Banking and finance

Our clients include domestic, regional and international financial institutions and banks, and we act as counsel to many of the most active international and regional banks and multilateral lenders. We have advised on major financings in a broad range of industry sectors, including energy and natural resources, infrastructure, transport and logistics, real estate, construction and technology.With market-leading experience of advising local and foreign banks on the structuring, negotiation and implementation of bilateral and syndicated loans, re-financings and project finance. Our litigation department regularly represents major financial institutions in claims against borrowers. We also defend borrowers against creditor claims.

Our team understands that sound investment decisions are crucial for the health and growth of a company. Our experts are renowned for ensuring that acquisitions, joint ventures and other fundraisings are properly structured and financed. Our corporate finance expertise extends across the full range of public and private financings. We advise on a range of debt and equity instruments issued by local and multinational corporates and represent investment banks, private equity firms and multilateral lenders.

We offer dedicated Sharia’h law expertise, and is experienced in a range of Islamic finance structuring techniques such as Mudaraba, Musharaka, Ijara, Sukuk and other structures. We advise on other global Sharia’h compliant models.Our experts provide commercially sound and coherent advice to a range of clients, including governments and financiers (senior lenders, mezzanine lenders and joint venture partners) across the South Asia and Middle East regions. We maintain close relationships with Islamic Scholars and Sharia’h advisors, and have good working relationships with, and knowledge of AAOIFI, IFSB and other leading standard setting bodies in the industry.

A company’s value can often be better realised through a debt restructuring process. We advise on the full range of restructurings, including debt and equity restructurings, debtor and creditor-led restructurings and workouts and re-financings. We design our advice to help distressed companies reduce their credit risk and preserve value. We regularly act for lenders, investors, private equity houses and financial advisors.

With a comprehensive understanding of financing and security arrangements (including enforcement), debt to equity conversions and syndicated and substantial loan transactions we can draft, negotiate and advise upon extensive suites of documentation.

• Acumen Fund: financing projects in Pakistan.
• Alinma Bank (Saudi Arabia): facility arrangements of approximately USD 560m to a consortium bidding for an airport expansion project in KSA (pre RIAA Barker Gillette).
• Al-Meezan Investment Bank Limited: represented client in the Initial Public Offer of Rs. 270m.
• Cisco Systems Finance International (Ireland): proposed USD 4m loan facility by Cisco Systems Capital Corporation to Wateen Telecom (Private) Limited.
• Dubai Department of Finance of the Government of Dubai: Syndicated Ijarah Facility of up to USD 600m (pre RIAA Barker Gillette).
• Emirates Bank International PJSC restructuring of AED 400m Syndicated Loan Facility (pre RIAA Barker Gillette).
• Export Banque (Paris): financing facility to a local telecommunication company.
• ICI Pakistan Limited: Rs.1b term finance certificates issued by client.
• KfW and KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH: USD 120m ship finance facilities (pre RIAA Barker Gillette).
• Overseas Private Investment Corporation: USD 10m credit facility to Tameer Micro Finance Bank Limited and in relation to finance worth USD 9.89m provided to SSJD Bio-Energy Limited for a 12 MW power plant project based in Sindh, Pakistan.
• Sponsors of the City of Arabia and Mall of Arabia projects in Dubai in relation to AED 1.35b Syndicated Islamic Facility.
• The Carlyle Group and other global private equity firms and industry groups (including US Private Equity Growth Capital Council and British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association): in connection with the Investment Funds and Investment Management Regulations issued by ESCA (pre RIAA Barker Gillette).
• The Carlyle Group: establishment of Carlyle MENA Investment Advisors Limited and related entities (pre RIAA Barker Gillette).
• United Bank Limited: Habib Bank Limited and National Bank of Pakistan, represented the consortium in the USD 70m Murabaha financing of Pakistan International Airlines for the acquisition of aircraft.