ASP ADVOCATES

The firm: ASP Advocates is a full service national law firm comprising of lawyers, company secretaries, chartered accountants and industry specific consultants. Based in New Delhi, ASP Advocates has a network of associate offices across India. Lawyers of ASP Advocates are licensed to practice throughout India.

The core practice areas of the firm include mergers and acquisitions, competition laws, banking and finance, aviation and maritime laws, capital markets and securities, dispute resolution, general corporate commercial including advisory and transactional support, intellectual property and confidentiality including protection and enforcement of intellectual property, private equity, projects, labour and employment law, regulatory and policy and taxation.

Partners of the firm have been recognized for their unique experience in both transactional and litigation practice including in the sectors of asset management and financial institutions, advertising, telecommunication, construction and engineering, education, energy including power and oil and gas, hospitality and leisure, insurance, knowledge based industries including IT/ITES/lifesciences, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, manufacturing, media, entertainment and sports, mining, real estate, retail and franchising, service and infrastructure projects.The firm extensively advises both Indian and multinational corporations including Fortune Global 500 companies. ASP Advocates has grown and continues to grow largely because of its singular commitment to delivering high-quality service and developing long-term client relationships.

Our lawyers’ approach to service begins by understanding clients’ business goals and objectives and then applying the resources necessary to facilitate its achievement. The firm has an uncommon understanding of middle market clients and insight into the issues facing both large clients and those seeking to establish a foothold in India. The firm also works closely with International law and consulting firms in translating and implementing the clients’ objectives in the Indian legal and regulatory regime.

Areas of practice: Partners of the firm have been recognized for their unique experience in both transactional and litigation practice including in the sectors of asset management and financial institutions, advertising, telecommunication, construction and engineering, education, energy including power and oil and gas, hospitality and leisure, insurance, knowledge based industries including IT/ITES/lifesciences, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, manufacturing, media, entertainment and sports, mining, real estate, retail and franchising, service and infrastructure projects.

The firm’s proficiency in banking and finance covers acquisition and leverage finance, structured finance, asset finance, project finance, global loans, restructuring, external commercial borrowings, asset securitisation and related regulatory issues including regulatory and risk management advice.

The firm’s capital markets team is well equipped to advise on the entire gamut of public offerings schemes, initial public offerings, further public offerings, rights issues, qualified institutions placements, ADR and GDR offerings and debt offerings including pre-offering due diligence, advising on regulatory compliance, drafting of offer documents and all required ancillary documentation.

The competition law team of the firm specializes in all aspects of competition law including cartels, leniency applications, concession arrangements, anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position, joint ventures, distribution systems, merger control, subsidy and consumer law, representations in the Competition Commission of India and Competition Appellate Tribunal. The firm advises on legal, strategic and compliance issues related to the Competition Act and undertakes drafting and review of term sheets, definitive agreements, non-compete agreements, non-disclosure agreements, franchise agreements, escrow agreements, stock swap agreements, employment agreements from the standpoint of their compliance with competition laws.

The firm advises on legal issues concerning inbound and outbound investments, strategic alliances and collaborations, structuring of investment routes, transaction due diligence, subsidiaries and joint ventures, franchising, technology transfers and licensing; technical assistance and services. The firm also advises on corporate transactional matters, commercial contracts and documentation, equipment purchase/ supply agreements, distribution arrangements, trademark licenses, master service agreements, consultancy and employments contracts.

Advocates of the firm have extensively worked ‘in the energy and power sector including bidding, project development, financing M&A, conducting due diligence and drafting and negotiation of power purchase agreements, EPC contracts, O&M contracts, state support agreements, fuel supply contracts, production sharing contracts, gas sale and purchase agreements and financing and security documentation.

Lawyers of the firm have advised several multinational companies on employment and labour related issues including drafting of employment agreements, employee handbooks, consultancy agreements, service bonds, deputation agreements, grievance settlement procedures, policies to prevent sexual harassment, leave policies, rules and regulations, certification of standing orders, and memoranda of settlement with trade unions, amongst others.

Lawyers of the firm have in depth knowledge and specialization in regulatory issues and legislations impacting the food and beverage industry and have extensively advised national and multinational companies on matters relating to product labelling, permissibility of ingredients, legal metrology and weights and measures. Lawyers of the firm have extensively represented clients before the Food Safety & Standards Authority in relation to obtaining product approvals, formulation of product standards and have been instrumental in obtaining precedent setting judgments from the State High Courts and the Supreme Court of India with regard to interpretation of provisions of food laws including the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 and Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006.

The firm’s dispute resolution practice group focuses on commercial litigation, company and insolvency litigation, debt recovery, criminal law, joint venture disputes, public and administrative law, disputes relating to commercial contracts including project contracts, licensing, construction contracts, technology transfer agreements and real estate contracts. Litigators of the firm have significant experience in arguing before the Supreme Court of India, State High Courts, District Courts, Company Law Board, Competition Commission, quasi judicial authorities and tribunals including income tax appellate tribunals, competition appellate tribunals, banking tribunals, environment tribunal, telecom and electricity regulatory authorities and consumer protection fora.

The firm is also actively engaged in alternate dispute resolution processes such as international and domestic arbitrations and conciliations. Lawyers of the firm are recognized for their representations in the area of dispute resolution and have obtained several precedent setting orders in complex legal issues from various Indian legal fora including the State High Courts and the Supreme Court of India.

The firm advises on issues arising out of regulatory, technological, legal and tax changes in the media, entertainment and sports industries. Lawyers of the firm have assisted with strategies and policies for clients’ operations both within India and internationally, from the standpoint of broadcasting, publication, intellectual property and taxation. The firm advises on issues impacting both print and the electronic media, issues relating to casino and online gaming laws, sports laws and incidental regulatory matters.

The pan India sector focused team handles a full range of M&A transactions including mergers and amalgamations, schemes of arrangement, reconstructions and demergers, acquisitions and divestments – of shares, assets and businesses (private, public and listed entities), leveraged buy-outs, distressed transactions and restructuring (for listed and unlisted entities), including capital and debt restructuring, buy-back of securities and reduction of capital. The firm’s client base includes multinational corporations including Fortune 500 companies and large national corporations. The firm closely works with in house counsels, accounting firms, and investment banks to effectively implement transactions to achieve the client’s objectives.

ASP Advocates and its lawyers have represented and continue to represent many of the world’s leading companies in complex litigation and other high-stakes disputes, cross-border and other strategic transactions, and crucial regulatory matters. Lawyers of the firm have obtained precedent setting orders from State High Courts and the Supreme Court of India in several landmark cases of intellectual property infringement, contracts, business torts, joint venture disputes and other commercial litigation.