Syed Ali Bin Maaz

Education

Bachelor of Commerce (B Com), University of Karachi, 2006;
LL B (Hons), University of London (External Programme), 2007;
Bar Vocational Course, University of West of England, Bristol, 2008;
Called to the Bar (Lincoln’s Inn), 2008;
Master of Arts (M.A. in International Relations), University of Karachi, 2009;
Diploma in Islamic Economics and Finance, Centre for Islamic Economics, Karachi, 2011;
Member of Sindh Bar Council, Karachi Bar Association and High Court Bar Association;
Advocate, High Court of Sindh.

Experience

Associate:  Ijaz Ahmed & Associates, Karachi: 2008-2009

Has worked on various corporate and commercial matters, contentious and non-contentious, including appearances in high courts, civil, district and banking courts across Pakistan; advising in a wide range of commercial transactions including project finance and banking, debt and equity financing, mergers and acquisitions, foreign exchange regulations, enforcement of foreign arbitral awards and insider trading, notably in the following matters:

• Acting for the Asian Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank and other lenders on the 79MW New Bong Escape Hydroelectric Project in Azad Jammu and Kashmir including due diligence on the project documents; advising on conditions precedent documents and all matters pertaining to financial closing;
• Acting for International Finance Corporation in relation to the reorganisation of the Engro group of companies in connection with its various debt and equity financings of that group;
• Acting for International Finance Corporation in relation to a US$50,000,000 subordinated loan facility to Engro Chemical Pakistan including a conversion option;
• Advising Agence Française de Developpment in connection with (i) a loan to the Government of Pakistan for on-lending to Azad Jammu and Kashmir and (ii) addressing the related queries in relation to the proposed lending operations in Azad Jammu and Kashmir;
• Acting for and advising Corn Products International Inc. in connection with its business in Pakistan including its investment in Rafhan Maize Products;
• Acting for and advising local and foreign banks in relation to business and litigation in Pakistan;
• Advising on all regulatory matters relating to the acquisition by way of share sale of a major foreign bank operating in Pakistan through a locally incorporated subsidiary;
• Conducted as part of a team, due diligence of a major telecommunications provider in Pakistan in relation to a proposed merger of two mobile operators d assessing the impact of the merger on the loan and security documents;
• Acting for Royal Bank of Scotland in connection with the divesting of its Pakistan business;
• Assisting as project counsel for Uch-II Power (Private) Limited in relation to its proposed capacity expansion project including extensive work on drafting, reviewing and negotiating the project, financing and security documents;
• Conducting cases on behalf of airline clients and their insurers in relation to carriage by air of passengers and cargo
• Advising Pakistan International Container Terminal Limited on the prepayment obligations and related issues under the loan and security documents pertaining to the facilities extended by International Finance Corporation and the OPEC Fund for International Development;
• Issuing opinions on various legal matters relating to, inter alia, Company Law, Insider Trading and Property Law;
• Acting for International Finance Corporation, Overseas Private Investment Corporation and local lenders in connection with the debt financing of and for International Finance Corporation in connection with its equity investment in a 50MW Wind Farm by Tenaga Generasi Limited, a subsidiary of Dawood Lawrencepur Limited;
• Acting for International Finance Corporation, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and Korea Ex-Im Bank in relation to the Gulpur Hydroelectric Project
• Acting for Overseas Private Investment Corporation in relation to its financing of the 50MW Sapphire Wind Power Project;
• Acting for International Finance Corporation in relation to its financing to Imperial Developer and Builders (Private) Limited pertaining to G-4 Tower Project;
• Advising Chinese companies in relation to their respective investments in a coal mine mouth power project in the province of Punjab and in a coal power project in the province of Sindh involving imported coal;
• Advising a Hong Kong company in respect of the regulatory framework for potential investments in coal mine companies and coal power project companies in Pakistan.
• Advising K-Electric Limited in relation to its first power purchase agreement since its privatisation; including carrying out a risk analysis in relation to the prototype power purchase agreement which does not involve a Government of Pakistan Guarantee or any Government of Pakistan compensation after termination;
• Acting for K-Electric Limited in relation to its power acquisition contracts with Sindh Nooriabad Power Company (Private) Limited and Sindh Nooriabad Power Company Phase II (Private) Limited (each a joint venture company of the Government of Sindh and Technomen Kinetics (Private) Limited) for its 50 MW gas-fired electric power generation plants to be located at Nooriabad, Sindh, Pakistan and conducting extensive work on drafting, reviewing and negotiating of the power purchase agreement, energy wheeling agreement, escrow agreement and purchaser LC facility agreement;
• Acting for K-Electric Limited for the 50 MW solar power project of Oursun Pakistan Limited to be located at Deh, Ghairabad, Mirpur Sakro, Thatta, Sindh, Pakistan;
• Acting for K-Electric Limited in relation to a power acquisition contract with FFBL Power Company Limited for a 52 MW coal-fired electric power plant and conducting extensive work on drafting and reviewing of the power purchase agreement;
• Acting for Pakistan Mercantile Services (Private) Limited in relation to its sale of shares in Pakistan International Container Terminal Limited, a Pakistani public listed company, to a Mauritian company.