Our arbitration practice, consisting of litigators which Legal 500 has described as “excellent”, is considered to be the leading arbitration practice in Pakistan.

The practice covers a diverse range of areas that cuts 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 (ICJ), the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Ad-hoc Committee and other international bodies, our team has also represented clients in international commercial arbitrations and investor-state disputes under International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), Japan Commercial Arbitration Centre (JCAA), Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC). Where necessary, our team taps into the firm’s regional and international connectivity to partner with firms across the globe to help protect our clients in other jurisdictions.

Given that our team has worked on some of the most important cases in Pakistan’s history and is renowned for its expertise in international law, our firm is the first choice for those venturing into important, high-end arbitrations covering investor-state disputes, investor-treaty arbitrations and other commercial disputes.

The practice is headed by Ahmer Bilal Soofi who is a member of ICC’s Int’l Court of Arbitration, member of the Board of Trustees for OIC’s Arbitration Center and an Arbitrator on Shanghai Arbitration Commission’s Panel of Arbitrators.

Some of our key work highlights include representing:

• Islamic Republic of Pakistan as co-agent before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in RMI vs. Pakistan
• Government of Balochistan and Pakistan at the Interim Measures stage 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
• UEC (Pvt) Limited in a contractual dispute with Yokogawa under the Japanese Commercial Arbitration Association (JCAA) and subsequent mediation under CEDR rules for a total value of USD 15,000,000
• Siddiqsons Tinplates Limited in two different cross-border disputes before the Singapore International Arbitration Center (SIAC) for claims in excess of USD 45,000,000
• Synavos Private Limited in a dispute with a Sweedish company arising from a breach of contract under the ICC Rules of Arbitration with LCIA being the venue of arbitration
• Saboor Chicks in bringing a claim against an agency of the United Nations before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (Hague)
• 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
• Paksat, the only satellite provider in Pakistan, in twenty-six different arbitrations held under the Arbitration Act 1940 against various customers for breach of contract
• Major Pakistani investors in respect of bringing a BIT claim under the ICSID convention against a State in the Middle East
• 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
• Mughals Pakistan Private Limited in a major construction dispute under the Arbitration Act, 1940 arising from the construction of the Serena Hotel Project in Lahore against Property Real Estate Investment and Management Company (PRIMACO)
• Kingcrete Builders in relation to claims arising out of the termination of a contract for the construction of Federal Government Employees Housing Authority Apartment Building in G-13, Islamabad (a flagship project of the Prime Minister’s Naya Pakistan Housing Scheme) under the Arbitration Act 1940
• Fizza Developers Private Limited in a construction dispute under the Arbitration Act 1940 against Essem Hotels arising from the construction and development of an international 5-star hotel and shopping mall in Islamabad
• A major European car importer in bringing a potential claim against its principal under the DIFC-LCIA Rules
• 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
• A major spinning mill in a potential dispute under the International Cotton Association’s (ICA) Rules and Bye-laws
• Interactive E-Solutions JLT & Diallog Broadband (Private) Limited in a $14,500,000 dispute for rejection of satellite license by O3B Networks Limited