LITIGATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION PRACTICE The Twelve Tables is a multi-disciplinary law firm with extensive experience in handling full spectrum of corporate and commercial transactions, contentious litigations and arbitration. We handle the full spectrum of contentious work and potentially contentious work and have teams focusing on Banking & Financial Disputes, Commercial & Corporate Disputes, Arbitration, General Disputes, Tenders and Infrastructure, Construction & Engineering. Banking, Finance and Securities and Exchange Regulation: The firm has expertise in the area of banking law and allied matters. Its services include providing assistance to local and multinational banks and international financial institutions on loan documentation and syndicated loans as well as providing general advice on banking law and financial services. It has advised and assisted multinational banking companies in their amalgamation, acquisition, reorganizing and restructuring processes, and frequently advises banking companies on their internal management and employment issues. As part of their litigation work, members of the firm provide representation in loan recovery cases in specialized money loan courts. Criminal Litigation Our Criminal Litigation Practice has an established presence in criminal litigation and in depth experience in handling matters such as murder, killing, homicide, physical assault, physical injury, torture, criminal trespass, drugs/narcotics, harassment, sexual abuse, charges of rape, corruption, extortion, threat, defamation, illegal arrest/detention/ confinement, cheating, forgery, cheque-bouncing, financial fraud, immigration/ emigration offenses, passport/visa offenses, extradition/deportation, human rights violation etc. We undertake the assignment of Anticipatory Bail, Regular Bail, Pending Appeal Bail, Challenge of Detention Order, Quashment of Lower Court Proceedings, Writ Petition, Criminal Complaint in High Court/Metropolitan Court, Revision Application, Appeal, Trial, Cross-Examination and Examination-in-Chief of Witnesses, etc. in Judges Court/High Court. We represent several companies/institutions/entities and their middle/top level officials including directors and CEOs. We also represent several businessmen/women and individuals of all levels of social stature in various criminal/civil proceedings. Commercial & Corporate Disputes The firm advises on formation of companies, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, working capital, investment, cross border transactions and provide secretarial services. It advises clients on strategy and assists them during negotiation, documentation, closing, enforcement of remedies and restructuring. Within a diverse commercial practice, we focus on the following principal areas: admiralty and shipping, banking, commercial litigation, employment, infrastructure projects such as export processing zones etc, intellectual property, large and medium scale project finance and cross-border mergers and acquisitions. The firm has expertise in all areas of company law, including directors' duties, shareholders' disputes, takeovers, mergers and acquisitions, corporate reconstructions and schemes of arrangement. We have substantial experience in corporate acquisitions, and have been involved in a number of large scale recent corporate acquisitions in the banking, energy and telecommunications sectors. The firm has represented both national and international clients on intellectual property matters, including a range of multi-national companies. General Disputes Combining market-leading capability with extensive experience, the General Disputes Practice handles a broad range of matters, both advisory and contentious, including medical and professional negligence, matrimonial and family-related matters, employment, and property-related matters. In addition to the broad range of matters, we also offer comprehensive legal solutions on dispute avoidance and alternative and/or more appropriate means of dispute resolution. Tax & VAT disputes We advise our clients relating to income tax, duties levied on import stage and relating to value added tax. We also represent clients before the commissioner, tribunal and before the Supreme Court of Bangladesh through Writ Petitions. Arbitration We have a broad arbitration practice with extensive expertise and experience in managing and conducting arbitrations in jurisdictions around the world and involving all the major arbitral institutions. Our remarkable success and formidable reputation emanate from in-depth knowledge of local laws, experience and unparalleled service. We are committed to finding prompt and cost effective legal solutions that produce tangible results for our clients. Each member of our professional team has immaculate track record and vast experience in his field of expertise. CORPORATE PRACTICE The Twelve Tables offers an extensive range of corporate advisory and transactional services. We advise on all aspects of mergers and acquisitions in Bangladesh and the region as well as corporate real estate, corporate restructuring etc. The breadth and depth of our practice areas have been built on the strength of the expertise and experience of our lawyers. Our clients benefit from highquality legal services that are aimed at achieving optimum outcomes for their needs.The Practice advises clients in the following areas: Commercial Agreements We offer advice and practical solutions to the complex issues that companies encounter with suppliers, customers and competitors. We advise on joint ventures, licensing agreements, exclusive dealing arrangements, and licensing, recommended and exclusive distributorships. Intellectual Property Our Intellectual Property Practice has extensive experience in providing intellectual property solutions to our clients. We cover all of our clients' intellectual property needs, from litigation, prosecution, licensing and counseling services relating to patents, trademarks, copyrights. The Intellectual Property Practice offers clients a full complement of services in the area, including: Trademarks •Trade mark search; •Filing of applications, registration procedure; •Renewal, opposition, rectification; •Action of infringement and passing off; •Assignment, licenses and transmission, drafting deed form, consequent registration of assignment, etc. Copyright •Software programs copyright; •Drafting deeds for transfer of copyright and royalty, etc •Registration of Copyright; •Assignment of Copyright; •Infringement of Copyright. Patent •Patent Drafting; •Patent Drawings/Illustrations; •Patent Search; •Patent Analysis & Portfolio Management; •Filing& Prosecuting of Patent Applications (India/ International); •Patent Proofreading. Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions Our Commercial & Corporate Disputes Practice handles the full range of civil and contractual litigation claims, with extensive experience in handling commercial disputes, corporate shareholder disputes and Companies Act applications. We serve a broad base of clients involved in different sectors and advise listed companies, multinational corporations, financial institutions, private equity firms, funds and SMEs. Advising on structuring consolidations, injections, divestments and acquisitions of businesses and assets through private treaties, mergers, amalgamations, reconstructions, de-listings, de-mergers, equity issues, takeovers, reverse takeovers, schemes of arrangements, capital reductions and hybrid structures, as well as private equity investments and divestments, in tax and commercially efficient ways and in friendly and hostile environments. Corporate Real Estate Our Corporate Real Estate Practice acts as counsel to the investors, developers and financing transactions relating to developments, acquisitions and joint development ventures. We represent vendors and purchasers in the acquisitions and disposals of buildings, and land parcels for development. Having represented both developers in their collective purchases and the vendors in their collective sales, we have the requisite expertise to provide value added service to clients. FINANCIAL SERVICES PRACTICE We advise financial institutions and issuers on matters relating to and affecting financial markets and institutions, including equity, equity-linked and debt fund-raisings in Bangladesh, securitizations and structured products, derivatives, asset management and financial services/regulatory advice. We further advise on account management and funds. Banking & Finance Our Banking & Finance Practice offers the full range of banking and financial legal services. These include structuring loan transactions and debt issues, compliance advisory, project finance, both in Bangladesh as well as overseas. We advise domestic and international banks, financial institutions and corporates on a wide variety of loan and other debt-related instruments and transactions, locally and internationally, including syndicated loans, acquisition finance, derivation & structural product, project finance, trade finance, construction finance, asset and asset-backed financing, financing for property developments, and other businesses. We also advise on mergers & acquisitions of banks and financial institutions, sale and purchase of, and participation in loans, security structures and types, legal compliance, registration and enforcement of loans and security, and we also review and draft bank standard documentation and render regulatory advice. Capital Markets Our Capital Markets Practice advises issuers and underwriters on initial public offerings and listings of companies on the Dhaka & Chittagong Stock Exchange. We assist our listed clients in other equity-related fund-raising exercises such as rights issues, private placements and the issue of convertible securities and provide advice on their continuing listing requirements relating to matters such as capitalization issues, the adoption of employee share schemes and privatizations. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE & COMPLIANCE PRACTICE Our Corporate Governance & Compliance Practice provides guidance and advice on corporate governance matters, Listing Manual and Companies Act compliance requirements, requirements regarding circulars to shareholders and other shareholder matters, and corporate secretarial issues, to listed and unlisted companies. It also provides services as compliance adviser to listed companies. In addition, the Practice advises corporations and their officers on the management and resolution of potential disputes and litigation involving directors, officers and minority shareholders or other actions commenced pursuant to the Companies Act and other statutes regulating the conduct and duties of corporations and their directors and officers. It further investigates and advises its multinational clients relating to their Bangladeshi subsidiaries, compliance with the strict Anti-Corruption requirement. EMPLOYMENT PRACTICE Our Employment Practice advises multinational and local employers and employees in various employment law aspects including, implementation of staff procedures and manuals in accordance with local requirements, retrenchment management, initiation as well as defence of injunctive relief actions for labor law and employment contract breaches, drafting, advising and negotiating on employment, termination and collective agreements and tax issues and implications arising from relocation or termination for both employers and employees. REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY PRACTICE We advise on the drafting and vetting of building and development contracts relating to promotion of apartments, lease, mortgage, conducting searches on encumbrances and investigating property title, lease agreements, rental agreements, and mortgage deeds. The firm also undertakes litigations relating to property disputes in all the levels of various courts. ENERGY & PROJECTS PRACTICE Our Energy & Projects Practice provides transactional, advisory, regulatory and dispute-related advice to our clientele in a wide spectrum of front-end and contentious energy and projects related matters. MARITIME LAW Our maritime law practice handles practice handles full range of maritime disputes including marine insurance, charter parties, bill of ladings, arrest of ships, marine collisions, marine liability and all sorts of Maritime claims. SHIPPING & INTERNATIONAL TRADE PRACTICE Shipping & International Trade Practice provides representation to clients in the industry and prides itself on doing preeminent work. The team regularly advises trading houses, commodities traders, ship-owners, cargo owners, charterers, underwriters, banks, port and terminal operators, offshore and marine companies, energy companies, shipyards and companies engaged in international sales. Through our many years of experience in the industry, the Practice brings to the table a strong commercial understanding of our clients' world. TAX PRACTICE Our Tax Practice meets a growing need in this area by clients requiring tax advice. We are unique in having practitioners who are qualified not only in law but also in accounting and valuation, and whose wide experience covers transactional, advisory and contentious tax matters. TAX ADVOCACY The Practice advises and represents clients in their tax disputes with the National Board of Revenue, and in appeals to the Commission of Taxes, Income Tax Appellate Tribunals and Income Tax Reference before the Hon'ble High Court Division. We also assist clients in making submissions to, and/or seeking rulings and clarifications from, the National Board of Revenue, Monetary Authority of Bangladesh or the Ministry of Finance. TRANSACTIONAL AND ADVISORY SERVICES We assist clients in a broad range of transactions and matters which cover income tax (particularly, corporate tax and international tax) as well as other taxes including stamp duties, goods & services tax, estate duties and property tax. We also provide clients with tax planning and advice in their business transactions and deals.
