Shabbir Harianawala

Shabbir Harianawala is a specialist M&A lawyer with a focus on telecom, oil & gas (upstream and downstream), banking and pharmaceutical sectors. Shabbir is also routinely sought by clients to advise on private equity and joint venture transactions and is well versed with complex shareholder arrangements, corporate re-organisations, foreign exchange & takeover laws, corporate governance, payment systems and general disclosures and compliances concerning listed companies. As Pakistan has a robust and well developed regulatory regime, Shabbir is routinely engaged to advise on various regulatory issues involving Competition Commission, State Bank of Pakistan, Securities Exchange Commission and other sector specific regulatory authorities.

Before moving to Karachi, Shabbir was heading the Islamabad office and was instrumental in developing the Islamabad office into a full-service practice and amongst the leading legal service providers in the region. According to Chambers & Partners and Legal 500, clients have praised Shabbir as “he has proved himself to be really, really competent, he’s good at his work and managing relationships” and “one of the sharpest lawyers I have dealt with in a long time.” Shabbir has also been consistently ranked by leading publications as amongst the leading lawyers in the country.

Due to Shabbir’s diverse exposure in several sectors, he commands a strong commercial grip on every step of the transaction and the underlying commercial sensitivities which helps him render effective and practical advice. Shabbir prefers to remain personally involved from kick-off until completion and is lauded for his accessibility and quick turn-arounds.

Outside work, Shabbir enjoys traveling. Additionally, he also likes to teach and has been a visiting lecturer to a leading business school in Pakistan on topics of business law and its practical application. Shabbir likes to read and write and has contributed editorials to leading newspapers of Pakistan (such as Dawn and Daily Times) on issues of socio-political significance.

Firm Overview:

At HaidermotaBNR, we are committed to providing practical solutions to complex issues faced by clients and establishing market standards for others to follow. We strive to challenge conventions and push existing boundaries.

Between our transactional, advisory and dispute resolution services the firm provides clients with a ‘one-stop-shop’ solution. Admired for its dynamism, our team has executed countless first-of-the-kind transactions across key sectors including Mergers & Acquisitions, Corporate & Commercial Advisory, Project Finance, Privatisation, and Public-Private Partnerships. Equipped with a deep market perspective and topnotch negotiation skills, we anticipate risks, and leverage opportunities. In tandem, our highly qualified and experienced litigation team, consisting of distinguished practitioners of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, offers clients an exhaustive service in the field of dispute resolution.

With a dedicated team of over 40 lawyers and offices in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and an affiliated office in Dubai we are always available to assist our clients in overcoming any legal challenge. Anjarwala, Collins and Haidermota (AC&H), our affiliated firm in Dubai, provides a broad range of corporate, commercial and property related legal services. AC&H has significant experience of handling transactions for clients in the Middle East, Pakistan, UK and Canada and benefits from being part of the Africa Legal Network (ALN).

At all times, we honour and value our clients’ goals, strive to exceed their expectations, and ensure “timely service delivery.”