Consultant
Top-ranked by international legal directories, Mr Rizvi is globally recognised as a leading international corporate lawyer.
He has extensive experience in contentious and non-contentious legal matters, including contract negotiations, strategic planning, corporate and financial restructuring, privatizations, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, Islamic financing and project finance. He also has deep expertise in legislative and regulatory matters. He has drafted various statutory enactments and regulatory frameworks for Pakistan, including the natural gas regulatory framework, the telecommunication regulatory framework and the regulatory framework for Pakistan’s securities and corporate sectors.
Considered a leader in the energy, infrastructure and finance sectors, Mr Rizvi has acted in most of Pakistan and Afghanistan’s major independent power projects on behalf of the Government, sponsors and lenders. Over the past 40 years, he has drafted and negotiated numerous project development and financing documentation for infrastructure and power projects. Mr Rizvi has advised on project finance and corporate finance transactions exceeding USD 15 billion in aggregate value and M&A transactions of more than USD 5 billion in aggregate value.
Mr. Rizvi has held several prominent positions, including director of the (former) Karachi Stock Exchange, and Chairman of the Committee on Cyber Laws Legislation and IPR of the Ministry of Science and Technology of Pakistan, and Member of the National Bioethics Commission.
Mr Rizvi is one of only a handful of lawyers to receive the prestigious Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) from the President of Pakistan. He has been recognized as a Senior Statesperson in Pakistan by Chambers Global. For over 20 years, he has been consistently named a Top-Ranked Lawyer by international legal directories such as Chambers and Partners, Legal 500, AsiaLaw and International Who’s Who of Professionals.
Experience
Construction, energy and infrastructure
Karachi Airport Jinnah Terminal Project, Lahore-Islamabad Motorway Project, 500,000 Bot Telephone Lines Project, Refinery Projects, LNG Terminal Projects, Deep-Sea Container Terminal Projects, Mineral Development Projects, Power Projects of More Than 10,000mw, Cross-Border Gas Pipeline Projects, Cross-Border Transmission Line Project, Karachi Circular Railway Project, Karachi Elevated Expressway Project, And Oil and gas Joint Venture Projects.
Corporate finance and project finance
Transactions exceeding USD 15 billion in aggregate value, M&A transactions of more than USD 5 billion and privatization transactions including Pakistan Telecommunication Company, Karachi Electric Supply Corporation, Pakistan Steel Mills Corporation, Pakistan State Oil and Pakistan Petroleum.
Mergers and acquisitions
- Makro-Habib in the demerger and merger Metro AG.
- MetLife in divestiture of its Pakistan subsidiary.
- Magnitgorsk Iron and Steel Works, in the privatization of Pakistan Steel Mills Limited.
- Pfizer Corporation, in the re-structuring and merger of its subsidiaries in Pakistan.
- Clariant in the divestiture of part of its assets/business in Pakistan.
- Occidental Petroleum in the sale of its assets to BP.
Privatisation
- Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited
- Karachi Electric Supply Corporation
- Pakistan Steel Mills Corporation
- Pakistan State Oil
- Pakistan Petroleum Limited
Further information
Education
- University of London, LLM, 1981
- Inns of Court, Bar Vocational Course, 1980
- London School of Economics, LLB (Hons), 1979
Languages
English and Urdu
Memberships
- Sindh Bar Council
- Sindh High Court Bar Association
- Enrolled as an Advocate at the High Court
- Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn
Recognition and awards
- Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence) highest National Award conferred on a Lawyer (2004).
- Ranked amongst the ‘Top-Tier Band 1 Lawyers’ by Chambers Global Lawyers of the World (2001 to-date).
- Ranked as a ‘Senior Statesperson’ and ‘Top Lawyer’ by Chambers Asia Pacific (2007 to-date).
- ‘Best Corporate Lawyer’ award by AsiaLaw (2006 to-date).
- Former Director of the Karachi Stock Exchange.
- Chairman of the Select Committee on Cyber Laws (Ministry of Information Technology, Government of Pakistan).
- Selected to the International ‘Who’s Who of Professionals’ (2007 to-date).
- Member of the National Bioethics Commission of Pakistan.
What clients say
Chambers Global Guide 2024
- “He is able to provide comprehensive advice on all matters of an extremely complex nature.”
- “He is a brilliant legal professional.”
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2024
- “He is a brilliant legal professional. He is able to provide comprehensive advice on all matters of an extremely complex nature.”
Chambers Asia Pacific 2022
- Ahsan Zahir Rizvi is acknowledged for his precise legal work and local expertise, with interviewees labelling him one of Pakistan’s top corporate lawyers. He offers clients extensive experience on major M&A transactions.
- Ahsan Zahir Rizvi is the global senior and managing partner of RIAA Barker Gillette and has forged a formidable reputation as one of the country’s leading experts on energy sector financings.
Chambers Asia Pacific 2021
- Ahsan Zahir Rizvi is a ”great lawyer” who ”makes the lenders comfortable,” according to interviewees. He is the global senior and managing partner of the firm and has forged a formidable reputation as one of the country’s leading experts on energy sector financings.
