The Banking & Finance team offers comprehensive service to lenders, borrowers, advisers and other intermediaries. The Partners have firm experience of dealing with clients including leading banks, financial institutions, NBFCs and business houses.

Deal management and the ability to handle challenging structuring issues and complex negotiations are the main strengths of the Firm. The scope of work covers the entire spectrum including structuring transactions, drafting term sheets and transactional documents, negotiations, advising on the regulatory framework, advising on stamp duty and registration aspects and related issues.

The services include:

• Project Finance (Infrastructure, Power and Energy, Real Estate).
• Structured Finance & Securitization.
• External Commercial Borrowing.
• Debt Restructuring and Re-financing.
• Regulatory and Compliance.
• Corporate Debt, including Syndicated Loans.
• Acquisition and Leveraged Finance.
• Mezzanine and Subordinated Debt.
• Plain vanilla bilateral lending deals including mortgage and asset-based lending, equipment leasing.
• Real Estate Financing
• Debt Capital Markets encompassing issues of rupee denominated bonds and debentures.
• Carbon Credit Financing.
• Hedge Financing.
• Assignment / Downselling of Debt.

Our experience and industry knowledge, combined with the diverse skills of our lawyers shall assist us in representing our clients before regulatory bodies and other Government authorities.

The Partners of the Firm have significant experience in dealing with Mergers & Acquisitions, Joint Venture and Private Equity transactions. They have worked across sectors and have involved in numerous negotiated transactions including buyouts, mergers, demergers, share acquisition, business acquisitions, stock and assets purchase, restructuring, private equity investment and joint ventures.

The team is well equipped to handle challenging structuring issues and complex negotiations.

Our expertise lies right from conducting legal due diligences till closing of transactions and providing comprehensive advice to our client by providing risk averse, commercially viable and tax compliant business solutions in a time bound manner.

Our Firm offers following range of legal and advisory services:

• Advising on foreign investment issues, corporate and securities market laws, and issues applicable to investments.
• Due diligence and reporting of risks identified.
• Structing of transactions.
• Negotiation assistance right from term sheet stage till closing of transaction.
• Documentation and overall transaction support.
• Drafting and finalization of joint venture agreements, share purchase agreements, share subscription agreements, investment agreements, business transfer agreement, assets purchase agreement along with other incidental agreements.
• Closing activities including support for completion of post-closing activities.
• Advising on exit strategies and implementation thereof.
• Settlement of joint venture disputes.
• Liaison with Reserve Bank of India, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Authorised Dealers, and other nodal authorities in connection with the transaction.

The Firm has an extensive experience in rendering tax advisory & litigation services including corporate tax planning, international tax, GST & Anti-Black Money Laws. Following are the detailed expertise of the firm:

• Advising on corporate taxation, international taxation, transfer pricing issues including exposure of permanent establishment, tax withholding issues and expatriate taxation.
• Advising on acquisitions, divestments, corporate and business structure, mergers, demergers, income repatriation strategy, share buy- back issues.
• Advising on compliances under GST Act, Input Tax Credit, ITC Refends, e-Invoicing, e-way bills Prosecution under GST etc.
• Advising on the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015 (“Black Money Act”) issues.
• Representation before tax authorities, investigation authorities, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, CESTAT, High Courts and Supreme Court of India.

The Firm offers comprehensive service in advising on commercial insolvency, negotiated settlements, drafting of resolution plans etc. The Firm through its critical advice is in position to put the companies on revival path.

The Partners have represented many clients including financial institutions, public and private companies on variety of advisory aspects pertaining to resolution.

The Partners have rendered advice on matters including:

• Process Advisory to the Resolution Professional.
• Drafting of Resolution Plan.
• Advisory on resolution aspects under IBC.
• Due Diligence.
• Negotiations with creditors for settlements.
• Advisory on drafting and submission of resolution plans.
• Restructuring including arrangement with creditors and members.
• Liquidations.

The team has expertise in handling large scale real estate transactions including those involving FDI in the real estate sector and Partners have in the past provided advisory with respect to township, SEZ and other residential and commercial real estate projects in India.

The services include advising:

• Real Estate Projects like townships, SEZ, Technology Parks, Hotels & Tourism Projects.
• Regulatory laws including those relating to licenses and approvals.
• Structuring of transaction stamp duty.
• Change of land use.
• Regulations governing acquisitions and sale of property.
• Property tax and other taxes on real estate.
• Construction Contracts, Joint Development Agreements, Project Management Consultancy Agreement, etc.
• Grant/ Assignment of leasing / licensing of commercial and residential properties.
• Due diligence and preparation of Title Search Reports.
• Documentation pertaining to leasing, sale, mutation of property.

The lawyers have experience in advising both domestic and international clients on the complex regulatory and legal aspects of employment and labour law to enable full compliance with all the applicable laws and provisions.

The firm advises on the following areas:

• Employment Strategy and Documentation.
• Employee Benefits & Compensation Structuring.
• Employee Stock Options & Share Plans.
• Company Policies.
• Labour Law Advisory.
• Labour Disputes.
• Employment Termination.
• Non-Disclosure Agreements & Confidentiality Agreements.
• Employment Contracts.
• Downsizing.

The Partners have been advising Project developers, Investors and Suppliers & Contractors on diverse commercial / transactional issues. The Partners possesses vast and in-depth experience of providing legal and advisory services for the development of infrastructure projects in the following sectors:

• Mining.
• Oil & Gas.
• Power.
• Road, Highways & Bridges.
• Urban Infrastructure – Water & Solid Waste Management.

The Partners have advised in some of the leading deals in the infrastructure space, have assisted government authorities and regulatory bodies, multinational corporations and multilateral institutions in projects in a wide range of matters, from conceptualization to documentation, bid process management, awarding of contracts and assistance in project management.

The services include:

• Drafting and vetting of Bid Documents – BOT, BOOT, BOOM, DBFOT.
• Bid Process Management (for the Regulators).
• Assisting Contractors in the Bidding Process.
• Conducting Due Diligence and negotiations on various stages of documentation.
• Drafting, vetting and advising on Concession Agreements, Off-take Agreements, Pipeline Agreements, Terminal Facility Agreements, Joint Development Agreements, Power Purchase Agreement, EPC Contracts, State Support Agreements, Fuel Supply Agreements, Production Sharing Contracts, Regasification Agreements, Gas Sale and Purchase Agreements, etc.
• Legal assistance in setting up of Joint Ventures and infusion of funds in the infrastructure sector in India.
• Advising on diverse laws governing infrastructure facilities in India including issues related to land acquisition and FDI Policy
• Assistance in obtaining various licenses, approvals and permits required for implementation of infrastructure projects in India from governmental authorities.
• Advising on regulatory and legal framework on unbundling and restructuring issues of State Electricity Boards.

The team assists a variety of clients with regulatory compliances, enforcement actions in all aspects of environmental and natural resources law. The Partners have represented businesses of all sizes, from Fortune 500 companies to sole proprietorships, nonprofit organizations, trusts and estates, governmental entities, individuals and trade associations in litigation, regulatory, transactional matters and environmental due diligence / audit to assess material environmental risks. The Partners also routinely associate with other attorneys and international firms, forming a team to further the interest of clients with environmental legal issues nationwide.

Our team has advised clients including foreign investors in India, utility operators, property and development companies, professional bodies/ associations of manufacturing companies, and companies from other sectors, including manufacturing, waste, chemicals, construction, house building, rail, mining, quarrying, oil and energy.

The lawyers of the Firm have experience in advising companies operating in entertainment, print and digital media and broadcasting sectors.

The team is competent to offer guidance to domestic and international clients on India’s comprehensive entertainment, media, and advertising laws for advice on the creation, production, and dissemination of advertising across all media, particularly interactive technology, and consumer-generated content. The team focuses on transactions, counseling, and other non-contentious work.

The team advice on whole range of legal and regulatory issues including:

• Advertising, Media & Broadcasting laws, guidelines, rules and regulations.
• Registrations, licenses and compliances under the relevant regulations.
• Public policy issues and initiatives.
• Distribution, broadcast, syndication rights and deals.
• Television format rights and script options and purchases.
• Talent, performers and key-creatives’ rights, agreements and releases.
• Multi-media, digital and new technology services.
• User generated content and Website and service terms and conditions.
• Agreements including Distribution & Licensing, Master Services, Commissioning, Merchandising and Sponsorship, Music Composer, etc.
• Privacy and data protection.
• Obscenity, sedition, censorship and content regulation.
• Advisory and assistance in corporate commercial issues including company incorporation, etc.
• Strategic alliances and partnerships, acquisitions, and related agreements.

The Partners have considerable experience in advising companies in information technology and outsourcing sectors and on various legal issues involving privacy, protection of data and online gaming/ gambling.

Our services in the technology and outsourcing sector include:

• Online gaming and gambling including issues relating to virtual world/ social networks.
• Internet and e-commerce issues including advice on B2B/ B2C trading and associated contracts (such as software development and license agreements).
• Structuring of investment and commercial agreements for joint ventures, business transfer, mergers and acquisitions.
• Data Protection and privacy including confidentiality agreements.
• Equipment procurement, outsourcing and facility management agreements.
• Service provider and re-seller arrangements IT Outsourcing and Call Centre Operations.
• Issues arising out of Information Technology Act and rules framed thereunder;
• Representing clients before statutory authorities and courts in matters relating to violation of provisions under the Information Technology Act and rules framed thereunder.