
Established in 1965 Doulah & Doulah is one of the most experienced law firms in Bangladesh representing world's largest business houses and working with biggest international law firms. With top-ranked transactional capabilities complemented by a strong litigation practice the firm is considered as one of the best chambers of advocates, barristers and solicitors in the region. The law firm possesses market leading commercial practice in Bangladesh with extensive experience in M&A, Project Finance, PPP and Infrstraucture Project Develpment, Intellectual Property, Tax and Employment. It established its Chittagong branch in 1987.
The firm has acted in most of the major transactions involving Bangladesh including the Financial Sector Reform Project, Independent Power Project Model Project Documentation, LNG Terminal Model Project Documentation, Acquisition of Dhaka Stock Exchange, Developing the first PPP Project etc.
Practice areas
Business
The corporate section is the single largest practice in the firm. Doulah & Doulah possesses market leading practice in this sector and involves in most complex corporate matters in Bangladesh. The firm has established itself as a specialist in negotiating Joint Ventures and relevant documentation.
The firm advises on straightforward registrations, incorporation, contractual matters and uncomplicated ventures through to complex investment projects, finance, M&A, divestment, demerger and corporate restructurings.
Employment & Labor
The firm has established itself as one of the leading employment and labour law consultants with a view to helping employers become more proactive in employment law-related matters to prevent legal issues before they arise towards benefit to all employees and employers as a whole.
Some of the areas for which the firm provides counseling include employment compliance check, finalizing employment policies, developing and drafting affirmative action plans, termination agreements, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, early retirement programs, restrictive covenants and employment contracts.
The firm maintains a very large clientele in the competition and antitrust arena including Microsoft, Samsung, Tetra-Pack, Mitsubishi, LG, Moneygram, ZTE, HP, Associated British Foods, Toyota, Amazon, Google, Grameenphone, ZTE, AT&T, Virgin, YKK etc.
Relevant counseling advice has also focused on wage and hour issues, employee privacy rights, employment-related tax issues, family and medical leave matters, unionizing efforts, terminations, leave of absence policies, workers' compensation, safeguarding trade secrets and intellectual property, insurance coverage for employment law claims, and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms for resolving employee grievances and legal claims.
The firm also acts in range of labour and employment disputes including termination disputes and employment benefits. It has qualified lawyers with practice qualification at the highest judicial level i.e. the appellate division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh to pursue employment disputes. It also offers mediation services in resolving industrial disputes as per local rules and regulations.
Intellectual Property
Our firm provides complete assistance regarding copyright counselling in general, copyright registration and searches. Our practice also covers the enforcement of copyright on the Internet. The firm can also assist you in drafting and obtaining different authorizations related to copyright uses, transfer of rights, assignment and other agreements and contracts with users and performers.
Services also include the drafting of licenses and publishing and editing contracts. Litigation services offered in the copyright field encompass the repression of unfair and unauthorized use both in the civil and criminal arenas, including temporary restraining orders and search and seizure injunctions.
Lawsuits & Disputes
In the changing global economy, tough business decisions are inevitable. Litigations cannot be avoided all the times. The litigation practice at the firm has a track record of dealing with disputes of different categories. As businesses pursue strategies, their enforcement and litigation concerns likewise expand. Many of the clients see enforcement and litigation as a form of risk management. In particular, it possesses expertise in managing complex, multi-faceted cases involving multiple claims and parties.The firm represents clients in some of the largest and significant matters, particularly in the areas of intellectual property, construction, banking and energy. The firm has a successful track record in challenging the actions of administrative and regulatory authorities and enforcement of government contracts in constitutional petitions. It also has extensive experience in judicial review of administrative decisions by the Govt. authorities.Major tribunals the firm involved in include:
- General dispute & litigation: Multidimensional litigation practice is a specialty at the firm. The firm has so far represented a large number of clients in domestic courts. Major clients in large value litigations include Fortune Swimwear, Toa Decorient, Cargill, BNP Paribas, Arel Ingenrie, Ecri Inginerie, Rupam, Pratt Finance, Sabah Shipyard, Saipem s.p.a., Hyundai, Alteco, People’s Ceramics, Sankyu etc.
- Admiralty Court litigation: The firm handles a wide range of shipping matters for both domestic and international clients including owners, agents, P&I clubs, financiers, charterers and cargo interests together with their insurers.
- Security Exchange Commission Tribunal: Being a market leader in the areas of capital market the firm represents clients before Security Exchange Commission tribunals. Recent client includes Bank of New York Melone, Parsheng Securities, Global Emerging Markets etc.
- Labour Courts & Disputes: Doulah & Doulah frequently represents its clients before labour courts in Bangladesh on various employer-employee relations issues, disciplinary actions, and compliance issues. Recent clients on such matters include GAP, Edinburgh Wollen Mills, TechOne Global, etc.
- Money Loan & Bankruptcy Court: The firm frequently represents various banks and borrowers in money loan courts and bankruptcy trials towards creditor issues, company bankruptcy plea, restructure etc. Recent clients include International basics Agrani bank etc.
- International Tribunals & Courts: Doulah & Doulah represents clients in big value matters in suits lying before international Courts. Recently it has completed successful representation in two largest anti-dumping suits in US courts. It also provided opinion in recent Siemens corruption cases. In addition, it has just facilitated win of Omnicorn Ship Management on a private port dispute in a US court. Besides it frequently represents international bankruptcy courts in Bangladesh on various matters including service of notices, opinions etc.
- Enforcement of Foreign Money Judgments & Arbitral Awards: The firm specializes in enforcement of foreign money judgments in Bangladesh. Recent clients include Statoil Asia, Intelsat, Fortune Swimwear etc. The firm specializes in enforcement of foreign money judgments in Bangladesh. Recent clients include Indutech, Cargill etc.
- Writ Petitions & Judicial Reviews: The firm has a successful track record in challenging the actions of administrative and regulatory authorities and enforcement of government contracts in constitutional petitions. It also has extensive experience in judicial review of administrative decisions by the Govt. authorities. Recent matters include customs duty issues for ZTE and against award of an international tender against public procurement rules.
- Intellectual property Tribunals: Doulah & Doulah is the leading composite IP law firm in Bangladesh. It represents a number of international brands before the trademark and patent tribunals in Bangladesh including Colgate, Nokia, Pepsi Co., etc.
- Tax Tribunals: Doulah & Doulah is a leading Tax law firm in Bangladesh. It represents a number of conglomerates before the tax tribunals in Bangladesh including Maxim, SC Johnson and so on.
Real Estate
Real estate practice is an integral part of D&D's industry wide practices. At one hand D&D assists clients in real estate finance and large real estate conveyances. On the other hand it helps project sponsord in extensive land due diligence for their procurement in range of industrial and infrastructure development purchases. In fact the land due diligence, land registration, land price / rent negotiation, land securitization has become an integral function at the firm's project development practice.
In addition, the firm is well versed with global environmetal standards, and requirements including the Equator Principal. It advises its clients from the very beginning in different phases of land procurement so that during financial closes all of the expectations and requirements of the multilateral lenders / DFIs are fullfilled.
The firm also possesses experience in advising clients and especially sponsors in rehabilitation requirements of loal inhabitants, acquisition for project purposes under public acquisition and requisition laws, and easements for project purposes. Besided the firm has also acted for a number of stakeholders in getting listed in different foreign stock exchanges where clearance of land ownership after extensive land due diligence is a very important aspect.Some recent expriences in 2019 are outlined below:
- Large scale land due diligence in five power projects in 2019
- Land due dilgence for a number of projects before procuremnt of land in Economic Zones and Hi-tech Parks
- Acquisition of land through district commissioner for two power projects
- Public land lease negotiation for one solar park
- Road easement through public land for one industrial project
- Successful easement for tower for power line construction for two power projects
- Guidance for rehabilitation of inhabitants in two projects
- Project alnd swap / tranfer for two industries in two export processing zones
- Land due diligence for five large infrastructure acquisition including First Dhaka Elevated Expressway
Our Partners and Associates

With 15+ years' seasoned practice acts in corporate, finance and construction law matters, and project finance / development and documentary credit are his stressed areas. Advised in a large number of major projects in energy / infrastructure sectors with extensive PPP / infrastructure transaction advisory experience. Under appointment of World Bank and IFC acted as the key researcher to complete Bangladesh Corporate Governance Country Assessment Report. Attended a good number of significant M&A matters. Member of the Thomas Jefferson School of Law Tax and AML Research teams. An accredited Lexis author with numerous publications. Some major transaction highlights are as follows:
• Acted as local legal counsel for IFC and Excelerate Energy in project development and financing aspects of the first LNG terminal (FSRU) project in Bangladesh at Maheshkhali.
• So far structured and developed 81+ power projects for clients like General Electric, Blackstone, Golar Power, AES, El Paso etc. Have been Representing major players in developing renewable IPPs such as Sinennergy, Scatec, CMEC, Total, ZTE, Sharp etc.
• Major M&As includes SZSE / SSE aquisition of Dhaka Stock Exchange, Holcim / Lafarge Merger, Microsoft acquisition of Nokia, Zhenhua's $2bn bid for three gas fields, Ophir acquisition of Santos assets and merger with Medco, AES acquisition of Covanta power assets, BMGF's Bkash divestment to Alibaba Group etc.
• Have been acting in major PPP / infrastructure development projects including all toll road PPPs i.e. First Dhaka Elevated / Dhaka Bypass / RAD Expressways, Payra Port (for JDN), 2nd Kanchpur-Meghna-Gumti Bridges, South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Road, Shahjalal Airport 3rd Terminal project etc.
• Acted for sponsors/lenders in project development of major economic zones including Chinese Economic Zone at Anwara and China-Bangladesh Iron & Steel Production Zone
• Acted as Lender's Counsel for IFC, European Investment Bank, Islamic Development Bank, Finnfund, China Exim Bank, China Development Bank, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China in a number of projects. Acting for Sinosure in most of the large coal fired IPPs.
• Acted for all of the latest gas exploration PSC contract awards for ONGC, OIL, POSCO & Daewoo etc.
• Major lease /asset finance clients include GECAS, Aercape, EDC etc. Major fintech clients include Ant Financial, Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Facebook. With extensive understanding of capital/money markets, represent global institutional investors like Citibank, Morgan Stanley, Blackrock, etc.
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