Arshad Dudhia

Arshad was appointed as the Managing Partner of Musa Dudhia and Company in its drive for growth and pan African expansion. The firm has more than tripled in size under his tenure.

Arshad has particular expertise in commercial transactions representing public and private companies, investment and retail banks and financial institutions, private equity providers, international development finance institutions.

He has renowned expertise in providing advice and preparation of the full spectrum of financial products including, lending and acquisition financing, asset financing, project and corporate finance, financial regulatory issues. Arshad is also widely acknowledged as being a specialist in helping clients resolve disputes efficiently and effectively, whether through arbitration, litigation or other techniques, in a manner that promotes their business objectives.

Arshad has consistently been ranked by Chambers and Partners in Band One of dispute resolution and general business law for the last 10 years. He is also recognized as a leading lawyer by IFLR and Legal500.

In recent years, Arshad has also sat and determined 6 arbitrations sitting as an arbitrator, 2 of which he was the chairman of the tribunal.

Arshad is a board member of Africa Legal Network and which is an alliance of top African law firms.

Outside of firm business, Arshad sits as a member of the Board of Examiners of the Zambia Institute of Legal Education for the last 7 years.

Arshad has been the Law Association of Zambia Representative on the User Committee of the Commercial Court of Zambia, which is a statutory committee which oversees the operations of the Commercial Court to deliver efficient justice in commercial transactions. He has held this position for 14 years.

Arshad has served as a member of the Law Association of Zambia Continuing Professional Development Committee and was also the Chairman of that Committee.

In addition, Arshad has been a director on numerous boards including BancABC Zambia (part of Atlas Mara Group, where he was also the Chairman of the Risk Committee), Nestle Zambia, Pick N Pay Zambia, Woolies Zambia and other companies. He also sat pro bono, on the board of CIDRZ, Zambia’s biggest health NGO for 5 years.

Arshad is passionate about sports and he played competitive cricket and was selected to represent the East and Central African Cricket team for the ICC Trophy in 1997 & 2001. He also captained the Zambian National Cricket team from 2001 to 2002. He also served as the Chairman of Midlands Cricket Association.

• Member, Law Association of Zambia
• Member, Law Society of England and Wales
• Member, Arbitration Association of Zambia
• Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
• Law Association of Zambia Representative on the User Committee of the Commercial  Court
• Member, Law Association of Zambia Continuing Professional Development Committee

• Board Member, Woolies Zambia Limited – 2014 to date
• Member, Axis Advisory Board Zambia – 2014 to date
• Board Member, iWay Africa Limited – 2011 to date
• Board Member, Nestle Trading Zambia Limited – 2010 to date
• Board Member, Emerson Process Management Zambia Limited – 2008 to date
• Company Secretary, Pick n Pay Zambia – 2011 – 2016
• Board Member, Banc ABC Zambia – 2010 – 2016
• Board Member, Zoona – 2008 – to date
• Board Member, ALN (Mauritius)

2021:    Admitted as a CAS Arbitrator

2021:    Admitted as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK)

2014:    Teaching of Trainers of National Institute of Trial Advocacy

2014:    National Institute of Trial Advocacy

2013:    Harvard Business School, Leading Professional Services Firms

2002:    Admitted as a special member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

2002:    Admitted as a special member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators

1992:    Admitted as a Legal Practitioner in Zambia with 5 distinctions

1991:    LLB Degree (First Class) King’s College, University of London

2006 – Date: Managing Partner Musa Dudhia & Company

2005 – 2006: Secondment to Kaplan & Stratton

1999 – Present: Partner, Musa Dudhia & Co

1992 – 1999: Musa Dudhia &Company- Associate Advocate

• Arshad Dudhia is a “major name in commercial litigation,” according to market participants. He has a wealth of experience handling the full range of commercial transactions and disputes. He is active on matters such as securities and corporate acquisitions. Clients find him to always be “accessible” and peers find it a “tough time up against him.” He is widely acknowledged by the market as a “leading lawyer”. – Chambers Global 2020
• “Clients highlight Arshad Dudhia and describe him as “exceptionally good at what he does.” Market commentators respect him for his activity in the market, in particular the commercial and M&A sphere.” – Chambers Global 2017
• “Managing partner Arshad Dudhia has notable expertise handling commercial transactions and disputes” –The Legal500 2017.
• “A client working with Arshad on an acquisition finance deal, says…Arshad Dudhia “is a senior lawyer but very commercially astute, extremely knowledgeable, practical, and well-respected in the market” – IFLR1000 (Financial and Corporate) 2017.
• Arshad is individually ranked as a Leading Lawyer – Highly Regarded by the IFLR1000 2018 Financial and Corporate Guide.
• Arshad has consistently received Band 1 individual ranking in litigation and business law by Chambers and Partners for over 12 years including the year 2017

• PricewaterhouseCoopers Lenders’ Guide to Insolvency Legislation

• Acting for Norsad Finance in connection with a matter in which the client had subscribed for USD 12.5 million worth of secured notes traded on the Lusaka Securities Exchange where proceeds were to be used by the issuer to purchase interim payment certificates from small scale road contractors. The issuer defaulted on coupon payments and by the time of the maturity date, was unable to redeem the Client’s notes. Our role was, among others, to commence an action and pursue all various players in a bid to have the issues determined.
• Acting for a client in connection with an action seeking among other things, a declaration that the client has a beneficial and legal share of properties acquired jointly by the client and the defendant during their unmarried union, including obtaining an interim ruling from the Court which recognised the client’s interest in the property pending the substantive hearing of the matter. This matter is of particular interest as currently issues relating to property settlement between couples are only recognised under the Marriage Act and Matrimonial Causes Act which are only applicable to married couples. This case will set precedence on how far the courts are willing to recognise the rights of parties of an unmarried union in relation to property acquired jointly.
• Acting as lead counsel for a client in connection with the acquisition of a majority stake in a marble mine in Zambia which required the consent of the Ministry of Mines and establishing a debt repayment schedule as part of the purchase price.
• Representing TEAL Mining, a South African listed company, in connection with the acquisition of surface rights for its mining activities in the Copperbelt.
• Advising Zambeef Products in connection with the successful listing on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange, which was Zambia’s first London cross-listing.
• Acting for a client as lead counsel in connection with Zambia’s first mandatory offer of minority interests at a cost of USD 100 million to Bharti Airtel.
• Acting as local counsel in connection with the sale of a significantly large mining company in Africa to Jinchuan Group.
• Acting as local counsel for International Finance Corporation and the Government of Zambia in connection with the USD 1.5 billion Kafue Gorge Dam construction project.
• Acting as local counsel for Northwest Energy Corporation, which is distributing electricity to Lumwana Property Development Company as part of the Equinox Minerals Mining Development in North-western Zambia in connection with their due diligence matter.