Muhammad Saqlain Arshad (LL.M, Queen Mary, University of London)
Senior Partner
Mr. Muhammad Saqlain Arshad, born 1979, is an Advocate of the High Court and practices in the area of corporate, energy and public procurement laws. Mr. Saqlain has 15 years of experience and has spent more than 10 years with the legal departments of National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC), Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) and Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power Pvt Limited (QASPPL), where he was lead counsel/advisor for these institution in all regulatory, legal, compliance and corporate matters. Mr. Saqlain also remained Senior Associate with Mr. Salman Akram Raja, Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan, where he assisted the senior Partner in handling corporate and banking litigation especially in presentation of major cases pertaining to recovery of advances through filing recovery suits and winding up petitions in Lahore High Court, Lahore. Mr. Saqlain started his private practice in Lahore in 2002 by starting his law Firm, Saqlain, Husnain & Co. and represented clients in civil and criminal matters.
During his legal career, Mr. Saqlain has gained diverse experience in the Energy, Commercial and Corporate Sectors. His areas of relevant experience include implementation of power projects, regulations of corporations, commercial and civil litigation, public procurement, drafting of project agreements, commercial contracts, energy laws, banking laws, municipal laws, and land acquisitions proceedings. (Please see list of assignments below).
Mr. Saqlain began his career as a trial attorney and later on joined law firm of Mr. Salman Akram Raja, Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan, where he assisted the senior Partner in handling corporate litigation especially in presentation of major cases pertaining to recovery of advances through filing recovery suits and winding up petitions in Lahore High Court, Lahore. Mr Saqlain remained involved in drafting a wide variety of commercial documents including agency, franchise and joint venture agreements. Mr. Saqlain also worked on Electricity laws and regulations practice included drafting applications for generation, transmission and distribution licenses, advising clients on tariff structures and duties and representing clients in pre-grant hearings before NEPRA.
Since 2005, Mr. Saqlain has taught various commercial law subjects at Quaid-e-Azam Law College, Punjab Law College, Toppers Law College and Post Graduate Institute of Law, University of Lahore.
Mr. Saqlain is a 2001 graduate from Quaid-e-Azam Law College, Lahore and holds Master’s degree in Corporate and Commercial Law from Queen Mary, University of London (2005).
Husnain Arshad (LL.M, London)
Senior Partner
Mr. Husnain Arshad, born 1985, is an advocate of High Courts with vast exposure in commercial, corporate and regulatory laws. Mr. Husnain has a vast experience in energy sector laws; on regulatory, advisory and dispute resolution matters. After obtaining vast experience as a litigation lawyer from a renowned Litigation Firm as a Senior Associate for over 6 years, Mr. Husnain worked as Assistant Legal Advisor of NEPRA and Head Legal Department of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power Pvt Limited.
As the energy sector of Pakistan is going to enter into a phase of open market and privatization of different utilities, Mr. Husnain remained part of the in-house legal team of NEPRA (energy sector regulator of Pakistan), closely observing the energy market requirements and assisting the Authority by providing legal services, inter alia, drafting different rules, regulations and preparing & vetting various project related documents. At NEPRA Mr. Husnain assisted the Authority in the matters relating to K-Electric (formerly KESC) and all IPPs on tariff determination for the generation, transmission and distribution companies i.e. IPPs (including thermal), KESC, Nuclear Power Plants, Captive Power Plants and other Renewable Energy Projects. His area of responsibilities included compliance of all legal requirements of applicable laws and rules including PPRA Rules. Reviewing all the documents and agreements submitted by parties applying for tariff determination or opting the upfront tariffs or for regulatory compliance in accordance with relevant rules and regulations including approval of bid documents (RFPs and review of the bidding process), reviewing PPAs and EPC contracts etc.He also represented the Authority on various electric power related issues before different courts of Pakistan including Sindh High Court of Sindh, Islamabad High Court, Lahore High Court Lahore and Wafaqi Mohtasib . He also drafted pleadings (writs, comments/replies etc) which were filed in the relevant courts.
After NEPRA, Mr. Husnain joined Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power (Pvt.) Limited (QASPL), first ever utility-scale, grid-connected solar power plant of Pakistan in Cholistan, Bahawalpur and remained Head of the Legal Department. At QASPL, Mr. Husnain handled all the legal, corporate and regulatory affairs of the Company as departmental head including compliance of regulatory and procurement laws. He supervised litigation cases and arbitration / negotiation / mediation directly or through engaged Counsels (external consultants). Mr. Husnain rendered legal opinion to the Board of Directors, Chief Executive Officer and other functional heads / divisions of QASPL on all legal issues including procurement laws. In addition to legal advice on procurement laws, Mr. Husnain prepared and vetted various bidding documents as per the needs of the Company in compliance with all relevant laws including the Punjab Procurement Rules, 2014. He has also remained part of various procurement committees. Mr. Husnain was engaged in drafting, filing and presenting Tariff petitions and licensing issues on behalf of QASPL before NEPRA. He also negotiated, drafted and vetted various agreements, deeds and instruments and provided legal opinion to the Management on contract management and interpretation. Mr. Husnain also conducted various departmental trainings and disseminated appropriate legal requirements to staff and also reviewed and advised the management on legal implications of internal policies and procedures.
Before his specialized services in energy sector, Mr. Husnain remained a Senior Associate at Raja Mohammed Akram & Co. (a renowned law firm headed by Mr. Salman Akram Raja – a foremost constitutional expert) for about six years where he achieved varied experience in dispute resolution; especially in constitutional, corporate, commercial, energy and banking law matters. Mr. Husnain obtained a vast experience in corporate & commercial transactions. He developed expertise in drafting various pleadings, various corporate and commercial contracts and related other legal documents on behalf of various national and multi-national companies.
Due to his versatile experience, Mr. Husnain excelled in both Corporate law consultancy and Dispute Resolution in diverse areas of Corporate & Commercial disputes, Energy, Constitutional, Banking, Service, Media, Education and related disputes.
Mr. Husnain is an Advocate High Court and holds an LL.B Degree (Lahore 2009) and LL.M Degree in Commercial Law (London, UK 2013).