Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co
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Akshay Chudasama, is the Co-Managing partner of Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. and along with Ms Pallavi Shroff, Managing Partner, has successfully led the firm to an exponential growth from 60 partners in 2015 to 144 partners as of December 2021. Akshay’s practice is primarily M&A and concentrates on cross-border and multijurisdictional, having advised on several marquee transactions. Consistently recognized as a cross-border M&A specialist by Asia-Pacific Legal 500, Akshay is particularly noted for his expertise in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, real estate, IT, telecommunications and media laws for various high-profile transactions in these areas. He also advises on investment and exits across a wide range of industries. His varied experience includes advising large listed and private companies on public and private M&A, joint ventures, demergers and restructurings as well as both primary and secondary capital raisings. Akshay is highly regarded for his practical advice to multinational companies, PE funds, investment banks and growth stage enterprises on extremely complex deals. Chambers and Partners notes Akshay as a “fantastic deal maker, he understands the real estate funds sector and anticipates the issues a foreign investor will face”. Chambers and Partners 2020 notes that he is highly sought after by both international and domestic clients. He advises on investment, exits across a wide range of industries, and is especially praised for his expertise in the real estate and technology sectors and that he impresses clients with the “depth of his knowledge and ability to close transactions swiftly.” Chambers and Partners, 2022 views Akshay as a ‘Band 1’ lawyer in Corporate/M&A. IFLR 1000 has been consistently recognising Akshay since 2017 and in 2022 views Akshay as a ‘Highly Regarded’ lawyer for Investment funds, Private Equity, M&A, Real Estate Acquisitions. RSG Report 2019 has also highlighted Akshay as ‘business savvy’, an “exceptional communicator” and recommended for having “excellent” M&A experience. Who’s Who Legal sees Akshay as a Global Leader for Corporate Governance and M & A. Akshay was a partner at AZB & Partners for over three years and thereafter at J Sagar Associates for almost 10 years.
Mr. Ashish Teni is a Partner in the Firm's Corporate & Insurance Practice, and has over 10 years' experience in insurance law matters. He is working very closely on matters pertaining to insurance law, foreign investment and general corporate advisory. In the course of his professional career, Ashish has advised various Indian and overseas insurers, reinsurers, insurance brokers, corporate agents, third party administrators on bancassurance, group insurance arrangements, reinsurance arrangements, commission payment and distribution structures in India. He has also had an extensive experience in advising reinsurance companies on the reinsurance arrangements, establishing place of business in India through branch office, registration and operation requirements applicable to cross border reinsurers. On the life insurance front, Ashish has been extensively involved in drafting and vetting of policy wordings and ancillary documentations on behalf of various life insurance companies. He has also advised on distribution and marketing arrangements and interpretation of regulations, circulars and guidelines issued by the IRDAI. In the general insurance space, Ashish has advised various insurance companies and intermediaries on the distribution arrangements and regulatory issues. Ashish has an extensive experience in advising reinsurance companies on the reinsurance arrangements, establishing place of business in India through branch office, registration and operation requirements applicable to cross border reinsurers. He has recently advised clients such as Go Digit, IndiaFirst, Future Generali, Policybazaar, Tata AIA, PNB MetLife and SCOR Group. Ashish has been consistently recognized as one of the leading ‘Next Generation Lawyers’ in the Insurance Practice Area for the year 2018- 2021, by the internationally acclaimed ‘Legal 500 Series’. He has also been recognized as a “Rising Star” in the Legal Media Group’s Rising Star for the last 2021
Ms. Gunjan Shah is a Partner and serves on the Management Committee of the Firm. She specialises in General Corporate, Capital Markets and Banking & Finance. Her areas of expertise include Mergers & Acquisition, Private Equity Corporate Restructuring, Debt Restructuring, Debt Capital Markets, and Securities and Takeover Regulation in India. In 2019, FT Innovative Lawyers 2019, Asia Pacific Awards, awarded her transaction, AION and JSW’s acquisition of Monnet Ispat & Energy Limited on innovation in legal expertise. Gunjan has also been recognised by Asia One among 50 most influential Indians under 50 – 2016-17 and in March 2015, was acknowledged in the list of India's Hottest Young Executives - 2015, Business Today's ninth listing of the best and the brightest corporate performers under 40. Gunjan has been recognised as one of India’s top 40 business leaders under the age of 40 by the Economic Times – Spencer Stuart Survey, 2014. She is a fellow of the Aspen Global Network– Kamalnayan Bajaj fellowship and has held a number of positions on legal panels and forums and is a judge at the Oxford-Price Media moot court competition held in Oxford, UK. According to Chambers & Partners 2021 “Gunjan is considered a thorough, deal-oriented and senior lawyer with a notable market presence. Her activity continues to focus heavily on the steel industry, where she has handled a range of important deals.” Chambers & Partners 2019 noted that “Gunjan Shah handles a broad range of corporate commercial issues. She is a popular choice of counsel amongst both domestic and international entities for advice on investment and restructuring work”. Gunjan has been recognised as a “Leading individual” for Corporate and M&A, by the Legal500, 2019, and had been described as described as ‘responsive and knowledgeable’ and ‘thoughtful and very knowledgeable’, and “a person who is a mainstay of the banking, finance and capital markets practice”. At AsiaLaw Profiles, 2019, she has been recognised as “Distinguished practitioner” for Corporate and M&A. Gunjan has been associated with Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas since 1998 and is part of the firm’s Management Committee.
Mr. Harman Singh Sandhu is a Partner in the Firm's Competition Law Practice, involved with competition law since its inception in India. Harman has considerable experience in advising Indian and foreign companies in relation to a whole range of competition issues (both on the advisory side and in proceedings before the Competition Commission of India (CCI)), the National Law Appellate Tribunal, the High Courts and the Supreme Court of India). His experience spans a variety of sectors including telecoms, railways, steel, aviation, banking, natural resources (oil, coal, iron ore, etc.), petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, agro-chemicals, paper, construction, cement, tyres, mineral processing equipment and fibres. His prominent clients include Ballarpur Industries, Trident Industries, ACC Limited, Ambuja Cements, Nutrien Inc, Linde AG., DuPont, Coal India Limited, Bayer/Monsanto, Baring Private Equity Asia, Alstom and Oravel Stays (OYO). Harman has been involved in defending large multinational companies in high profile cartel enforcement cases including leniency matters in India, in the cement and tyre industries amongst various others. Harman advised on the seminal CCI v. SAIL case, the first case under the Competition Act to be decided by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. He has successfully defended Apollo Tyres in the tyre cartelisation case, Tata Chemicals in the soda ash cartelization matter, Visaka Industries in relation to alleged cartelization in the asbestos sheets sector. He has acted for ACC (now a LafargeHolcim group company) in the cement cartel case, and for ACC and Ambuja Cement in relation to alleged bid rigging conduct. Harman has been acknowledged as a leading lawyer in Global Competition Review's Who's Who Legal of Competition Lawyers since 2011. Harman was described as “fabulous, highly intelligent and someone who provides great inputs on all his matters – I have great respect for him” by Chambers Global Guide 2013. Chambers and Partners 2016 stated, “Harman Sandhu is a rising star in the competition practice, who is widely recognized by peers. One interviewee characterizes him as "a great guy - very intelligent and very hard-working." In 2018, Chambers and Partners recognized Harman as a notable practitioner, noted that he has a solid reputation and experience in cartelisation and abuse of dominance matters. Interviewees state that he "stands out as one of the most dynamic lawyers," who is "pragmatic, very effective" and "solution-oriented." For 2019, Chambers and Partners noted that market sources are “very impressed with his capabilities” and he “comes up with the best advice” for industry-specific and multi-jurisdictional issues, and “stands out for his assured handling of the competition aspects of large, cross-border transactions.” In 2021, Chambers and Partners recognized Harman as "an exceptionally smart lawyer and great strategist" and he has been ranked as a ‘Global Leader‘ and ‘Global Elite Thought Leader’ in the Who’s Who Legal Rankings for Competition Law in 2021.
Mr. Jatin Aneja is a Partner at the Firm and heads the national projects and infrastructure practice for Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. He has extensive experience in project and project finance related transactions in the urban infrastructure, energy (conventional and renewable,) roads, ports, airports, railways, power, and oil and gas sector in India. Jatin has been involved in advising various Indian as well as multi-national companies on commercial law aspects, including drafting, structuring and negotiating various joint venture agreements, shareholder agreements, business purchase agreements, share purchase agreements, financing agreements, EPC contracts, consortium agreements, and other related legal advisory work. Jatin has advised on a series of award winning transactions in the oil and gas field, including the gas sale and purchase as well as the gas transportation arrangements in relation to the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan- Pakistan-India pipeline project and the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline project, which was awarded the Energy Deal of the Year by Asian Lawyer (ALM Emerging Markets Awards 2014). Another prominent matter included the Videocon Mauritius Energy Limited’s indirect sale of its participating interest in the Rovuma oil block in Mozambique, to ONGC Videsh Limited and Oil India Limited, which was awarded the Global M&A Deal of the Year (Africa) at the Global Legal Awards, 2014, and Indian Oil’s long term LNG sale andpurchase agreements from the United States, which was awarded the IBLJ's India Deals of the Year 2014. Jatin has also advised with regard to the Petronet LNG (Dahej Re-gasification Project) deal, which was awarded the Infrastructure Super Deal of the Year 2005 by the Asia Legal Business. In the Power sector, Jatin assisted in creating the optimum legal, policy and privatization framework that led to the privatization of the first thermal power project in India employing the PPP model post the new Electricity legislation. The Anpara ‘C’ project is today considered as one of the most successful PPP projects in the power sector and the structure set in place formed the basis of India’s Ultra Mega power projects. Jatin has also contributed significantly in establishing some of India’s biggest energy projects. Apart from advising on the first LNG Re-gasification Project in India, he has also been involved in the LNG sale and purchase transaction with Iran. In 2021 The Legal 500 recognized him in Hall of Fame for (Projects & Energy), they have been consistently recognized him since 2016.
Ms. Kriti Kaushik advises multinationals on employment law related issues across sectors and specializes in issues pertaining to entry and exit strategies, employment policies and disciplinary guidelines, employment structures, employee benefits, contract labour, and engagement and compensation structures of senior management.Kriti has been recognised as the ‘Rising Star’ for Employment Law practice by The Legal 500, 2021. At the Firm, Kriti has been involved in employment related advisory on issues relating to employee movements on account of corporate restructurings, workforce restructurings, managing industrial relations, employee policies, engagement of C-suite employees, exit strategies involving business run-offs and closure of manufacturing/commercial units and business run-offs, etc., outsourcing and contract labour arrangements, industrial disputes, trade union settlements, remuneration and severance of higher management, ESOPs, transactional advisory on employee integration and harmonization, social security benefits, POSH, disciplinary issues and employee-related investigations, amongst others.
Ms. Manjari Tyagi is a Partner, specializing in the capital markets practice at the Firm. She has advised issuers, as well as merchant bankers on various Indian equity capital markets transactions (including IPOs, QIPs, block trades and offers for sale through the stock exchange mechanism), foreign listings (including ADR listings) and international high-yield bond transactions, FCCBs issuances, as well as buyback of shares by Indian listed companies. Some significant deals Ms. Tyagi has advised on include the following: Represented the brokers in the USD 3.7 billion OFS by the Government of India in Coal India Limited in 2015, which is one of the largest equity trades in India until date. Acted as sole Indian counsel in connection with the listing by Videocon d2h Limited on the NASDAQ Global Market. The Financial Times Asia-Pacific Innovative Lawyers Report 2015 recognises Ms. Tyagi as “Highly Commended” for her involvement on this transaction. Advised the lead managers on the buyback of shares by Infosys Limited, which was amongst the largest buybacks in India. Represented Amira Nature Foods Limited, one of India’s leading rice processing companies on its U.S. IPO and listing on the NYSE. She has been recognised as a Next Generation Lawyer for Capital Markets in India by The Legal 500, 2017 – 21 Ms. Tyagi’s other transactions include initial public offerings in India by Lemon Tree Hotels Limited, Eris Lifesciences Limited, Sembcorp Energy India Limited (ongoing), ReNew Power Limited (proposed), SH Kelkar & Company Limited (as counsel to Blackstone, a selling shareholder) and Aakash Educational Services Limited (ongoing); qualified institutions placements (QIP) by Apollo Tyres Limited and The Federal Bank Limited; institutional placement programme (IPP) by InterGlobe Aviation Limited (IndiGo) (the first IPP which included a secondary offering); international high-yield bond transaction by Marble II Pte. Ltd. (a Blackstone owned entity and the holding company of Mphasis Limited); buyback of shares by Infosys Limited (which was amongst the largest buybacks in India and has been awarded Equity Deal of the Year at the Asian Legal Business (ALB) India Law Awards 2019), as well as several large block/bulk trades.
Mrinal Kumar is an equity partner with the Firm and specialises in areas of General Corporate, Real Estate, Retail and E-commerce. Mrinal has worked extensively on the real estate practice area focussing on merger & acquisitions, structuring transactions, advising on foreign direct investment laws, land acquisition, construction contracts, local land laws of various States in India, for large domestic and international clients. He has also drafted and negotiated transactions documents for domestic and international clients. Mrinal has been actively involved in the corporate commercial advisory relating to Corporate and Real Estate transactions including structuring, drafting and negotiating transactions for domestic and international clients. Mrinal has led several high value transactions. Some of the prominent matters that Mrinal has advised include Reall UK on the structuring and debt funding of an affordable housing project in India; Reliance Industries Limited on the real estate related aspects of the acquisition of the retail business of the Future Group through its group company; Kubota Corporation, Japan on the real estate related aspects of the transaction which involved acquisition of control of Escorts Limited by Kubota; American Express India Private Limited on acquisition of land and setting up of a campus in NCR; Bharti Realty Limited on development and management of a residential project in Delhi NCR; OYO Group on acquisition of 5 star hotels; Mrinal has been advising Government of India, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs on various legislations. Chambers and Partners, 2022 views Mrinal as ‘Band 1’ lawyer for Real Estate. He has been adjudged as one of the leading real estate lawyer in the India Region by Asialaw Leading Lawyers for 12 consecutive years, from 2010 to 2021. Mrinal has also been adjudged as a ‘leading lawyer’ in construction and real estate by The Legal 500 in 2018-19. Mrinal has been recognised as “IBLJ’s A-List of India’s Top 100 Lawyers” in 2019. Mrinal has been consistently ranked in ‘Band 1’ for his expertise in Real Estate by Chambers and Partners from 2016 to 2022.
Pallavi S Shroff is the managing partner at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas (SAM & Co), heads the dispute resolution practice and is also the chief mentor for the competition law practice in the firm. Pallavi has been a driving force in further enhancing the positioning of SAM & Co as India’s premier full-service law firm ever since she took over as managing partner in 2015. Under her guidance, the firm has exponentially grown from 60 partners in 2015 to 144 partners as of December 2021, with diversified practice offerings and an accelerated pan-India presence across seven countrywide offices. She has been instrumental in the firm’s advanced technology initiatives and transformation and enhancement of the firm’s client service delivery. With over 39 years of extensive and highly regarded experience, Pallavi’s expertise spans across dispute resolution, competition law and white-collar crime. Pallavi frequently advises and counsels some of the largest and most challenging litigation and arbitration matters in the areas of energy, infrastructure, natural resources, mergers and acquisitions, legislative and policy related matters. She regularly appears in the Supreme Court and the high courts of India, arbitrations, mediations and international legal disputes. She is an alternate member (India) at the ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) Court of Arbitration. Under Pallavi’s leadership, the firm has been regularly engaging with FICCI and CII and representing the entire Indian Industry in the Presidential Reference proceedings (Special Reference 1 of 2012) being heard by a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court. The judgment passed by the Constitution Bench is one of the most famous and compelling rulings in India on methods of disposal of natural resources in India. Chambers and Partners, 2022 views Pallavi as an ‘Eminent Practitioner’ for Competition/Antitrust and a ‘Star Individual’ for Dispute Resolution. They have called Pallavi, “a widely acknowledged stalwart in the field of competition law best known for her handling of cartel, abuse of dominance and other contentious issues, but increasingly active providing strategic oversight on very large-scale, multi-jurisdictional merger control mandates” while Who’s Who Legal of Commercial Arbitrators has rated Pallavi, “as one of three leading practitioners involved with arbitration”. She has been recognised in Fortune India’s most Powerful Women in business, 2020 and 2021 and among Top 50 Managing Partners and Top 100 lawyers in the Forbes India Legal Power list 2020.
Ms. Pooja Ramchandani is a Partner at the Firm and heads the Labour and Employment law practice. Her area of expertise encompasses a range of matters in the field of employment and labour laws. She has advised on structuring of workforce, social security, pensions, benefits and compensation, transition of employees and implications in a corporate restructuring, integration of benefits and compensation, employee welfare benefits, employee stock options and other performance incentive schemes, contract labour analysis, closure of factories and establishments, breach of secrecy, non-compete and non-solicitation obligations, HR policies, key and non-key employment contracts, confidentiality agreements, secondment agreements, consultancy agreements, downsizing of workforce, disciplinary proceedings, data retention, background checks, hiring, transfer and termination of employees, general compliances under employment and labour law amongst others. Pooja assisted United Nations Development Programme with an in-depth analysis of the Indian Apprentices Act, 1961 and the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992 to advise the government on necessary changes required in the legislation for introducing to meet the objectives set out by the Indian Prime Minister in the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme and introduction of third party agencies in the scheme of the legal framework on apprentices. Pooja has built a strong team focusing on employment laws and has successfully led and advised various multi-nationals and large corporations on matters relating to closures, employee stock options, integration issues emanating from mergers, business transfers, industrial disputes, strikes, employment policies etc., over the last year across sectors such as manufacturing, automobiles, healthcare, retail, insurance, IT, financial services, FMCGs etc. Pooja has been recognised for Employment Law practice by leading legal directories including Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific Guide, 2018 – 21 and The Legal 500, 2020 and 2021.
Prashant Gupta is a partner in the firm’s corporate department, focusing primarily on capital markets transactions. He represents both issuers and underwriters in various equity and debt capital raising transactions, including initial public offerings, rights issues and QIP offerings, buy-backs, capital restructurings and pre-IPO private placements. He has advised on capital markets transactions that have raised over US$50 billion globally, which include both the largest IPO and bond offerings out of India, as well as the largest secondary trade on the stock exchanges in India. Chambers and Partners, 2022 views Prashant as ‘Band 1’ in Capital Markets: Equity. IFLR 1000, 2022 see him as a ‘Market Leader’ for Capital Markets. Chambers 2020, quotes a source who said, “Prashant is a no-nonsense lawyer who cuts straight to the point, providing crisp, balanced, commercial and technically correct advice.” He has been recognized by The Economic Times in the prestigious “ET 40 under forty” list of India’s “hottest business leaders” in 2019. He has also been recognized by IFLR1000 in the list of “Asia’s Best Lawyers” in 2021 and, and has been recognised in IBLJ’s A-List of India’s Top 100 Lawyers since 2018. He has also been recognized among the Who’s Who Legal “Thought Leaders: Global Elite 2022”. Prashant has advised on equity and bond offerings by issuers across various industries, including Apollo Tyres, Azure Power, AU Small Finance Bank, Bharti Airtel Limited, Coal India, DLF Limited, Dr. Lals Pathlabs, Embassy Office Parks REIT, Eris Lifesciences, Eros International, Federal Bank, Freshworks, HPCL-Mittal Energy, IDFC, IndiaMart, InterGlobe Aviation, Jubilant Foodworks, Lemon Tree Hotels, MakeMyTrip, One97 Communications (Paytm), ONGC, PB Fintech (Policybazaar), PVR Limited, Power Grid Corporation, PNB Housing Finance, SBI Cards and Payments Services, Network18/TV18, TCNS Clothing, Vedanta, Varroc Engineering, Videocon d2h, and Yes Bank.
Prashant Sirohi is a Partner at the Firm and works in the projects team at the New Delhi office of Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. He has extensive experience in project and project finance related transactions in the power, roads, ports, airports, oil & gas sector in India. Prashant has been ranked for Projects, Infrastructure & Energy practice by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2019 -21 editions. Prashant has been involved in advising various Indian as well as multi-national companies on commercial law aspects, including drafting, structuring and negotiating various business purchase agreements, share purchase agreements, shareholders agreements, financing agreements, EPC contracts, consortium agreements, and other related legal advisory work. Prashant has advised on a series of transactions in the oil and gas field, the gas sale and purchase as well as the gas transportation arrangements in relation to the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline project and the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline project, which was awarded the Energy Deal of the Year by Asian Lawyer (ALM Emerging Markets Awards 2014). He also advised GAIL (India) Limited on its bidding documents for Time Charter hiring of LNG ships, and Bharat Petroleum, Indian Oil Corporation, GAIL India Limited in relation to renegotiation of their long term LNG Sale and Purchase Arrangements with Qatargas and Exxon. Prashant has also advised on large power projects across India as well as outside India. He has advised NTPC Limited in relation to a 500 MW coal based power project in Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh-India Friendship Power Company Private Limited, a joint venture of NTPC and BPDB in relation to drafting, reviewing and finalization of tender documents for the construction (on EPC turnkey basis) of 2x660 MW maître super-critical thermal power plant at Bangladesh.
Raghubir is a corporate, M&A and PE partner at the firm, the regional head of M&A and PE (Mumbai region) and advises numerous corporates, sovereign wealth funds and private equity funds. Raghubir actively represents large corporate clients such as Facebook, Walmart, Flipkart, One97 Communications, Sembcorp and blue chip PE and SWF clients such as KKR, Blackstone, Softbank Vision Fund, CPPIB, General Atlantic, GIC, ADIA and Temasek. He has recently advised IndiaIdeas.com Limited on its sale of the entire share capital of the company to PayU Payments Private Limited through secondary sale of US$ 4.6 billion. He has worked on some of the largest recent M&A and PE transactions in India including advising Facebook, TPG, PIF, L-Catterton, Silver Lake, Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic, KKR and ADIA’s investment of over US$20 billion by Reliance Jio – India’s biggest conglomerate. He also advised the investors on Reliance Retail’s fund raise of over US$6 billion and Blackstone’s acquisition of Mphasis Limited for US$ 2.8 billion in 2021. In 2018, Raghubir represented Walmart on its acquisition of Flipkart for US$16 billion, making it the largest e-commerce acquisition globally. Chambers and Partners, 2022 views Raghubir as a ‘Band 1’ lawyer for each of Private Equity and M&A and he has also been ranked as a ‘Band 1’ lawyer by each of Chambers and Partners Global and Asia-Pacific for M&A for 2021. Chambers and Partners Global 2020, quotes a source saying Raghubir is “an excellent, star partner”. He is further praised for his deep experience in complex cross-border M&A, acting recently on some of India’s most important landmark transactions. Raghubir was ranked number one lawyer by Mergermarket in 2017 and 2018 for the entire Asia – Pacific region by deal volume and has been noted as the busiest lawyer in Asia in 2018, 19 and 20, by Mergermarket. He is also Ranked #1 in the Mergermarket Individual League Table 2020 Global Rankings, with 45 deals worth US$ 24.3 billion to his credit. He was awarded “Partner of the Year” by IDEX Legal Awards 2017 and is recommended by RSG Consulting 2019 for M&A and Private Equity, and won the M&A Lawyer of the Year: Private Equity at the Asian Lawyer Emerging Markets Awards 2015. Raghubir has been consistently ranked by Who’s Who Legal as one of the Global and India Thought Leaders for M&A and Corporate Governance.
Ms. Shailaja Lall is an Equity Partner at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co and headsthe Insurance & Reinsurance practice of the firm. She has worked extensively in the fieldof insurance law for over 20 years and is recognised as a leading practitioner ofinsurance law in India with remarkable domain expertise.Shailaja experience includes advising insurers, reinsurers, insurance intermediaries andother financial services entities on a full range of non-contentious and contentiousinsurance matters. She also advices extensively on key regulatory developmentsimpacting the sector, including PE investment, licensing of insurance intermediaries,corporate agency arrangements, group insurance arrangements and sale of insurancethrough e-commerce platforms. She works with many of the marqee and most-respectedcompanies throughout the insurance sector.The Legal 500, 2018-21 has recognised Shailaja as a “Leading Individual” for Insurance,which quotes “As a practice head Shailaja Lall is a key name to note for non-contentiousmatters”. She has also been ranked by Chambers and Partners, 2018-21 for insurancematters and it states, “Shailaja Lall both heads the team and takes the leading role inmost of its key mandates, enjoying market recognition as a “very bright” practitionerwho is equally at home in both the transactional and regulatory spheres.Shailaja was the Vice Chair of the Lex Mundi Insurance & Reinsurance Practice Group(2012-16) and a member of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce andIndustry’s (FICCI) Insurance and Pensions Committee (2014-15).
Mr. Shardul S. Shroff is the Executive Chairman at the Firm. He has over 40 years of experience in General Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions, Insolvency and Bankruptcy, Securities Law, Disinvestment & Capital Markets. Mr. Shroff heads the Insolvency & Bankruptcy practice at the Firm. He is a leading authority on matters related to Corporate Governance, Mergers & Acquisitions, Government Regulation and Bankruptcy & Insolvency Law. He has been instrumental in developing these practice domains in the Firm. Widely regarded as a pioneer in the field of Corporate Law, Mr. Shroff has participated in the training and drafting of several important economic legislations and company law reforms in India. Most recently, he has been a member of the Insolvency Law Committee, constituted by the Government to review the implementation of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code under the Chairmanship of Mr. Injeti Srinivas. Mr. Shroff was also a member of the Injeti Srinivas Committee constituted for decriminalization of offences under the Companies Act and the Injeti Srinivas Committee for cross-border insolvency. Under Mr. Shroff’s leadership, the Firm has been recognised as ‘Best in Insolvency’ at the Asialaw’s Asia Pacific Dispute Resolution Awards 2018. Mr. Shroff has been on a number of other high-powered committees appointed by the Government of India including the JJ Irani Committee for amending the Companies Act, the Expert Committee on maintenance of Cost Records and Cost Audit in 2014, the Eradi Committee involved in the insolvency provisions of the Companies Act, 1956, the second Naresh Chandra Committee appointed to look into aspects of SMEs and simplification of Company Law and the Valuation Committee under Mr. Shroff’s Chairmanship. As a preeminent expert of his field, Mr. Shroff has been appointed as an independent director on significant boards of Indian companies. He is a member of the US-India Business Council, Vice Chair of the Corporate Counsel Committee of the IPBA Council, the Union Internationale Des Advocats, and the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Shroff has been re-elected as the Chairman of the CII National Committee on Legal Services and Arbitration. He is also a Member of the CII National Council on Services and the CII Task Force on the Ease of Doing Business, 2017-2018. With regard to FICCI, Mr. Shroff is the Chairman of the Committee on Stressed Assets and a member of the Capital Markets Committee. Mr. Shroff has also been appointed as the Senior Vice President on the Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF). Shardul has been consistently rated as a leading lawyer by several international fora and publications, including the Who’s Who Legal, AsiaLaw, Chambers and Partners, Legal 500 and Euromoney etc. International Financial Law Review (IFLR) 1000, 2022 – The Guide to the World’s Leading Financial Law Firms notes Shardul as a market leader in the areas of Mergers and Acquisitions, Restructuring and Insolvency, Energy and Infrastructure, Project Development, Banking, Project Finance, Capital Markets: Debt, while Chambers and Partners, 2022 views Shardul as an Eminent Practitioners in B&F & Restructuring/Insolvency and & Star Individual in Corporate & M&A space who is known for his long-standing experience handling joint ventures, takeovers, divestments and commercial contracts. Among other numerous recognitions, Shardul is also a recipient of the National Law Day Award from the President of India for his unique contribution to the field of corporate law and leadership in its practice, and for being instrumental in advancement of India’s corporate law practice at international standards. He has been recognised as one of “The Game Changers of India, 2018” by The Economic Times. .
Ms. Smarika Singh is a Partner in the Firm’s Dispute Resolution team. She works very closely on matters pertaining to litigation and commercial arbitration. Smarika has been part of Domestic & International Commercial Arbitrations and related litigation in the sectors of Oil & Gas, Power & Infrastructure, Coal & Mining and Construction. She also regularly advises clients on contentious issues arising under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act and the Food Safety and Standards Act. She represents clients in litigations before the Delhi High Court as well in the Supreme Court of India and in specialized Tribunals such as the Telecom Dispute Settlement & Appellate Tribunal, National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and National Company Law Tribunal. Smarika has also contributed to various publications, with articles such as “Online Dispute Resolution: Lets Resolve It” published in Asian Dispute Review, January 2007; “Minerva Mills: Embargo On Basic Structure” published in All India Reporter, March 2005 Edition; “Need For A Trade Secrets Legislation: Delay Is Detrimental” published in Indian Economic Panorama, April 2006; “Want To Play On The Stock Exchange? Get Finger Printed!” published in Lawyers Collective Magazine, April 2006; The CAS (Conditional Access System) Case: Beneficial Yet Controversial” published in Indian Economic Panorama, January 2007. SELECT EXPERIENCE STATEMENT Some of the select transactions where she has assisted the firm: ARBITRATIONS Represented Vale Australia Pty Ltd., an Australian miner, in an international commercial arbitration under the ICC Rules. The dispute related to coal supply to an Indian entity. She also acted in the consequential challenge to the award right up to the Supreme Court; Represented Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited in arbitration proceedings conducted under the ICC Rules at London, arising out of disputes in respect of a turnkey contract for the construction of a power plant in Sulemaniah, Kurdistan Iraq; Advised AAPC Singapore Pte Ltd. in an international arbitration under the ICC Rules in relation to disputes over the use of “Ibis” trademark; Represented Havells India Pty Ltd. in an arbitration conducted under the ICC Rules in Paris, in respect of various intellectual property rights agreements; Represented Viom Networks Limited, a passive infrastructure service provider, in an ad hoc arbitration proceeding in respect of disputes under a master services agreement with its infrastructure service provider; Advised and represented Chic Tex Inc. a Canadian company, in various fora in relation to disputes with Indian shareholders; Acted as counsel for Vodafone Essar Limited in ad hoc arbitration proceedings in India. Appeared and represented Indus Towers Limited before the High Court of Delhi in a dispute arising out of a master services agreement entered into with an active infrastructure service provider, under Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. Represented Valency International Trading Pte Ltd. in an arbitration in relation to disputes concerning supply of urea. Presently representing an Indian agro company in an arbitration conducted under the ICC Rules in New York, in relation to a joint venture dispute. Presently representing an Indian Oil & Gas Company in proceedings arising from challenge to an arbitral award, concerning a turnkey contract for construction of pipeline. Presently representing an international apparel company in proceedings arising from challenge to an arbitral award, concerning a joint venture dispute. OTHER SIGNIFICANT LITIGATIONS Presently representing Nestle India Limited in a class action proceeding initiated by the Union of India before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. Also representing Nestle India Limited before the Supreme Court of India in relation to disputes arising out of ban on sale and manufacture of Maggi Noodles in India. Represented Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. before a Committee constituted by the Government of India to probe into and make recommendations in disputes involving gas migration from deep water blocks and consequential third party violations. Represented Indian Hotels Company Limited in its dispute with New Delhi Municipal Council concerning the hotel property at No. 1, Mansingh Road, New Delhi. Presently representing a car seat manufacturer before the National Company Law Tribunal in disputes concerning allegations of oppression and mismanagement. Presently advising and representing Tata Housing Development Co. Ltd. in disputes before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and before the Haryana Real Estate Regulatory Authority . Presently advising and representing a steel manufacturer in suit proceedings pending before the Calcutta High Court. Represented Sona Koyo Steering Systems Ltd. in proceedings before the Kanchipuram District Court in relation to breach of contract for manufacture of automotive parts by a Korean Company. Advised Converteam India Pvt. Ltd. and General Electric Company in mediation proceedings in London, in relation to disputes over the supply of software for a project in Sudan. Advised and represented Trans Asia Industries Exposition in litigations in the Delhi High Court (suits for possession and summary suits, etc.) and the Supreme Court (against sealing of property by the NDMC). TELECOM DISUPTES Represented Videocon Telecommunications Ltd. before the Supreme Court of India in a Public Interest Litigation questioning the grant of 2G telecom licenses by the government of India; Represented Videocon Telecommunications Ltd. before the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Authority in proceedings initiated by it challenging the imposition of liquidated damages by the Department of Telecommunications. Represented Hutchison Telecommunications International Ltd. before the Delhi High Court in a Public Interest Litigation which alleged violation of foreign exchange regulations. WHITE COLLAR CRIMES AND ECONOMIC OFFENCES Investigations and Advisory regarding violations of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (“PMLA”), Reserve Bank of India’s circulars, Foreign exchange rules etc.; Acted as counsel for HDFC Bank Ltd. and Yes Bank Ltd. in respect of proceedings initiated by the Reserve Bank of India alleging breach of code of conduct and ethical standards by certain bank and violations of the PMLA; Representing HDFC Bank Ltd. in proceedings initiated under the PMLA.
Tejas Karia is a partner and head of arbitration practice at Shardul AmarchandMangaldas & Co. and specialises in international commercial arbitration. He hasrepresented multinational and Indian corporations in domestic and internationalcommercial arbitrations as a counsel, both in ad hoc and institutional arbitrations withseats in India, London and Singapore. He has extensive experience in handling disputesacross sectors, including, oil and gas, real estate, hospitality, construction and alsoarising out of shareholders’ agreements, joint ventures and private equity investments.He has been involved in and argued landmark cases relating to arbitration before IndianHigh Courts and the Supreme Court of India. Tejas also regularly sits as an arbitrator.Tejas was part of committee of Law Commission of India for recommending amendmentsto Indian Arbitration Act and also high-powered committee for institutionalisation ofarbitration in India. He is ranked in ‘Band 2’ for Arbitration by Chambers & Partners andrecognised as ‘Distinguished Lawyer’ in dispute resolution by Asialaw Profiles. Who’sWho Legal: Arbitration recognises him as a ‘Global Leader’ and ‘Thought Leader’,Benchmark Litigation as ‘Dispute Resolution Star’, Forbes India Legal Power List amongstTop 100 Lawyers in India and Legal 500 as ‘Leading Individual’ for Arbitration. He is a Fellow of Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London(CIArb) and also the Director of India Branch of CIArb. He a member of Governing Councilof Indian Law Society, Director and Convenor of Indian Arbitration Forum and ViceChairperson of Society of Construction Law – India. He has co-authored numerouspublications and regularly speaks at international seminars and workshops on arbitration.
Ms. Veena Sivaramakrishnan is a key Partner in the Firm's Banking and Finance and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Practice with over 17 years of experience. She leads the practice in Mumbai and has significant experience in Banking, Financial Services Regulatory, Financing, Derivatives, Insolvency, Bankruptcy and Restructuring.Reportedly, clients praise her for her ‘firm grasp of banking as well as applicable regulations’ with her vast experience in derivatives highly valued. She has the ability to ‘provide commercial inputs over and above the legal advice’ and to ‘offer alternative solutions’. Clients describe her as ‘proactive, approachable, responsive and timely, good technical skills, very professional, very sharp and relationship driven.’ Veena has been a part of many “firsts” for her area of practice, by either being involved in the mandate or by advising the industry on such a transaction. These include (a) foreign bank – Indian bank amalgamation of DBS Bank India Limited and Lakshmi Vilas Bank, (b) bank- NBFC merger of Capital First and IDFC Bank, (c) first successful debt and equity restructuring under the SDR regime of RBI, involving the sale of Hyatt Hotels Pune to SAMHI group, (d) legal validity to OTC derivatives under Indian laws and the introduction of Credit Derivatives, (e) successful restructuring outside IBC of sale of Leela Hotels to Brookfield, (f) issuance of the first partly paid NCD structure, (g) winding down of regulated entities such as banks and NBFCs in India, (h) setting up of a special liquidity trust under the directions of the Government, to cater to COVID-19 related defaults, (i) asset monetisation structures for easing liquidity to NBFCs, (j) corporation insolvency resolution of Alok Industries Limited, Essar Steel Limited, (k) liquidation of Falcon Industries and Siddhivinayak Industries, (l) resolution of Altico Capital India Limited, outside of IBC, etc. Veena has worked at Juris Corp for over a decade across varied areas of practice impacting banks and financial institutions and at ICICI Bank mainly for its offshore operations. While at ICICI, she was based in Canada and worked in setting up the wealth management subsidiary, and worked with Davis Polk and Wardwell in New York on secondment primarily to set up the New York branch of ICICI. She has been consistently recognized by prestigious Indian and international publications individually and within her areas of practice. Latest of these include Distinguished Practitioner, Asia law, 2021, Recognised as “Highly Regarded Individual” for Restructuring and Insolvency, Banking, Capital Markets: Structured Finance and Securitisationby IFLR 100, 2021. Leading Lawyer for Banking & Finance by Asia Law Profiles for the years 2015 - 2021. Band 2 Partner for Banking & Finance by Chamber and Partners for the years 2014 - 2021.
Yaman Verma is a Partner in the Firm's Competition Law Practice with over 11 years' experience. He has been practicing competition law since the Competition Act came into force in India and has been involved in a number of significant enforcement and merger control cases. Yaman’s works with clients across a spectrum of industries, including Microsoft Corporation, Meta Platforms Inc., Coal India Limited, Walmart, Inc., E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Vodafone India Limited, WhatsApp, Inc., Flipkart Ltd., Temasek, Zomato, and Xiaomi. Yaman is currently involved in a number of high profile cartel as well as abuse of dominance enforcement cases, including several major investigations into digital markets. Previously, he has successfully defended Microsoft against an allegation of unfair and discriminatory pricing, WhatsApp against allegations of abuse of dominance, and Flipkart against allegations of preferential treatment and discrimination. He also successfully represented Matrimony.com in an abuse of dominance case against Google, where the Competition Commission of India fined Google INR 136 crores. He also routinely advises clients in relation to their agreements and allegations of cartelization and has successfully represented Coal India Limited in a cartel complaint against its explosives suppliers before the CCI and the appellate tribunal. He represented Globecast Asia Pte Ltd in their leniency application before the Commission, and was successful in obtaining a 100% reduction in penalty for Globecast and its officials. On the merger control side, Yaman helped secure unconditional approval for Vodafone India’s merger with Idea Cellular Limited (India’s largest M&A transaction), and, more recently, Zomato’s acquisition of a minority stake in online groceries platform Grofers, Facebook’s acquisition of a minority stake in Jio Platforms Limited, Flipkart’s acquisition of a minority stake in Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited, and the merger between Linde AG and Praxair, Inc. He acted on securing the green channel approval for Aeroports de Paris’ acquisition of a significant minority stake in GMR Airports. He has previously advised on Walmart’s Acquisition of a majority stake in Flipkart (and successfully defended the approval in follow on litigation), Siemens’ acquisition of Alstom’s mobility business, the acquisition of Nokia’s smartphone business by Microsoft, and GRUH Finance’s merger into Bandhan Bank, as well as transactions in the automobiles space (including the capital alliance between Suzuki Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation, and the merger of Fiat with Peugeot), the pharmaceuticals space (including Pfizer’s proposed merger with Allergan, and GSK’s acquisition of Novartis’ vaccines and over the counter drugs business), and the agrochemicals space (including the merger between the Dow Chemical Company and E. I. du Pont de Nemours, the merger between Agrium Inc. and Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, and the acquisition by FMC Corporation of the agrochemicals business divested by DuPont as part of the conditions of its merger with Dow). He also routinely acts for private equity investors in relation obtaining CCI approvals for their acquisitions. Yaman was most recently recognised by the Indian Business Law Journal as a Future Legal Leader in 2021, and by Chambers & Partners, 2021 as an “Up and Coming” lawyer for Competition and Antitrust, described as “a very bright lawyer” with “very good project management skills”. He has been recognized as a “future leader” in “Who's Who Legal: Competition Future Leaders”, from 2017 to 2021, being “most highly regarded” in 2019, lauded for his “management of major merger control mandates in an ‘effective, thorough and calm way’”, and his “clarity of thought and in-depth knowledge of competition laws”. He was included as a “Rising Star” in Competition and Antitrust in The Experts Guides list for 2018 to 2021 and in the Legal 500 list of “Next Generation Lawyers” for India for 2017 to 2021. He regularly contributes to competition law publications and has co-authored India chapters for GCR, “Getting the Deal Through”, as well as for PLC. He has also co-authored articles on Indian antitrust law for a Competition Policy International Publication titled “The Evolution of Antitrust in the Digital Era: Essays on Competition Policy” in 2020, and a Kluwer Publication titled “Competition and Patent Law in the Pharmaceutical Sector: An International Perspective” in 2016, and assisted in the editing of the sixth edition of SM Dugar’s Guide to Competition Law, also published in 2016,. He also conducts an elective course on competition law at the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, and has been an invited guest lecturer at various law universities across India.