The firm advises companies, their boards and their shareholders across the whole life of a business — from incorporation and the first shareholders' agreement through to restructuring, sale or winding up. We act for owner-managed businesses, family companies, private limited companies and listed concerns, as well as for overseas investors establishing a presence in Pakistan.
Corporate work rarely stays purely corporate. A share transfer carries tax consequences; a joint venture carries competition and regulatory ones; a shareholder dispute can become urgent litigation overnight. Because the firm practises across all of those areas, the advice you receive accounts for them before a step is taken rather than after.
What we do
- Incorporation of private and public limited companies, and corporate secretarial practice under the Companies Act 2017
- Shareholders' agreements, joint ventures and partnership deeds
- Share transfers, allotments, buy-backs and capital restructuring
- Mergers, acquisitions, demergers and schemes of arrangement
- Commercial contracts: supply, distribution, agency, franchise and licensing
- Corporate governance, board procedure and directors' duties
- SECP filings, returns and regulatory compliance
- Foreign investment structuring and branch or liaison office registration
- Winding up, dissolution and members' voluntary liquidation
How we work
Matters in this area are handled by senior counsel from first instruction to final order. We give a candid view of the merits at the outset — including where a claim is not worth running — and agree fees before work begins rather than after.
If your matter touches more than one of our practice areas, it will be dealt with by the same team rather than passed between departments.
Common Questions
Corporate & Commercial Law: frequently asked
How long does it take to incorporate a company in Pakistan?
Straightforward incorporations through the SECP's online system are usually completed within a few working days once the name is reserved and the subscribers' documents are in order. Timelines lengthen where foreign shareholders or directors are involved, as additional verification is required.
Can a foreign national own a Pakistani company outright?
In most sectors, yes — 100% foreign ownership is permitted, subject to sector-specific restrictions and to registration requirements with the SECP and the State Bank of Pakistan. We advise on the correct structure before incorporation, since changing it afterwards is considerably more expensive.
Do you act on a fixed fee for corporate work?
For defined pieces of work — an incorporation, a set of constitutional documents, a contract review — yes, and the fee is agreed before we begin. Contentious or open-ended matters are quoted differently, and we will say so at the outset.
Enquiries
Discuss a corporate & commercial law matter.
An initial consultation carries no obligation, and we will tell you plainly whether the firm is the right one for the matter.