Barrister Ahmad Farooq Malik began his legal practice in 1999 and has since developed a distinguished career in corporate transactional work, commercial advisory, and dispute resolution. He has previously worked as an Associate and Senior Associate at leading law firms Irfan & Irfan (Attorneys-At-Law) and Aitzaz Ahsan & Associates (Advocates & Attorneys), where he advised on complex corporate and commercial transactions. His deep understanding of corporate law and regulatory frameworks is further reinforced by his tenure as Chief Legal Officer of the Infrastructure Development Authority of Punjab (IDAP), where he played a pivotal role in structuring and negotiating large-scale infrastructure and public-private partnership (PPP) projects.

Farooq specializes in corporate structuring, regulatory compliance, investment transactions, and commercial contract negotiations. His corporate transactional expertise includes advising domestic and international clients on corporate structuring, formation of companies, LLPs, joint ventures, and SPVs, as well as preparing constitutive documents such as articles of association, shareholders’ agreements, and partnership deeds. He has extensive experience obtaining regulatory consents and approvals from authorities such as SECP, BOI, SBP, PEMRA, and other sector-specific regulators to facilitate corporate transactions and foreign investments. In mergers and acquisitions, he has structured and negotiated deals to ensure regulatory compliance and business continuity, often conducting legal due diligence for private equity transactions, infrastructure investments, and cross-border business expansions.

Farooq’s experience in drafting and negotiating complex legal agreements spans diverse industries, including technology, infrastructure, finance, intellectual property, and media. He has worked extensively on technology and intellectual property agreements, including transfer of technology agreements, intellectual property licensing and assignment agreements, software development agreements, and franchise agreements. He has advised on investment and joint ventures, structuring agreements to balance investor rights, governance structures, and financial obligations. His work in infrastructure and construction law includes drafting and negotiating construction and development agreements, PPP agreements, and management services agreements for large-scale projects. He has also worked with media and entertainment companies, advising on content licensing agreements, distribution agreements, and entertainment contracts. His expertise in real estate transactions includes preparing agreements and deeds for the sale, lease, and development of immovable properties.

He has a strong practice in intellectual property law, regularly counseling clients on trademark registration, prosecution, and enforcement, responding to office actions, and developing anti-counterfeiting strategies. He has represented clients in litigation and dispute resolution related to intellectual property rights, including copyright, trademarks, and patents. He has also pursued complaints before the Pakistan Office of Domain Name Dispute Resolution Centre under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) adopted by ICANN, assisting clients in securing domain rights and protecting their online assets.

In addition to his corporate transactional practice, Farooq has vast experience handling civil, commercial, and constitutional litigation before various judicial and quasi-judicial forums in Pakistan. He has appeared before the Lahore High Court and other High Courts in corporate, banking, and regulatory disputes and has represented clients before the Supreme Court of Pakistan in constitutional matters and commercial appeals. He has also handled regulatory disputes before tribunals such as the SECP, PEMRA, and other specialized forums, and has extensive experience in arbitration and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

He has been involved in significant cases, with some of his reported judgments shaping legal precedents in Pakistan. Notable among them are PLD 2003 Lah 686: Asif Sehgal vs. National Accountability Bureau and PLD 2003 Lah 752: Ahmad Abdullah and 62 others vs. Govt. of Punjab and 3 others.

With over two decades of experience, Barrister Malik is widely respected for his ability to provide strategic legal counsel to corporations, financial institutions, and regulatory bodies. His capacity to integrate corporate advisory expertise with a strong litigation background makes him a trusted legal advisor for businesses navigating complex transactions, regulatory challenges, and dispute resolution. His contribution to corporate law, commercial litigation, and dispute resolution continues to shape the legal landscape in Pakistan.