Ali Awais brings over 25 years of experience working with top-tier international law firms (Milbank, Baker Botts, Jones Day, Diaz Reus) and multilateral organizations (World Bank), specializing in corporate, banking, and finance law. As a leading partner spearheading the corporate, banking, and finance practice of the firm, he plays a key role in managing teams, driving strategic growth, and delivering high-value legal solutions for global financial institutions, investment funds, project sponsors, and multinational corporations. His practice encompasses a wide range of complex finance transactions, including Islamic finance, corporate finance, real estate finance, structured finance, and project finance, advising investment banks, private equity firms, and multinational corporations on sophisticated cross-border deals and structured products.

Ali provides strategic legal counsel to private equity and financial advisory firms, structuring fund formations, M&A transactions, and international investments across various sectors. His advisory portfolio includes guiding major corporations on corporate governance and compliance matters, ensuring alignment with Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) regulations and international best practices. His expertise extends to boardroom advisory, where he regularly counsels CEOs, Boards of Directors, and senior executives on investment strategies, corporate expansions, risk mitigation, and governance structures that drive sustainable business value creation.

With a strong track record in structuring complex financial transactions, Ali advises investment banks and private equity funds on a spectrum of matters, including M&A, structured finance, capital raising, and project placements. His international transactions experience covers large-scale infrastructure and project finance, with a particular focus on Islamic finance solutions for infrastructure projects involving power plants, hydroelectric facilities, pipelines, municipal water and wastewater treatment plants, highways, and airports. He is also instrumental in designing and executing corporate governance frameworks, risk management structures, and internal compliance policies, ensuring corporate entities adhere to evolving global regulatory standards.

In addition to his role at AwaisLaw DRT, Ali is a Partner at the U.S.-based law firm Diaz, Reus & Targ, where his practice is focused on infrastructure projects, corporate M&A, and banking and finance transactions. His international legal expertise is further complemented by his tenure as Senior Counsel at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., where he played a key role in developing financial and legal strategies for post-conflict and frontier markets across the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. He was the World Bank’s lead lawyer on critical initiatives, helping shape the institution’s legal strategies for economic development, infrastructure investment, and financial restructuring in emerging markets.

Ali started his legal career with Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP in New York, one of Wall Street’s most prestigious law firms. He later worked at leading international law firms, including Baker Botts LLP (Washington, D.C. & Dubai offices) and Jones Day (London & Dubai offices), where he advised on high-stakes corporate, banking, and energy transactions. Beyond private practice, Ali also has significant experience in investment banking, having spent five years as the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel at a Dubai-based investment banking firm operating out of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), where he led financial structuring, corporate governance, and regulatory compliance efforts for cross-border investments.

Beyond his legal practice, Ali is an acclaimed visiting faculty member at LUMS Law School, Lahore, where he teaches courses on Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and Project Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Company Law. His dedication to legal education and mentoring the next generation of lawyers has further cemented his standing as a thought leader in the industry.

His professional excellence has been recognized in Legal 500, where he has been ranked as one of the Leading Lawyers in the Asia-Pacific region. Client testimonials highlight his exceptional service, pragmatic approach to problem-solving, and top-tier drafting skills, with clients noting:

“Ali Awais has been extremely supportive and helpful. Both in person meetings and also in online interactions.”

“Ali Awais has always given exceptional service. He is easy to work with and has a great manner. He is very knowledgeable, and his advice is always steered to problem-solving and coming up with appropriate solutions to issues that arise rather than just pointing out the issues. His drafting skills are excellent.”

With his deep sector expertise, international experience, and leadership in corporate finance and legal strategy, Ali continues to shape the financial and legal landscape, delivering cutting-edge legal solutions for clients in Pakistan and beyond.”