steel and manufacturing; financial institutions and banks; defence and security; technology, media and telecom; airlines; food and beverages; and dispute resolution.

Since most of our clients are large multinational houses and international law firms, we have a special team of highly experienced and trained lawyers. Experts in their respective fields, they have considerable experience of dealing with Business Transactions and Corporate Advice; Capital Markets; Competition, Mergers and Takeovers; Projects and Energy; Banking and Financing; and Dispute Resolution. As a full-service firm we advise clients on all aspects of their transactions in Pakistan, both contentious and non-contentious matters. 

We are recognised for our experience in a wide range of sectors including, inter alia, 

  • energy and natural resources

  • steel and manufacturing

  • financial institutions and banks

  • defence and security

  • technology, media and telecom

  • airlines 

  • food and drink

  • dispute resolution

Our practice area includes

Banking, Finance and Capital Markets: We act for foreign lenders, sponsors and banks across a wide range of financial and banking transactions

Corporate and Commercial: We advise on all aspects of commercial matters from M&A to joint ventures; from distributorships and franchising to commercial contracts; and from entry, exit and transfer and sale of businesses to anti-trust, merger and merger clearance

Employment and Labour: We have a long standing track record of advising on disciplinary and performance problems; downsizing, redundancy, restructuring and other organizational changes; employment contracts; and labour and employee disputes

Compliance and Anti-bribery: We advise clients on a full spectrum of compliance issues associated with doing business in Pakistan including anti-bribery and potential foreign corrupt practices

Dispute Resolution: We have extensive experience in litigation, arbitration and mediation with a former appeals court Judge supervising matters and a Barrister and a CEDR, UK-accredited mediator handling legal actions all the way from trial up to the court of the last resort

 

Examples of our work:

  • Retainer Counsel to UK’s leading electricity provider advising on Pakistan’s largest Power Project of US$1.8 billion - O&M contractor (from 1988 till present) and controlling shareholder (from 1992 to 2009);

  • Assisting a European airline on lease of aircrafts to a Pakistani airline in the private sector (both dry and wet leases);

  • Advising a leading German Bank on a finance facility of US$100 million extended to the Government of Pakistan;

  • Representing a Japanese manufacturer in the proposed acquisition of a public listed steel manufacturing company and on a joint-venture with another Pakistani company;

  • Providing anti-bribery and public procurement advisory services to the 4 top international defence equipment suppliers on their transactions with the Pakistan armed forces;

  • Advising on employment, labour, industrial disputes and other human resource matters, inter alia, KPT (15,000 workers); PIA (16,000 employees); Dock Labor Board (8,000 workers); SESSI (3,500 staff); O&M Contractor of Power Plant (120 workers);  Norwegian Telecommunication Company (over 1,000 employees); branch offices of foreign airline companies operating in Pakistan based in the Middle-East, Europe and South-Asia;

  • Advising and assisting the world leader in software on all its legal issues;

  • Advising, drafting and negotiating project documents, including, agreements relating to sale of gas, gas swapping, procurement and laying of gas pipelines, gas compressors, telecommunication and other related procurement contracts in the oil and gas sector;

  • Representing the Liquidators of BCCI (London, Luxembourg, Grand Cayman and Hong Kong) from 1991 till present in 90% of all their litigation work in Pakistan as well as advising on bank merger arising out of the global winding up of the BCCI Bank;

  • Successfully prosecuting a banking suit on behalf of a prominent Japanese trading house against a local bank and obtaining a Banking Court Judgment in the sum of US$22 million in a record time of 15 months from the date of filing of the Suit;

  • Obtaining the first-ever arrest order of an aircraft in Pakistan;

  • Defending case filed against a major UK Steel Company and obtaining one of the first Judgments from the Pakistan Court applying the provisions of the New York Convention on international arbitration;

  • Representing a Multinational Oil Company in an ICC Arbitration;

  • Senior Counsel presided International Arbitration Tribunal involving a commercial dispute between Indian and Nepalese parties;

  • Advising and assisting a US Law Firm successfully prosecute a civil action for recovery of debt of US$50 million from the State Bank of Pakistan before the U.S. District Court of the Southern District Court of New York;

  • Advising on franchise / distributor agreements for international entities in the automobile, pharmaceutical, food, leisure, education, electronic equipments, luxury goods and designer industries.

 

Quick

For us, no commitment is too arduous. The fact that we are not the largest only spurs us to greater effort to produce the best results in the shortest time possible with real savings passed on to clients. Working as a team with our associates in Lahore, Islamabad/Rawalpindi, we provide solutions to all your legal needs anywhere in Pakistan.

 

Cost-efficient 

Our fee is competitive, charged on an hourly basis, always keeping in view the fact that the fee should be reasonable in relation to the complexity of the matter, the value of opinion in terms of saving and risk involved in the transaction.

We are flexible to structure services based on fixed costs basis within defined parameters offering value for money.

We can proudly boast of having a solid base of highly satisfied clients all over the world because we believe in developing a personal understanding and rapport with them and offering value for money.

 

Contact us:

For more information on how we can help your business in Pakistan, please contact:

Jawad Sarwana
Partner

Phone: +92 213-568-7360
Email: jas@abrahamslaw.net

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