LEGAL SERVICES
INTERNATIONAL & CROSS-BORDER SERVICES
International disputes are complex matters and demand special skills, experience, and cultural understanding. This is where SgC stands out in its cross-border ADR practice, tax, and legal advisory. SgC’s legal representation has included a rich profile of national and multiple multinational clients.
During the last thirty years, SgC has represented multiple diplomatic missions and embassies. In addition, SgC has represented multiple INGOs and NGOs.
LETIGATION,LEGAL ADVICE, AND LEGAL
REPRESENTATION
SgC offers experienced and known litigators in civil, criminal, employment, corporate, commercial, construction, tax and constitutional law, and family laws.
With over three decades of experience in constitutional law, we have drafted & defended constitutional challenges based on constitutional provisions, in federal and provincial courts, including the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Freedom of religion, the right to a fair trial, sovereign immunity, & prohibition against cruel and inhumane punishment are some of the constitutional concerns we have dealt with. Federal and provincial criminal trial practice of SgC encompasses white collar crimes, murder, rape, robbery, theft, kidnapping, fraud, & corruption.
CONSTRUCTION LAW PRACTICE
SgC concentrates its practice on construction law. The senior attorneys have substantial construction and land development law experience and have earned a reputation for responsiveness to client needs, integrity, and commitment to meeting their clients’ requirements.
The firm has dealt with several mega construction contracts and disputes related thereto during the last three decades. The firm has not only conducted several arbitration proceedings concerning major infrastructure disputes of various nature but; it has been providing on-going consultancy services to several clients in such matters.
CIVIL LAW AND CRIMINAL LAW PRACTICE
Our civil practice includes advice and representation for small businesses and individuals in actual or potential civil litigation before administrative agencies or in any Provincial or Federal court in Pakistan. We also provide contract and real estate representation, including negotiation, document preparation and review, and litigation. Similarly, our criminal trial practice consists of criminal cases in Pakistan in the District Court, High Court, and the Apex Courts.
LEGAL ADVICE AND LEGAL REPRESENTATION IN EMPLOYMENT MATTERS
The firm is dedicated to providing legal services to resolve employer/employee disputes concerning the employment and labor laws of Pakistan. We provide assistance and representation in employment law legal proceedings, and legal advice to those facing employment law problems. The Firm has the capabilities of representing parties in Arbitration, Mediation, Federal Services Tribunal, and other relevant courts and tribunals and offers a suite of ADR solutions.
The services in employment matters encompass matters relating to wages and entitlements; leave; dismissal; redundancy; discrimination; harassment at the workplace; issues affecting contractors; pension programs; issues related to gratuity, provident fund, etc.
In terms of employers, we assist in:
- defending personal grievances at all levels;
- providing the most cost-effective advice and support ensuring that the employer’s exposure is limited as much as possible;
- assisting with disciplinary matters involving existing employees and developing a performance management programme, if necessary;
- advise on redundancy procedures in the event of restructuring;
- providing a confidential environment to enable employers to explore all options when dealing with staffing issues;
- devising the most efficient HR Manual for your organization;
- Providing mediation and conciliation services between the employer and employee to prevent and/or resolve disputes without recourse to courts.
CYBER SECURITY AND DATA PROTECTION
The legal spectrum pertaining to Technology, Media, and Communication, Industry encompasses the legal framework for the regulation of the transmission of information in all its forms. Due to the advancements in mediums of transmission of information over the past decade, this area has gained traction.
With the change in legal regulations and diversity in the frameworks cross borders, there is a need to spot and pre-empt legal technicalities before they arise to ensure a smooth running of the enterprise. You need legal counsels with detailed knowledge and experience in this sector to tackle these concerns head-on, often on an international platform. SgC, with its global approach, backs telecom and communication establishments in all facets of their functioning capacities, including data protection network sharing, free speech, acquisitions, pricing sales, operations, product development, licensing, and regulatory compliance.
We understand the sectors and are well established to configure innovative solutions for you. An absolute understanding of our clients’ strategic goals and objectives are of true value to our flexible, individualized approach to providing legal solutions. Our legal team offers to businesses, governments, and public authorities legal advice and support on:
- data protection, privacy, confidentiality and security matters;
- successful strategy development;
- execution and compliance monitoring;
- providing unique end-to-end, seamless service by closely working with audit, consulting, risk management, and forensics experts;
- appraising you of the regulatory reforms to help you prepare for the changes in data protection and cyber security;
- providing support for data protection officers and chief privacy officers;
- handling cyber, privacy, and data incidents;
- advising and representing in litigation, arbitrations, regulatory investigations, and enforcement actions;
- handling complaints and exercising individual rights.
In relation to intellectual property, our legal team can assist you with:
- Representation in IP-related litigation;
- providing advisory concerning licensing;
- advising on exploitation and protection of IP;
- registration of trademarks and copy rights;
- investigations relating to copyrights and trademarks; and
- providing commercial, end to end intellectual property advice in all area
ENERGY, POWER AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Impacts on the fiscal and monetary concerns and environmental conditions of a region make the energy and power industry an exciting sector to work in, where the advisers must be up-to-date with contemporary developments and legal insight supported by a worldwide resource skill. We can advise you on energy, power projects, and infrastructure matters from the pre-qualification process, bidding, consenting, planning procedures through to the construction, financing, operation, and maintenance of the project.
The Energy and Power sector cannot be bound to one specific region. Since it is based on natural resources, which relates to cross border dealings, SgC’s clients value the global outreach and experience drawn by the firm.Our legal team will keep you abreast of developments under the municipal legal and regulatory framework by:
- Ensuring compliance by you with all relevant regulatory requirements.
- Managing disputes with the regulator and contractual relationships.
- Assisting with energy and energy-related financial market regulation.
- Drafting and reviewing sector-specific contracts.
- Advising on energy and energy-related trading agreements
BANKING AND FINANCE
Banking and Finance is a fast emerging and highly competitive sector which has revolutionized global markets. At SgC, we deliver concrete, effective resolutions to our clientele for their financing transactions. Our expertise coupled with experience in numerous jurisdictions has facilitated us to meet a broad range of product areas such as Taxation, Merger & Acquisition, and Real Estate making us a one-stop-shop for our clientele in this industry seeking expert advice.
The firm caters to banking clients, non-banking financial institutions, corporate establishments, individuals, and firms
Our legal team can assist you with key legal and documentation aspects of debt finance, including:
- Mergers and acquisitions
- Refinancing of existing debt
- Syndicated loans
- Intra-group financing arrangements
- Real estate finance
- Receivables financing
- Lease finance
ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION
SgC provides practical experience and concrete solutions on all contentious and non-contentious environmental and climate change issues. As establishments increasingly include environmental compliance into their services, products, brand value, and investment criteria, environmental law now affects major commercial sectors and jurisdictions. We can handle a complete range of environmental litigation and environmental issues.
SgC can carry out legal environment due diligence and risk assessments, engage and supervise environmental consultants, negotiate environmental warranties, indemnities, and other contractual shields and advise on environmental insurance. We also administer impartial advice to facilitate clients to make viable sense of existing and anticipated national and international laws, such as those which apply to environmental permits and carbon reduction (CRC).
Establishments are often concerned about purchasing, industrialising, or simply possessing or occupying land which might be contaminated. Aided by technical consultants at SgC, we help the clients understand the concrete implications and analyse whether they have any compulsions and take essential steps to prevent actions against them pertaining to remedial measures for contamination.
TRANSACTIONAL
Encompassing research, preparation, and analysis of documents that collate individuals and companies, our spectrum of practice caters from contracts for large corporate mergers and acquisitions to the closing documents for the purchase of a residence. In working with the clientele, which ranges from budding corporations to large, international establishments, the team at SgC concentrates on governance rather than contract administration. With experience spanning over three decades in a variety of sectors, we advise on, among other facets, pricing, performance, and governance alongside innovative, modern-day resolutions along with market-leading technical expertise.
LEGAL SUPPORT TO NGO AND CHARITIES
The firm has experience in relation to registration of charities, trusts, foundations, INGOs, NGOs, their compliance with domestic and international laws. SgC has worked with charities operating in education, the betterment of underprivileged health, and international relief and development programs
TRANSPORTATION AND LOGISTICS
Due to its evolving legal and regulatory demands, the transport and logistics sector requires assistance and advice from a counsel with an intercontinental approach. The firm handles complex legal matters specific to the transportation and logistics industry. As time has progressed in this fast globalizing world, our lawyers have enhanced their skills and problem-solving capacities to assist further and provide an individualized consultancy.PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
Counsels at SgC know both the public and private infrastructure requirements pivotal to work on Public-Private Partnership matters. Timely execution and a professional approach have made the governmental agencies gain or trust. We have valued a deep understanding of their roles and approaches to the key concerns and the public- policy environment in which they function.
PRO BONO
The firm’s Pro bono policy encourages its lawyers to work for individuals that cannot afford legal representation and are thus detained against their fundamental rights. SgC has taken the initiative on missing persons in Pakistan, various asylum cases, illegal confinement, and child abduction cases. The firm has also united children abducted in Pakistan and filed cases against professional negligence on behalf of the poor as part of its pro bono work. We provide free legal advice for women and children unable to retain legal assistance.
ARBITRATION / ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Keeping in view your best legal interests, our legal team engages in pre-trial negotiations, alternative dispute resolution, arbitration, and mediation, with an extensive array of expertise in arbitration practice. Our legal team has built expertise in international arbitrations and have appeared before tribunals constituted by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Paris, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (“ICSID”), Washington D.C and the Arbitration Institute of Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) and Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC).
INSURANCE
SgC handles a vast range of insurance disputes and litigation. Our focus on the insurance sector signals the importance we give to the legal, commercial and regulatory concerns it faces with a clientele ranging from general insurers to global composites and self-insuring government bodies.
Insurance against tangible and intangible assets and mistakes made by professionals, disputes between the insured policyholder and the insurer; between the insured and the insurer and a third party; or between the insurer and reinsurer – are common grounds in insurance matters which the legal counsels at SgC deal with. In the subcategory of professional indemnity, we take opinions from experts, investigate claims, assess the authenticity, and look into the coverage of an insurance policy to evaluate an insurer’s liability.
In commercial insurance disputes, we have worked on a variety of claims, which include property damage due to natural disasters and conflicts between the two parties over insurance payouts and what the coverage comprises of.
PROPERTY AND REAL ESTATE
This sector encompasses both tangible and intangible assets. Hence, it incorporates more than just the drafting of contracts for purchase or sale of the property, making the practice area of Real Estate and Property Law a complex medium. This very complexity is due to the lack of uniformity and consistency in Provincial Laws. The intricacy of Real Estate dealings calls for practitioners to broaden and deepen their expertise as time progresses. The remit of the practice in this industry by experts at SgC is multi-jurisdictional. Our innovative, effective, and cost-sensitive approach has won us longstanding relationships with our clients. We handle transactions for the country’s leading banks.
We are experienced in property and finance, property management, sale, purchase, transfer of a real estate or real property, fund and asset management, regulatory matters and all aspects of conveyancing. Our expertise includes the legal aspects of renting property and landlord issues, mortgaging, gifting, property development, and home loans and foreclosures. We advise our clients on any interest, rights, or benefits that may be legally considered attached to the real property; renters’ and homeowners’ rights; title to real property; settlement of claims against property rights. We assist in locating properties, investigating the property and maintenance title, and all other legal formalities for the client.
PRIVATE CLIENT
Our legal team assists high-net-worth individuals and their families by:
- Providing legal advice
- Helping clients protect and grow their wealth
- Providing independent, highly qualified asset management and retirement planning
- Providing full range of legal services designed to address private legal needs
- Advising on comprehensive succession planning
- Drafting gift deeds, wills and real estate transfer agreements
- Advising on international family and inheritance law
- Setting up family foundations and trusts
PUBLIC LAW
Our legal team advises and assists in relation to the development of infrastructure projects, public transportation, or constructing power plants by:
- Advising on legal issues
- Providing consultation regarding awarding of contracts in the public sector
- Providing consultation and advice for public procurement, public-private projects and privatization
- Advising on documentation and transparency of processes
- Keeping you appraised of relevant municipal and international legal issues
- Devising effective legal strategies
- Advising in relation to the pre-qualification and tendering processes
- Drafting and negotiating procurement contracts
- Participating in the preparation of the Bid, its evaluation and negotiation
- Resolving disputes through litigation and providing solutions based on ADR