Bio

Enayat Qasimi practice focuses on international business transactions, private equity and venture capital, and alternative dispute resolution. He has extensive experience in handling a broad variety of international business transactions, particularly in the Middle East, North Africa and South and Central Asia regions. Mr. Qasimi represents both U.S. based and international clients. Currently, he advises a number of U.S. and foreign based corporations, investment funds, law firms, institutional investors, multilateral lenders and private individuals on a broad range of transactions and issues. In particular, he advises a number of leading U.S. Government contracting firms and law firms on various issues relating to conducting business in Afghanistan, including corporate, tax, investments, banking, labor, compliance, internal investigations, strategic planning and dispute resolutions and settlements. Mr. Qasimi has worked or lived in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan. Prior to joining Whiteford, Mr. Qasimi was the Senior Vice President and General Counsel for a Saudi based investment banking firm in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Prior to that, he spent three years with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan where he served in different capacities, including as the Minister of Civil Aviation and Transport, Senior Foreign Affairs Advisor and Senior Legal Advisor to the President of Afghanistan during the enactment of the Constitution of Afghanistan. He also has experience working with nonprofits and international organizations on legislative, reform, rule of law, development and capacity building projects in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In addition, he has served as a Non-Resident Senior Associate with the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. Mr. Qasimi is fluent in Pashto, Farsi and Urdu.