Corporate Lawyers in Pakistan: Corporate Law, SECP Compliance and Company Governance
Our Corporate Law Service in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad
We offer accurate and quick corporate law service: our corporate lawyers in Pakistan file your SECP annual return and change forms on time, draft board and shareholder resolutions, and review contracts, share transfers and investment documents.
- Consultation from Rs 5,000; our fee quoted in writing
- For private companies, SMCs, directors and investors
- SECP filings, registers, resolutions and contracts
- SECP fees and stamp duty paid separately
Karachi: Office 1 — DHA Phase 7 · Office 2 — Gulistan-e-Jauhar · WhatsApp +92 331 6644789 · Calls: 10 am – 10 pm · WhatsApp: 24 hours, 7 days
Start Corporate Compliance on WhatsApp
Corporate Lawyers in Pakistan at a Glance
Corporate lawyers in Pakistan keep a company legally sound after incorporation. Under the Companies Act 2017, every company must hold its AGM on time, file an annual return with SECP, report changes in directors, office, capital and ownership within fixed deadlines, keep statutory registers and record board decisions. Founders, directors, shareholders, investors and single-member companies all need this done correctly, because late or wrong filings bring SECP penalties and can weaken the company in any later dispute.
Qanoon Group is an advocate-led legal network giving legal advice since 1985. Our corporate lawyers work from Karachi (Office 1 — DHA Phase 7 and Office 2 — Gulistan-e-Jauhar), Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi. We prepare AGM papers and annual returns, file Form 29 and other change returns, document share transfers and new investment, review contracts and advise in shareholder and SECP matters.
Consultation with our Consulting Lawyer is Rs 5,000 for up to one hour; every filing is charged at a fee quoted in writing, and SECP fees and stamp duty are paid separately. Most filings are ready within one to three working days of receiving complete records. To start, send your incorporation certificate and latest annual return on WhatsApp +92 331 6644789 (24 hours, 7 days) or call 10 am – 10 pm.
- What it is
- SECP filings, AGM papers, registers, resolutions, contracts and share transfers
- Who needs it
- Private companies, SMCs, directors, shareholders and investors
- Cost
- Consultation from Rs 5,000 + our written fee; SECP fees separate
- Time
- Most filings 1–3 working days after complete records
- How to start
- WhatsApp +92 331 6644789 with your incorporation certificate
- Where
- Karachi (DHA Phase 7, Gulistan-e-Jauhar), Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi
Qanoon Group Offices and Consultation for Corporate Compliance
Pakistan Legal Helpline (WhatsApp): +92 331 6644789 · Calls: 10 am – 10 pm · WhatsApp: 24 hours, 7 days. Exact office locations are shared after you call or WhatsApp.
Karachi Office 1 — DHA Phase 7
DHA Phase 7, Karachi
+92 331 6644789
Karachi Office 2 — Gulistan-e-Jauhar
Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Karachi
+92 331 6644789
Islamabad Office
Laraib Plaza, G-9 Markaz, Islamabad
+92 333 1127836
Lahore Office
Al-Mairaj Arcade, Chauburji Chowk, Lahore
+92 333 1127835
Rawalpindi Office
Al-Hameed Plaza, Marir Hassan Chowk, Rawalpindi
+92 333 1127831
Bring With You
- • Certificate of incorporation
- • Memorandum and articles
- • Latest annual return and accounts
- • CNIC of directors and shareholders
Partner offices in Hyderabad and Faisalabad (details on WhatsApp).
Lawyers You May Consult on Corporate Compliance
Mohsin Ali Shah
Consulting Lawyer; Chairman, Qanoon Group; M.A., LL.B.
40+ Years of Experience, with direct work in company law and taxation. He handles client dealing, case preparation and legal research; he does not appear in court.
Consultation: Rs 5,000 for up to one hour
Sobia Mohsin
Advocate, Karachi
Manages case administration for the Karachi office.
First 15 minutes free; next 15 minutes Rs 2,000; up to one hour Rs 5,000
Before your consultation, please bring every relevant document and, if you can, a one-page written summary. Apart from the free minutes shown, consultation time is charged.
Corporate Law in Pakistan: Governance, Compliance and Current SECP Sources
Corporate Lawyers' Guide to Companies Act Compliance, Directors and Shareholders
Qanoon Group maintains this page as general legal information informed by practical corporate and taxation work across its member practices. Procedural statements are checked against SECP primary material and should be read with the current statute, regulations, filing instructions and any sector-specific licensing rules. The core focus here is corporate lawyers in Pakistan, including directors' authority, shareholder rights, statutory records, annual and event-based filings, beneficial ownership, contracts and regulated activities.
Corporate compliance should be checked against the Companies Act 2017, the current Companies Regulations and later SECP notifications. Draft consultation material is not treated here as final law unless a final instrument can be verified.
What Corporate Law Covers in Pakistan
Corporate law governs a company from incorporation to winding up. In Pakistan its core is the Companies Act 2017, administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan under the SECP Act 1997, and supplemented by the Companies Regulations, SECP circulars and forms. Contracts are governed by the Contract Act 1872, tax by the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 and the sales tax laws, and regulated sectors such as banking, insurance, real estate or telecom by their own statutes.
Company law is federal, so the same Act applies in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi. What changes from city to city is the SECP registration office, the High Court that hears company matters and local requirements for premises, labour and provincial sales tax on services. Corporate lawyers in Pakistan bring these strands together so that a company decision is valid under every law that touches it.
SECP Compliance Calendar for Private Companies
Most SECP problems start with a missed date. These are the main deadlines corporate lawyers in Pakistan track for clients:
| Event | Deadline | What is needed |
|---|---|---|
| Annual general meeting | Within 120 days after the financial year ends; the first AGM within 16 months of incorporation (s.132) | Notice, minutes and accounts laid before members |
| Annual return | Within 30 days of the AGM (s.130), filed online with SECP | Members, shareholding, directors and beneficial-ownership details |
| Change in directors or officers | Within 15 days of the change (s.197) | Consent, resolution and particulars of the new director |
| Allotment of new shares | Return of allotment within 45 days (s.70) | Board resolution, payment evidence and updated register of members |
| Charge on company assets | Particulars within 30 days of creation (s.100) | Loan or security documents and the charge form |
| Change of registered office | Notice within 15 days of the change | Board resolution and proof of the new address |
| Company income tax return | Usually by 31 December for a tax year ending 30 June (Income Tax Ordinance 2001, s.118) | Accounts, tax computation and withholding statements |
Deadline: Within 120 days after the financial year ends; the first AGM within 16 months of incorporation (s.132)
What is needed: Notice, minutes and accounts laid before members
Deadline: Within 30 days of the AGM (s.130), filed online with SECP
What is needed: Members, shareholding, directors and beneficial-ownership details
Deadline: Within 15 days of the change (s.197)
What is needed: Consent, resolution and particulars of the new director
Deadline: Return of allotment within 45 days (s.70)
What is needed: Board resolution, payment evidence and updated register of members
Deadline: Particulars within 30 days of creation (s.100)
What is needed: Loan or security documents and the charge form
Deadline: Notice within 15 days of the change
What is needed: Board resolution and proof of the new address
Deadline: Usually by 31 December for a tax year ending 30 June (Income Tax Ordinance 2001, s.118)
What is needed: Accounts, tax computation and withholding statements
All of these filings are now made online through SECP's e-services. Late filing attracts additional fees and penalties, so deadlines should be diarised from the date of incorporation and the end of each financial year.
Missed an SECP Deadline? Speak to Our Corporate Lawyers
A late annual return or an unreported director change can usually be put right. Send us your company details and we will tell you what is outstanding, the likely SECP charges and our fee to regularise it.
WhatsApp: +92 331 6644789Directors, Shareholders and Signing Authority
Many corporate disputes arise because the roles of owners and managers were never written down. Our corporate lawyers in Pakistan check:
- Directors owe statutory duties to act in good faith and in the company's best interests (s.204)
- A shareholder owns shares; a director manages — the same person may be both, but the roles are separate
- Authority to sign comes from the Act, the articles and board resolutions, not from a job title alone
- Board and general-meeting decisions should be minuted and kept with the statutory registers
- The register of members and the register of ultimate beneficial owners (s.123A) must stay up to date
- Related-party contracts and loans to directors carry extra approval and disclosure rules
Share Transfers, Investment and Shareholders' Agreements
Ownership changes must be documented in the company's own records and reported to SECP. Before shares change hands or new money comes in, corporate lawyers in Pakistan check:
- Check the articles for pre-emption rights and transfer restrictions in a private company
- Prepare and stamp the share transfer instrument, then record it in the register of members
- Report the change in shareholding and beneficial ownership through the next SECP filing
- Use a shareholders' agreement for exit rights, deadlock, dividends and board seats
- Foreign directors or shareholders may need security clearance before or after appointment
- Fresh investment by allotment needs a board resolution and a return of allotment within 45 days
Contracts Reviewed by Corporate Lawyers Before Signing
A contract signed without authority, or without clear terms, is the usual source of later litigation. Corporate lawyers in Pakistan check that:
- Confirm the parties, the signing authority and the board resolution behind it
- Fix price, tax treatment and payment milestones in writing
- State who owns intellectual property created under the contract
- Set termination, notice and dispute-resolution clauses (court or arbitration)
- Check whether a regulator's licence or consent is needed for the activity
- Keep the signed copy and evidence of performance with the company's records
Shareholder Disputes and SECP Proceedings
Where the affairs of a company are conducted in a manner oppressive to members, the Companies Act 2017 allows an application to the High Court exercising company jurisdiction (section 286). Deadlock in a small company can often be settled earlier through the shareholders' agreement, mediation or arbitration. SECP show-cause notices for late or defective filings call for a prompt written reply with the missing documents.
In every dispute, the outcome depends on the paper trail: the articles, registers, minutes, resolutions, SECP filings and correspondence. Keep them complete from the start; where records are missing, corporate lawyers in Pakistan can usually rebuild them from SECP filings and bank records before a hearing.
Corporate Lawyers in Pakistan for Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad Companies
The Companies Act applies nationwide, but each city has its own SECP office and High Court:
| City | SECP office and court | Common work |
|---|---|---|
| Karachi | SECP Company Registration Office, Karachi; company bench of the Sindh High Court | Trading, manufacturing and import-export companies |
| Lahore | SECP Company Registration Office, Lahore; company bench of the Lahore High Court | Manufacturing, services and family-owned private companies |
| Islamabad and Rawalpindi | SECP head office and Company Registration Office, Islamabad; Islamabad High Court for ICT companies | Technology, consultancy, NGOs and companies dealing with federal regulators |
SECP office and court: SECP Company Registration Office, Karachi; company bench of the Sindh High Court
Common work: Trading, manufacturing and import-export companies
SECP office and court: SECP Company Registration Office, Lahore; company bench of the Lahore High Court
Common work: Manufacturing, services and family-owned private companies
SECP office and court: SECP head office and Company Registration Office, Islamabad; Islamabad High Court for ICT companies
Common work: Technology, consultancy, NGOs and companies dealing with federal regulators
Rawalpindi companies are usually served by SECP's Islamabad office. Companies in Hyderabad and Faisalabad can be assisted through our partner offices there.
Fees and Time Frames for Corporate Work
Fees of our corporate lawyers in Pakistan are fixed in writing before work starts. SECP fees and stamp duty are paid at actual cost:
| Item | Fee and time |
|---|---|
| Consultation | Rs 5,000 for up to one hour with our Consulting Lawyer; first 15 minutes free with Advocate Sobia Mohsin |
| Annual return and AGM papers | Fixed fee quoted in writing; usually ready within 2–3 working days of receiving records |
| Director, office or share-capital change | Fixed fee per filing, quoted in writing; usually 1–3 working days |
| Share transfer or shareholders' agreement | Fee quoted after review of the articles and the deal terms |
| SECP fees and stamp duty | Paid at actual cost under SECP's current fee schedule and the applicable Stamp Act |
Fee and time: Rs 5,000 for up to one hour with our Consulting Lawyer; first 15 minutes free with Advocate Sobia Mohsin
Fee and time: Fixed fee quoted in writing; usually ready within 2–3 working days of receiving records
Fee and time: Fixed fee per filing, quoted in writing; usually 1–3 working days
Fee and time: Fee quoted after review of the articles and the deal terms
Fee and time: Paid at actual cost under SECP's current fee schedule and the applicable Stamp Act
Legal Framework and Source Checks
Before relying on any corporate rule or filing, check:
When to Consult Corporate Lawyers in Pakistan
Contact us before the deadline or the signature if:
- Your annual return or AGM is due and the records are not ready
- A director is joining or leaving, or the registered office is moving
- You are selling, buying or issuing shares, or bringing in an investor
- SECP has sent a show-cause notice or a penalty for late filing
- Shareholders or directors disagree about control of the company
- You need a contract, resolution or policy reviewed before signing
Send your incorporation certificate, articles and latest annual return. Our corporate lawyers in Pakistan will list what is due, the SECP charges and our written fee before any work starts.
Start Corporate Compliance on WhatsAppApplicable law and source checks
Editorial revision: . This is the guide revision date, not a law's commencement date.
Companies Act 2017 and applicable SECP regulations, including the Companies Regulations 2024; sector-specific licensing may apply separately.
SECP's page for S.R.O. 915(I)/2026 is titled as an amendment item, but the attached notification expressly publishes proposed changes as draft amendments for consultation. Do not treat that proposed text as operative merely from the index entry; check the current consolidated Companies Regulations, later final notifications and current filing instructions.
- SECP — company incorporation
- SECP — Companies Regulations 2024 and filing guidance
- SECP — notifications and amendments
- Pakistan Code — federal legislation and Gazette access
Quick verification table before relying on this guide
| Check | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Entity and regulator | Confirm the legal form, SECP filing route and whether another regulator or licence applies. |
| Current instrument | Check the Companies Act, current regulations and later SECP notifications; distinguish final instruments from consultation drafts. |
| Corporate record | Match directors, shareholders, beneficial ownership, registered office and filed forms with the current company record. |
| Post-filing duties | Check annual and event-based filings, tax registrations, accounts and sector-specific compliance separately. |
Four-step reader checklist
1. Define the issue
Identify the legal question, parties, jurisdiction and the result being sought.
2. Check the source
Read the official statute, rule, notification or order and confirm its legal status.
3. Fix the date
Match the source and any amendment to the relevant transaction, tax period, filing or dispute date.
4. Build the record
Keep the documents, notices, payments, authority records and chronology needed to support the position.
Check the status of a new law
Read the final Act or Ordinance, its territorial scope and commencement clause, and any implementing notification. Parliamentary passage of a bill alone does not establish that every provision is in force. Check later amendments and relevant court orders before applying a rule to your circumstances.
Recent verified legal updates related to this guide
Related Qanoon Group legal guides
These related guides provide the next useful internal reference where the issue overlaps another legal or compliance topic.
Further guidance and professional references
Taxocrate provides tax and corporate information and professional services. Advocates of Pakistan covers family, property, corporate and other legal matters. These are professional reference websites, not official legislative sources.
Additional topic-relevant Group resources: PakLegal, Qanoon Online.
This general guide does not determine an individual case. For a correction, email info@qanoongroup.com with the page title and official source. Please avoid sending confidential case documents in an initial enquiry.
Corporate Lawyers in Pakistan: Frequently Asked Questions
What do corporate lawyers in Pakistan do?
Corporate lawyers in Pakistan keep a company compliant with the Companies Act 2017 and SECP rules: they prepare AGM papers and annual returns, file director, office and capital changes, draft resolutions, review contracts, document share transfers and investment, and act in shareholder or regulatory disputes.
Which law governs companies in Pakistan?
The Companies Act 2017 is the main statute, read with the Companies Regulations and notifications issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, and with sector laws where the business is regulated.
When must a private company file its annual return?
A company with share capital files its annual return within 30 days of its annual general meeting under section 130 of the Companies Act 2017. The AGM itself is due within 120 days after the financial year ends.
How quickly must a change of director be reported to SECP?
Within 15 days of the change under section 197 of the Companies Act 2017, together with the director's consent and particulars.
What happens if a company files late?
SECP charges additional fees for late filing and can impose penalties on the company and its officers. Persistent default can also affect the company's status, so late filings should be regularised quickly.
What is beneficial-ownership compliance?
Companies must keep a register of their ultimate beneficial owners under section 123A of the Companies Act 2017 and report that information to SECP, usually with the annual return and when ownership changes.
Can shares in a private company be transferred freely?
Not always. The articles may give existing members pre-emption rights or other restrictions. The transfer instrument must be stamped, recorded in the register of members and reflected in the next SECP filing.
Is SECP name approval the same as trademark protection?
No. Company-name approval only lets you incorporate under that name. A brand needs separate trademark registration with IPO-Pakistan to protect it against others.
How much do your corporate lawyers charge?
A consultation with our Consulting Lawyer is Rs 5,000 for up to one hour; with Advocate Sobia Mohsin the first 15 minutes are free. Filings, agreements and disputes are charged at a fee quoted in writing before work starts. SECP fees and stamp duty are paid separately.
How do I start with Qanoon Group?
Send your company's incorporation certificate, latest annual return and a short note of what you need on WhatsApp +92 331 6644789 (24 hours, 7 days) or call 10 am – 10 pm. We reply with the deadlines, documents needed and our written fee.
Reviewed by Mohsin Ali Shah, Consulting Lawyer · Published by Qanoon Group · Last Updated:
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