Kochhar & Co.

The firm: Kochhar & Co has one of the largest full service commercial law practices in Bangalore.

The firm has distinguished itself in areas such as M&A, venture capital, corporate compliance, employment, real estate and TMT. The firm has done substantial work in the corporate and M&A space, assisting multinationals in acquisitions of Indian companies as well as being involved in the Indian aspects of global M&A transactions.

The firm also has a strong corporate restructuring practice, assisting clients in mergers, spin-offs and liquidations. Kochhar & Co is unique in having a dedicated corporate compliance practice that assists clients in managing their corporate compliance requirements.

The firm also assists venture capital companies and startups in venture capital funding. The firm set up India’s first technology law practice in 1999 and it has been the largest such practice in India over the last 15+ years. It mostly represents large multinationals doing business in India covering every niche of the TMT industry including hardware, software, software services, networking, telecom and e-commerce. The practice covers licensing, outsourcing, intellectual property, e-commerce, telecom, privacy and voice over IP.

The firm’s voice over IP practice is a niche practice that assists clients in using VoIP within their facilities; this may involve obtaining other service provider (OSP) licenses and advising on OSP issues. The firm also represents companies in complying with privacy regulations in India.

Significant practices of the firm in Bangalore including real estate and employment. Th firm represents companies mostly in the IT industry in leasing real estate in India and this includes office leases, built-to-fit facilities and setting up large campuses. It has helped some of the largest IT companies establish large campuses in the country in Bangalore and in Hyderabad.

The team has undertaken due diligence on most of the largest IT and software business parks in Bangalore and Hyderabad and is able to advise clients in site suitability as well.

The real estate practice is also very actively advising manufacturing companies in acquiring industrial land in various parts of the country. The team has sophisticated expertise on technical aspects of real estate including maintenance, air conditioning, power back up options, etc.

Leveraging off its large technology practice that assists large operations in the software and BPO space, the firm represents numerous clients concerning employment law issues in India. This includes advice on employment policies, compensation structuring, stock options, termination of employment, defending employers in litigation, etc. Of particular note, is its strong practice relating to prevention of workplace harassment – members of the firm have substantial experience in advising in this area, participating in enquiry committees, providing training to employees and speaking at public conferences.

In 2016, the firm set up a banking and finance practice in Bangalore and has been active in assisting banks on syndicated loan transactions, as well as doing substantial work for FinTech. The firm has a substantial litigation practice in Bangalore covering all kinds of commercial disputes, insolvency and white-collar crime. The firm has been active in the retail space, assisting clients on franchise arrangements, marketing contracts, advice on foreign investment in e-commerce and advice on legal metrology issues.