Zmarak Zhouand

Our firm was formed in January 2011 and provides legal and regulatory advice and strategic government advisory services for the Afghan market at a standard that one would expect from a firm in more established jurisdictions. The firm’s exclusive focus is on providing advice and services on Afghan related matters and projects.

We were the first Afghan law firm in the post-Taliban era to be engaged by the Government of Afghanistan to draft legislation and provide advice and services on significant transactions. In 2012: (a) the firm won the Corporate INTL awards in the following categories: (i) Best Corporate Law Firm; (ii) Best Tax Law Firm; and (iii) Best Regulatory Law Firm; (b) the Firm was Recommended in Corporate Law by Global Legal Experts; (c) Mr. Satchu and Mr. Zhouand were both recognized as Leading Lawyers of Asia by Global Business Magazine; (d) Mr. Zhouand (i) won the Corporate Livewire awards for Lawyer of the Year 2012 – Banking and Finance and for Lawyer of the Year 2012 – Mining and Infrastructure; and (ii) was recommended by Global Legal Experts in Corporate Law. In 2013: (a) the firm was ranked Tier 1 in General Business Law by Chambers Asia-Pacific 2013 and featured in IFLR1000 2013; and (b) Mr. Satchu and Mr. Zhouand were individually recognized in the category of Leaders in their Field in Chambers Asia-Pacific 2013.

Mr. Samir Satchu – Partner – Prior to forming SZ, Mr. Satchu was General Counsel & Head of Government Affairs at Roshan where he worked between September 2003 and December 2010. Mr. Satchu headed Roshan’s legal and government affairs team from December 2006 to December 2010 reporting directly to the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Satchu is a graduate of Cambridge University (Trinity College – BA Hons 1994) and Harvard Law School (Juris Doctor 1998) and was admitted to the New York Bar in 1999.

Mr. Zmarak Zhouand – Partner –Mr. Zhouand was born in Kabul and emigrated to Australia in 1982. He was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in New South Wales, Australia, in 2001. Between 2001 and 2008, Mr. Zhouand worked with Henry Davis York and Gadens Lawyers, both leading Australian corporate law firms, where he represented “blue-chip” national and international clients across the corporate, commercial, banking and finance and litigation practice areas. Mr. Zhouand returned to Afghanistan in 2008 to work as Senior Legal Counsel with Roshan, where, until early 2011, he led Roshan’s legal and government affairs team with Mr. Satchu and was also in charge of the legal and regulatory function for Roshan’s wholly owned subsidiary, M-Paisa. Mr. Zhouand has a B.A (SCU) (1998) and a LL.B. (UNE) (2000).

The firm’s practice is supported by a number of commercially experienced international and locally admitted lawyers and tax professionals.

Sectors:

The firm has been engaged by a number of major national and international clients in the USG contracting, telecommunications, mining, information technology, banking and financial services, media, security, logistics, commercial aviation and non-governmental sectors.

Clients:

Our clients include some of the world’s largest corporate organizations, Government of Afghanistan, World Bank, International Finance Corporation, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, Asian Development Bank, DEG – Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH, Agence Française de Développement, Asia Foundation, Etisalat and International Republican Institute.