Desai & Diwanji

The firm: Founded in 1935, Desai & Diwanji is one of India’s leading law firms, helping clients achieve their goals by combining the highest global standards with local expertise. With offices in Mumbai, Gurgaon, and New Delhi, Desai & Diwanji is also among the largest law firms in the country.

Areas of practice
Aviation: Desai & Diwanji has significant experience in all relevant aspects of the aviation industry, including aircraft acquisition, leasing, financing, securitisation of airline receivables, operational aspects, development of airports, airport privatisations, and complex litigation.

Banking and finance: the firm helps clients navigate through a complex array of unique regulatory and other legal requirements impacting their industry, and advises on a full spectrum of financial products including syndicated lending, leveraged and acquisition finance (including mezzanine financing), asset finance, derivative products, securitisations, insolvency and restructuring, structured finance (including debt restructuring), and financial regulatory.

Capital markets: the firm has a leading practice in India in corporate finance, with a strong exposure to capital markets. Desai & Diwanji advises issuers, underwriters, investors, trustees, mutual funds, rating agencies and financial institutions in several types of complex corporate finance and capital market transactions.

Competition: the firm’s lawyers have the requisite experience, knowledge, and practical understanding of business practices to help clients in all areas of antitrust, covering competition law enforcement as well as litigation. Desai & Diwanji has a proud record of success representing clients in clearing transactions before the Competition Commission of India, providing expertise at every stage of the process, from pre-filing consultation to getting approval.

Dispute resolution: the firm has a formidable reputation for domestic litigation, arbitration, as well as alternative dispute resolution, and provides its clients with the full spectrum of dispute resolution services.

Infrastructure and project finance: the firm has been at the forefront of infrastructure and project finance work in India having advised on more than 60 IPPs, four out of the six LNG projects developed in India, and several port, oil and gas, pipeline, mining, telecom, transportation, road, highway, bridge and other infrastructure projects. The firm represents sponsors, developers, EPC contactors, lenders, multilateral agencies, export credit agencies and governments.

Mergers and acquisitions: recognised as a leading advisor on corporate transactions in general and M&A in particular, the firm is able to combine exceptional transactional skills with specialist expertise. This breadth of experience enables the firm’s lawyers to handle the numerous issues that can arise in a transaction.

Private equity: the firm regularly finds itself advising global investment funds, hedge funds, pension funds and private equity funds in several of the largest transactions in this sector year after year, whether they are funds establishment, funds listing, public bids and acquisitions, LBOs, or private equity acquisitions. The firm’s lawyers have advised more investment funds and global private equity investors in their Indian funds and investments than any other law firm in India.

Real estate and construction: the firm’s real estate lawyers are experienced in handling a wide variety of real estate and construction matters, including acquisitions, disposals, development, planning, construction, tenancy, real estate finance, special economic zones, and environmental issues.

Technology, media, and telecoms: with a strong presence in the technology, media, and telecom industries, the firm has experience in advising on research and development, license arrangements, technology transfers, and operational arrangements. The firm represents some of the largest venture capital funds investing in India in technology companies and lenders that lend to them.