BusinessDNA launched its ninth edition, featuring Saeeq Shajjan of Shajjan & Associates – a trailblazing commercial law firm in Kabul. Saeeq, a Harvard Law School alum, repatriated in Kabul to set up an incredible commercial law firm with his workaholic spirit, charisma, and persistence. He is a real example of a scholar genuinely dedicated to his homeland’s prosperity. In 2011, with only 2,500 US dollars in tow, he rented out a small office in Gulbahar Center, bought a couple of computers, and hired two staff members. Shajjan & Associates was set to be one of the first internationally qualified Afghan-owned corporate law firms. But the challenges were instant.
I was competing against many international firms, which were making millions of dollars from the legal sector in Afghanistan. Clients would rather hire an experienced American or European firm for they were in the Afghan market for so long, and I was new. It took a couple of years of dedicated, persistent work – and winning some influential clients – to prove myself and build a trustworthy name for Shajjan & Associates.
Saeeq Shajjan, Founder & Managing Partner of Shajjan & Associates
The ninth edition guides you through great lessons in business and life. You will learn about…
- The best practices of standardized labor law
- Advancing Afghan Trade: An Interview with the European Union Ambassador, Pierre Mayaoudon
- How to Reinvent yourself?
- WTO Membership: A discussion with Ambassador Mohammad Qurban Haqjoo
- Empowering Women as Leaders
- Maintaining a healthy and balanced lifestyle
- Improving customer service in your business
- Opportunities in the mining, infrastructure, and healthcare
The edition was launched on April 28, 2020 via an online web event to over a hundred virtual participants attending from different parts of the world. Murtaza Edries, Editor-in-Chief, opened the event by calling attendees to type in the chat window, their names, and the names of the firms they worked at. Once the delegates were acquainted, a beautiful 3-minute video recap of the previous launch events displayed to 154 participants. After the video ended, Murtaza has announced BusinessDNA’s new investor – Afghanistan Holding Group (AHG).
Representing AHG, Founder & Chairman Sanzar Kakar welcomed all the participants and said “We are honored to join the BusinessDNA team and look forward to continuing the incredible quality and depth that the magazine is known for.
And now, the much-awaited moment of the program has arrived. The ninth edition cover revealed Saeeq Shajjan, with everyone attending the web conference posting clapping emojis in the chatbox to appreciate Saeeq Shajjan’s years of hard working achievements. Sanzar asked Saeeq what motivated him to start Shajjan & Associates. Saeeq replied, “I had friends and family in the U.S. who said, ‘Do you have any idea what kind of life you can have with this degree here, Saeeq?’ I knew the value of my education from a prestigious university, but I would tell them that my Harvard degree belonged to Afghanistan and its people. The scholarship wasn’t given to Saeeq, but to an Afghan scholar to study abroad and return to serve the people”
Murtaza thanked BusinessDNA’s team, contributors, and advertisers, stating that we only move forward for their support. Following that, the moderator – Sanzar Kakar – invited the panel members for a discussion on the topic: How Can Businesses in Afghanistan Respond to COVID-19? The panel members included Rahimullah Mojaddedi, CEO of Afghanistan Holding Group; Sulaiman Bin Shah, Chief Catalyst at Catalysts.af; Saeeq Shajjan, Founder of Shajjan & Associates, Akbar Arghandiwal, Founder & CEO of Setara Dried Fruits; and Ferdous Samim, Founder of Taak Inc.
Watch the full launch video and panel discussion here
Due to a lockdown in Kabul, the distribution team is unable to deliver the magazine hard copies at the moment, and distribution points are closed. But, in honor of the continued support of our super fans, we provide this new edition to read for free online at https://joom.ag/qtIC
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