ABS & Co - Litigation, Dispute Resolution and International Arbitration

Dispute Resolution

Our dispute resolution practice has consistently been ranked as one of the best in Pakistan. We have an “impressive disputes practice with offices in Lahore and Islamabad regularly representing the local subsidiaries of blue-chip multinationals and also a great number of government entities”. (Chambers 2019)

Our team is also “adept at handling all aspects of commercial disputes as well as major constitutional cases”. (Legal 500)

Dispute Resolution

Our dispute resolution practice provides clients with legal advice on all sorts of contentious matters covering a diverse range of areas that cut across different sectors, industries and jurisdictions. Our clients include sovereign governments, multinational corporations, high-net individuals and other public and private sector companies. Besides representing them before various international forums such as the International Court of Justice, the United Nations General Assembly Ad-hoc Committee and other international bodies including handling international commercial arbitrations and investor-state disputes under ICC, ICSID, LCIA our team has also assisted representations before the domestic courts of other countries such as the United States Federal Court and the United Kingdom Commercial Court, Doha Court, Muscat Court, Turkey’s Commercial Courts.

The depth and breadth of our dispute resolution practice is unparalleled. We handle a wide range of civil and commercial litigation that includes areas as diverse as mining, oil and gas, aviation, foreign investment, construction, energy, corporate insolvency, bankruptcy, shareholder and principal-agent disputes, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, competition, government procurement, international trade and sale of goods, anti-dumping, constitutional, tax, banking and finance, labor and employment, property and real estate, securities fraud, telecommunications and media, intellectual property, white-collar crime, extradition, international sanctions and private international law.

Given that our team has worked on some of the most important cases in Pakistan’s history ranging from Tethyan Copper Company vs. Pakistan before both ICC and ICSID to the privatization of Pakistan Steel MiIls before the Supreme Court of Pakistan, our firm is the first choice for those venturing into important, high-end commercial litigation.

Some of our key representative matters include:

Int'l Arbitration, Cross-Border and other Int'l Disputes
Commercial
Constitutional
Regulatory & Enforcement
Tax

Islamic Republic of Pakistan as co-agent before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in RMI vs. Pakistan
Government of Balochistan and Pakistan during the Interim Measures in the Reko Diq arbitration arising out of a mining dispute with TCC before ICSID and ICC
OMV Maurice Energy Limited in a contractual dispute arising out of petroleum concession agreement against Zaver Petroleum Corporation Limited and Sadruddin Hashwani before the ICC
TAG Engineering & Contracting Company W.L.L in bringing a claim against Public Works Authority, Qatar (Ashghal) for QR 90 million under the OIC Investment Treaty
Venus in respect of the breach of two NATO freight forwarding contracts for an amount of USD 18,000,000 and USD 1,400,000
Interactive E-Solutions JLT & Diallog Broadband (Private) Limited in a $14,500,000 dispute for rejection of satellite license by O3B Networks Limited
Pakistan Ordnance Factories in respect of an ad-hoc arbitration with a foreign party involving breach of a contract of supply of materials and services for a total value of Euros 50,000,000
A major European car importer in bringing a potential claim against its principal under the DIFC-LCIA Rules
UEC (Pvt) Limited in a contractual dispute with Yokogawa in a Request for Arbitration under the Japanese Commercial Arbitration Association (JCAA) and subsequent mediation under CEDR rules for a total value of USD 15,000,000
Major Pakistani investors in respect of bringing a BIT claim under the ICSID convention against a State in the Middle East
Pakistan Ordnance Factory on enforcing a judgment in Italy against PIC against supply, installation and commissioning of a Sulphuric Acid Concentration Plant for a total value of Euros 58,000,000
Government of Pakistan officials in US District Courts in class-action claims filed by the families of those who died during the terrorist attack in Mumbai
Important statutory body in the UK Commercial Court and advised the witness in respect of his participation in a War Crimes Tribunal
Nawab of Juanagadh, a princely state in pre-partition India, on the issue of accession and the treatment of his assets and properties

National Bank of Pakistan before the Supreme Court in a labour and employment dispute regarding the management structure with a potential pension liability of PKR 15 billion
Zealcon Engineering against SNGPL in a major construction dispute regarding the construction of a gas facility and processing plant in UCH-II against SNGPL
Siddiqsons Tinplate Limited against the National Tariff Commission’s imposition of anti-dumping duty on imports from China
Fizza Developers in a PKR 2.5 billion arbitral dispute for the construction of a hotel in Islamabad
Federal Board of Revenue against BP Pakistan Exploration & Production and M/s Occidental Oil & Gas Pakistan LLC in the Islamabad High Court
Lafarge Pakistan Cement Limited in bringing IP infringement proceedings against Flying Cement Company Limited for a total value of PKR 528 million
Tariq Shafi in the landmark Pakistan Steel Mills challenging the privatization of the Pakistan Steel Mills
Bankers Equity Limited in recovering more than PKR 450,000,000 through liquidation and bankruptcy proceedings in multiple courts across Pakistan
Mughals Pakistan in a construction dispute against EOBI for a total value of PKR 900 million
Pakistan Ordnance Factory (POF) in relation to an agency agreement with its agent for the supply of defence related equipment to the Srilankan Army for undisclosed amount
Habib Bank Limited in recovering PKR 300 million from a major textile unit
VINCI Construction Grans Projects in the Lahore High Court with respect to illegalities in the procurement process of a 10MGD surface water treatment plant

Government of Pakistan against A.Q. Khan regarding his detention following allegations of nuclear proliferation
Higher Education Commission before the Supreme Court on the provincial competence to set curriculum and standards of education following the 18th Amendment
Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturers Association against the Punjab Food Authority and Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority on the issue of legislative competence following the 18th Amendment
Senator Sadia Abbasi, sister of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister, in an election disqualification case before the Supreme Court of Pakistan
MP Sumaira Malik in an election disqualification case before the Supreme Court of Pakistan
Punjab Population Innovation Fund before the Lahore High Court in a case concerning the constitutionality of section 42 companies established by the Government of Punjab
Constructors Association of Pakistan against the Pakistan Engineering Council before the Islamabad High Court
All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) in challenging various surcharges and duties in relation to electricity and gas before the provincial High Courts
Federation of Pakistan against a challenge to the construction of the mixed-use Fortress Square Mall in Lahore
Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA), a major public utilities operator, in a landmark case regarding the imposition of aquifer charges for the conservation of groundwater

Lafarge Pakistan Cement Limited in a complaint made to the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) in relation to deceptive marketing practices against competitors
Lotte in a complaint made to the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) in relation to prohibited agreements (restrictive trade agreements) and abuse of dominant market position against Engro Vopak
Clover before the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) in enforcement proceedings concerning a number of violations of company law pertaining to disposal of assets, directors’ duties to disclose, and false statements in accounts
Bank of Punjab in a complaint against an asset management company concerning violations of NBFC regulations in redemption of units
Telenor before the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) in 5 different yet simultaneous enforcement proceedings concerning violations of company law pertaining to investments in associated undertakings, disposal of assets, provident fund issues
Pakistan PVC a public listed company before the Appellate Bench in an appeal matter concerning violation of company law regarding provident fund
CAPGAS in relation to a dispute regarding the imposition of a signing bonus before the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA)
Agritech in filing a complaint before OGRA with respect to the supply of natural gas
Riaz Textile Mills in a case against NEPRA for the supply of electricity

China Ocean Engineering Construction Company (COECG) before the Sindh High Court in a dispute regarding the constitutionality of sales tax on services
Motorway Operation and Rehabilitation Engineering (Pvt) Limited for wrongful imposition of income tax due to misinterpretation of law in PKR 3.1 billion matter
Federal Board of Revenue against BP Pakistan Exploration & Production and M/s Occidental Oil & Gas Pakistan LLC in the Islamabad High Court (Isl HC - Sami and Waqas)
Quaid-e-Azam Thermal Power Limited before the Lahore High Court in respect of an input tax adjustment dispute of PKR 1 billion against FBR
All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) in challenging various surcharges and duties in relation to electricity and gas before the provincial High Court
Porsche Pakistan in challenging the levy and imposition of regulatory duty on the import of new cars before the Lahore High Court
McDonalds in a matter involving the payment of advertisement tax and fee to the National Highway Authority
Hair Association in challenging the levy and imposition of sales tax on services by the Punjab Revenue Authority
Khyber Tobacco in the Peshawar High Court against the levy of excise duty on the production of cigarettes

Key Contacts

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About ABS & Co.

With over 30 years of experience and a team of 40 lawyers spread over two different offices, Ahmer Bilal Soofi & Co. is one of the largest and most experienced law firms in the country. The firm provides a broad range of legal services to its clients, ranging from corporate advisory and transactional matters to dispute resolution and international arbitration.