Hfeez Saeed Akhtar
Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan
• B.A, LL.B (London), LL.M (London), of Gray’s Inn, Barrister
PRACTICE:
- Appear regularly in the Supreme Court in a wide range of areas. Have recently appeared in cases concerning property and revenue laws, service matters, pension disputes, tax, laws relating to banks, auction disputes, land reforms, settlement and evacuee laws, colonization etc.
- Have conducted over 900 cases in the Lahore High Court as main counsel in relation to civil law, commercial and corporate law, constitutional law; currently engaged in litigation relating to land/property disputes (with individuals and Provincial Government, DHA, Settlement Department, Evacuee Trust Property Board, Revenue Authorities and Border Area Committee), banking and company matters, contractual claims, tenders/public procurements, administrative disputes with public bodies, election petitions, construction disputes, agency, corporate insurance claims, media laws and NAB matters arising out of civil and commercial transactions;
- Presently, representing a multinational company in its commercial litigation in the High Courts relating to EPC construction contracts and PPRA rules; a well-known consortium of companies engaged in the development of housing societies in relation to their civil, commercial and corporate litigation in the Supreme Court and High Courts of Pakistan; a group of companies, engaged in the Sugar sector, in relation to civil litigation and disputes with statutory and other public departments; a premier milk brand regarding penalty disputes with the Competition Commission; a well-known paint manufacturer, in a claim against its rivals for deceptive marketing, before the same Commission.
- represent Employees Old Age Benefit Institution – EOBI in the Supreme Court and High Courts in cases concerning pension disputes, service matters and general litigation impacting EOBI pursuant to 18th constitutional amendment; at present, dealing with a large volume of litigation concerning the federal character of EOBI and whether it merits dissolution to the provinces and disputes related to payment of contributions.
- Represent Bank of Punjab in the Supreme Court and the High Courts (in financial claims involving billions of rupees) and auction disputes with third parties; dealt with a large number of cases relating to loan defaults, mortgages, pledge, damages, insurance, export facilities, letters of credit, trade financing/foreign bills, syndication, restructuring of liabilities, auction disputes etc; Presently, engaged in litigation relating to the power of banks under the Financial Institution (Recovery of Finances) Rules 2018 to auction mortgage properties without recourse to court.
- conduct selective civil trials in the civil, district and specialist courts involving complex legal problems including property, damages, construction disputes, defamation etc.
- Have conducted arbitrations for clients including those for Pakistan Cricket Board and against SMEDA; Previously, acted for Federal Board of Revenue in customs litigation
- Represented shareholders, directors and companies in matters relating to winding up, oppression of minority shareholders, shareholders meetings, rectification of register of members and directors, election of directors, mergers and acquisitions etc.
- advisory work includes advising companies (and individually their boards, directors and shareholders) on a wide range of issues such as formation/administration, duties/liabilities, share issue/options, governance, joint ventures, acquisitions, expansion, employment and commercial contracts with third parties; contractors and engineers (on construction and contractual disputes); housing societies on all affairs ranging from election to land disputes.
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
- Instructor in Company Law to LL.M students at the University Law College, University of The Punjab, Lahore from 2014 until 2020 (Evening Programme).
- Previously taught ‘Civil Litigation and Evidence’ to ‘Bar Transfer Test’ students (pathway to becoming a Barrister in England and Wales)
- Previously taught ‘Arbitration’ and ‘Rent’ Law to LL.B students at the Pakistan College of Law, Garden Town, Lahore
INTERESTS:
Trekking, reading, constitutional remedies and chess.