Bhandari Naqvi Riaz (BNR) Law firm

Section 1: Basic Information

Bhandari Naqvi Riaz (BNR) is a more than 20 years old firm. The firm has its office in Lahore and represents some clients in Islamabad. The firm also represents some clients in Multan, Bahawalpur, Quetta and Karachi but these cases are rare. BNR undertakes high-end complex litigation on Commercial, Civil, Constitutional and Arbitration issues. The firm rarely takes criminal cases, and if it does, those are only related to White-Collar crimes. Moreover, transactional and Lower Courts work is very rare at BNR.

Section 2: Structure of the Firm

BNR is a small-to-large-sized firm. There are 5 partners and 12 associates. There is no formal human resources department at the firm and accounts of the firm are handled by the Munshi. There are two tiers in partnership. One tier is ‘Senior Partner’. There are three senior partners at BNR who are also name partners of the firm. The second tier is ‘Partner’. There are two partners at BNR. One of the partners was hired as a senior associate and promoted to a ‘Partner’ position in 1-2 years. The other partner was hired as an associate and was offered partnership after 8-10 years. Similarly, there are two tiers in the Associate position. These are ‘Senior Associate’ and ‘Associate’.

Section 3: Hiring Mechanism

Summer Internship:The internship program at BNR is not very structured. Generally, interns join during the summer. The firm does not advertise or approach anyone for the internship program. The interns that join BNR have either heard about the firm through word-of-mouth or come through references. The internships are unpaid. The primary responsibilities of interns are research work.

Associate:The hiring for associates is fluid. There are no defined positions/vacancies that must be fulfilled every year. Normally applications come in summers but if a candidate is talented the firm can hire him/her at any time of the year. The normal mode of applying for an ‘Associate’ position is through the firm’s website. The base salary is 30,000 to 35,000 PKR. However, the firm is generous with performance-based increments and evaluations are conducted every six months. The salary of an associate who has been with the firm for 2-3 years can increase to up to 1-2 lacs per month and the salary of an associate with 4 to 5 years experience at the firm can go above 4 lacs. All associates work with all partners. An associate can get a 20-25% cut (Finder’s Fee) if they bring business to the firm. However, the firm approves whether an associate is allowed to bring and take up a case.