Introducing YLH &CO: Advocates and Solicitors

YLH &CO: Advocates and Solicitors

PRACTICE PROFILE

Practice Areas

·         Arbitration

·         Banking Law

·         Corporate/Commercial Litigation

·         Company/Corporate Compliance

·         Consultancy and Advisory

·         Constitutional Law

·         Criminal Law – White Collar Crime

·         Regulatory work 

·         Telecommunications Law

·         Transactional Advisory

THE LAWYER

Yasser Latif Hamdani, BA (Rutgers University) LLB, brings to the table solid experience of corporate commercial law including litigation. His previous experience is listed below.

1.       CORPORATE LAW; BANKING AND COMMERCIAL LITIGATION ASIM HAFEEZ & ASSOCIATES Advocate at the High Courts of Pakistan (November 2011- June 2012) Responsible, inter alia, :(i) preparing pleadings and conducting cases in the lower/trial courts (i.e. Civil Court, Rent Controller, Consumer Courts, Banking Courts etc.) and the High Courts (ii)drafting and vetting contracts of different nature including sale, distribution, franchise, partnership and lease agreements; (iii) rendering legal opinion to the firm’s clients on various issues including commercial and corporate laws, contracts, labour laws, environmental law, basic civil and criminal law, competition law, intellectual property and banking law etc.; (iv) Preparation of Search Reports for various companies after inspection of files kept at Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan; and (v) Banking and civil litigation. Major Assignments Responsibilities include drafting legal briefs, contracts, legal opinions and appearing before the Lahore High Court, Lahore, in matters pertaining to Defence Housing Authority (such as DHA’s litigation against various cellular service providers over right of way which is pending). Also assisted in preparing legal opinion/comments on BTS right of way and easement in the particular context of the Telegraph Act, 1885 and the Pakistan Telecommunications (Re-organization) Act, 1996. Responsible for all transactional work for the firm such as vetting, drafting and proofing contracts and other corporate legal documents including but not limited to: Energy purchase agreements; Terms of reference documents; Share transfer agreements; Shareholders loan agreements; Shareholders assistance agreements; Share pledge agreements; Hypothecations; Mortgage deeds; Transfer deeds; and Company resolutions. Vetted, drafted and reviewed agreements as well as legal opinions on matters pertaining to inter alia contracts, corporate compliance and labour laws of Pakistan for large construction groups such as RAFI Group, Zaitoon Group, Al Khan Construction etc. Also assisted senior counsel and appeared before Lahore High Court in matters related to these groups. Assisted the senior counsel in litigation pertaining to CNG stoppage, representing SNGPL. Appeared as pleader in NAB Reference vis a vis Haris Steel titled State v. Hamesh Khan/Shaikh Afzal etc. Assisted the Senior Counsel in the landmark constitutional petition case vis a vis a Single Judge in his capacity as Persona Designata before a Division Court of the Lahore High Court, Lahore. RAJA MOHAMMED AKRAM & CO Senior Associate (February-November 2011) Responsible for assisting Senior Partner Mr. Salman Akram Raja, Advocate Supreme Court, in matters before the High Courts of Pakistan and the Supreme Court of Pakistan pertaining to energy, inter alia gas allocation and power, constitutional rights and banking matters including but not limited to drafting constitutional writ petitions and banking suits for the firm as well as agreements and transactions.  Additionally tendered opinions and vetted agreements for various high end corporate clients. Major Assignments Worked on the Newspaper Employees case to enforce the 7th Wage Board Award. Assisted the senior counsel in the case titled APTPMA v. Federation of Pakistan which pertained to the legality of a gas supply agreement pertaining to supply of 100 mmcfd gas from Qadirpur Gas Field to Engro Fertilizer Plant. Worked on the constitutional litigation in the Supreme Court challenging Peshawar High Court’s landmark decision on Article 158 of the Constitution i.e. priority vis a vis Gas Well Heads. Worked on constitutional cases pertaining to Section 20 of the Financial Institutions Recovery of Finances Ordinance, 2001 before the Lahore High Court Lahore. BHANDARI NAQVI AND RIAZ (“BNR”) Senior Associate (Jun 2010- Feb 2011)

Responsible for all transactional work for the firm such as vetting, drafting and proofing contracts and other corporate legal documents including energy purchase agreements, terms of reference documents, share transfer agreements, shareholders loan agreements, shareholders assistance agreements, share pledge agreements, hypothecations, mortgage deeds, letters of intent, transfer deeds, company resolutions, forms and the like. Drafted legislation, including the proposed “Benami Prohibition Act” and the proposed “Limited Liability Partnership Act”.  Major Assignments Prepared a shareholders’ loan agreement for a leading European CBM Equity Firm Prepared the agreement between Health Department of the Government of Punjab and Monsanto for hybrid cotton seeds. Worked on major Constitutional litigation pertaining to Article 10-A of the Constitution and its application vis a vis Banking laws of Pakistan.

PAKISTAN MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED (“MOBILINK”) Specialist I, Legal Affairs (December 2006 – June 2010)

Vetted, drafted and reviewed agreements as well as legal opinions on matters pertaining to inter alia contracts, corporate compliance and labour laws of Pakistan. Handled Mobilink’s Intellectual Property profile and successfully challenged several infringements of Mobilink’s Intellectual Property rights.  Advised Mobilink’s marketing department on various intellectual property related matters. Managed Regulatory and Compliance issues pertaining to Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan Telecommunications Authority and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority. Represented the company as general counsel for Mobilink and its subsidiary Link Direct International (Pvt.) Limited (“LDI”) overseeing the acquisition of several companies and the licences, including but not limited to Dancom Online Services (Pvt.) Ltd, World Online Telecom Limited,  DVCom Wimax (Pvt.) Ltd and  Z-WLL (Pvt.) Ltd for Mobilink’s Wimax launch.

2.      LEGISLATION: Draft Redressal of Minorities Grievances Law Drafted a bill for the Pakistani National Assembly to forward and safeguard minorities civil rights in Pakistan. A modified version is likely to be passed as law in this cold weather session of the National Assembly. Available on request. Draft Anti-Incitement Law Drafted  a bill in wake of violence against women, minorities and academics to safeguard and protect these classes from mob violence. Under consideration by stakeholders. Available on request. Draft Benami Prohibition Law Drafted a bill outlawing Benami i.e. false owner property for an organisation promoting competitiveness in Pakistani markets working in collaboration with the Federal Government of Pakistan. Under consideration by the Federal Government. Draft LLP Law Drafted a bill to allow for the introduction of Limited Liability Partnerships in Pakistan for the aforesaid organisation. 3.      PUBLIC INTEREST/PRO-BONO PUBLICO/ CONSTITUTIONAL LAW Freedom of Speech Petitions Currently involved in two Constitutional Petitions seeking to curb the powers of Pakistan Telecommunications Authority vis a vis smart phones, privacy and social media. Successfully got the Blackberry Browsing Services restored through this litigation. Workers’ Rights One of the assisting counsels on a landmark wage board award for newspaper employees case. The judgment of the honourable Supreme Court can be accessed here: http://www.supremecourt.gov.pk/web/page.asp?id=804 4.      PUBLICATIONS/WRITING EXPERIENCE Major Published work: 1.      Gradual Secularisation of the Islamic Narrative through reform; by Hamdani, Yasser Latif, Criterion Quarterly, October-December 2011 issue. 2.      Debt Recovery and the Due Process Challenge in Pakistan; for Mylaw.net, an Indian online law review 3.      A Brief History of Islamisation of Pakistani Legal System; for Mylaw.net, an Indian online law review 4.      To be published:  Signed a book deal in February 2012 with Vanguard Publications to write a book on Quaid-e-Azam tentatively titled: Jinnah; Myth and Reality.

CONTACT

YLH&Co Advocates and Solicitors,

2^nd Floor, RI Partners Plaza, 7-A Turner Road, Lahore.

Telephone +92 42 37312828, +92 42 373637330

Cell Phone 300 5552232

Skype Yasser.latif.hamdani.

Fax no  +92 42 37321664

Email Yasser.hamdani@gmail.com.

Legal Blog  http://globallegalforum.blogspot.com.