Practice Areas
Our Dispute Resolution Practice group is exceptionally strong and is reputed for its superior client service, strategic insights, and a formidable presence in proceedings. We are nimble in our advocacy, innovative in our approach, and uncompromising in achieving the solution which best suits our clients.
We advise and represent on all aspects of corporate and commercial law, including contracts, competition and trade practices issues, information technology and communications, media, employment, administrative law, directors’ duties, shareholder claims, class actions, taxation, and other disputes. Accountability, integrity, and transparency are principles that guide us in our dealings within the Firm, our clients, and with dispute resolution bodies.
With over five decades of litigation experience across its Partners, the Firm is considered among the best in the country. Each Partner has a proven track record of handling complex commercial transactions or disputes and each member of the larger team has significant experience in providing powerful representation before courts and tribunals across the country.
Our ability to understand and respond to charges levied in the context of commercial transactions is unparalleled and we successfully leverage transaction and sector-specific skill set across the Firm to defend our clients. We are one of the only law firms that actively engages with mandates relating to economic offences as well as offences against the person and property with minimal reliance on outside counsels. The Partners, senior associates, and associates are well recognised before the courts of law and put the best case forward.
Our engagement with clients often commences while the investigation is progressing and prior to a charge sheet being filed. We help clients provide complete information to investigators and preclude a charge being framed. Should prosecution nonetheless progress, our clients’ defence progresses on a robust foundation.
With offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bengaluru, the Firm has represented clients in over 30 different courts, including the Supreme Court of India and High Courts across the country, as also various specialist tribunals such as the Competition Commission of India, National Company Law Tribunal and Appellate Tribunal, Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal, the National Green Tribunal, the Intellectual Property Appellate Board, the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity, and the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. The Firm also has vast experience in handling domestic and international arbitrations.
We have represented businesses in sectors like banking and finance, hotels, telecommunications, real estate, FMCG, power, and oil and gas to name a few. We have provided representation to our clients in disputes relating to, among others, the management and control of companies, employment matters, white-collar crimes, crimes against person and property, arbitration claims, contractual claims, including claims for specific performance, and insurance disputes.
Indicative Experience
- Representing Prysmian Cavi e Sistemi Telecom Italia Srl before various for a including the Supreme Court, with respect to the management and control of its joint venture company and successfully enforcing an international award which once and for all settled the law as regards public policy grounds for enforcing an international award.
- Representing Gautam Thapar, Avantha Holdings Limited, and other promoter entities before various fora including Securities and Exchange Board of India, Securities Appellate Tribunal, and National Company Law Tribunal with respect to claims made by CG Power and Industrial Solutions Limited.
- Representing Kalpataru Power Transmission Limited before an arbitral tribunal with respect to construction disputes for refinery and electricity transmission lines.
- Representing JSW Steel Limited against PSL Limited before the Bombay High Court with respect to claims in excess of INR 4 billion.
- Representing Trafigura Global Services Private Limited before an arbitral tribunal with respect to construction disputes.
- Representing and advising Beacon Trusteeship Limited and ICICI Prudential Venture Capital Fund Real Estate Scheme I, a scheme of ICICI Prudential Venture Capital Fund in their capacity as secured financial creditors of over INR 1 billion in relation to the corporate insolvency resolution process of Radius Estates and Developers Private Limited.
- Representing Dai-Ichi Karkaria Limited before various fora with respect to domestic corporate litigation and arbitrations, including against Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited.
- Representing Adani Enterprises Limited before an arbitral tribunal with respect to claims against Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited.
- Representing ITC Limited before various fora (including Securities and Exchange Board of India and Securities Appellate Tribunal) in the restructuring of Hotel Leelaventure Limited and protecting interest of minority shareholders.
- Successfully represented Macquarie SBI Infrastructure Investments Pte. Limited and SBI Macquarie Infrastructure Trustee Private Limited in disputes arising out of a shareholders’ agreement before various fora including the National Company Law Tribunal, National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, LCIA India Arbitration and the Bombay High Court.
- Represented Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (India) Private Limited (Monsanto) before arbitral tribunals with respect to claims against various seed companies including, Nuziveedu Seeds Limited in connection with the recovery of trait fee payable under the contract for the use of Monsanto’s proprietary technology.
- Representing and advising Centrum Broking Limited in relation to claims made by various investors in arbitral proceedings under the National Stock Exchange bye laws.
- Representing IL&FS India Realty Funds (IIRF) and IL&FS Financial Services’ subsidiary IFIN Realty Trust in five international commercial arbitrations with respect to exit from investments made in real estate companies promoted by Hubtown Limited.
- Representing HSBC France S.A. before the National Company Law Tribunal with respect to establishing its claim for financial debt against Reliance Telecom Limited in the insolvency resolution proceedings.
- Representing two private equity funds before the National Company Law Tribunal with respect to matters under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 and case initiated under the Companies Act, 2013 for oppression and mismanagement.
- Representing Kotak Mahindra Bank before the Supreme Court with respect to an appeal under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 regarding its claims under corporate guarantees.
- Advising and representing IndoStar Capital Finance Private Limited before various fora with respect to matters under Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
- Representing the Godrej Enterprises Group before various fora with respect to diverse disputes relating to realty development, consumer matters, EPF claims, employee disputes, and white-collar crimes.
- Representing Alchem International Limited before various fora with respect to tax matters and intellectual property issues, numerous civil and criminal litigations, and disputes arising out of employment contracts.
- Advising and representing the Collage Group, its promoters, and directors before various fora with respect to issues pertaining to Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016, legal audit, and various civil and criminal matters including matters under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
- Advising and representing Tata Communications Limited before various fora with respect to various civil and criminal litigations including those arising out of employment contracts.
- Representing Diageo Plc and its associate companies before various fora with respect to:
- Resisting show cause notices issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India in connection with the acquisition of shares in the capital of United Spirits Limited by its subsidiary; and
- Protecting Diageo’s security interests in proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and the Fugitive Economic Offenders’ Act, 2018 initiated by the Enforcement Directorate against Vijay Mallya.
- Representing Vodafone Idea Limited before the Supreme Court of India with respect to diverse proceedings, including the 2014 and 2015 spectrum auctions, license conditions, and regulatory challenges including against the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India.
- Representing Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Private Limited:
- Before the CBI Special Court in the trial with respect to prosecution initiated by CBI arising out of alleged irregularities in the allocation of the spectrum; and
- Before the Delhi High Court in the criminal appeal arising out of acquittal in the trial.
- Representing corporates and high net worth individuals with respect to several prosecutions under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 initiated by CBI and the Enforcement Directorate regarding coal block allocations.
- Representing Shivinder Mohan Singh with respect to numerous prosecutions initiated by the Economic Offences Wing, Delhi Police for the commission of offences under the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
- Representing a high net worth individual in a prosecution initiated by Department of Revenue Intelligence for exports in violation of Special Chemicals, Organism, Materials, Equipment and Technologies regulations purporting to have facilitated the weapon of mass destruction program of Iraq and technologies regulations and connected proceedings initiated by the Enforcement Directorate under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999.
- Advising United Spirits Limited with respect to its dispute with IDBI Bank Limited relating to prepayment of a loan facility and release of securities including 34,59,090 equity shares of United Spirits Limited that are pledged with the bank.
- Advising the Wadhawan Group and its promotors with respect to investigations initiated by the Enforcement Directorate under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999.
- Representing Sony Pictures Network India Private Limited before various fora with respect to a challenge to the Broadcasting Regulations issued by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and defending claims raised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, as well as disputes relating to media revenue share arrangements.
Testimonials
Highly qualified team acting on the full range of corporate matters including M&A, foreign direct investment and joint ventures. Provides general corporate advice to major companies, financial institutions and investors on both the sale and purchase sides. Provides support to private equity and venture capital entities as well as target companies on the entire life-cycle of investment and fund issues. Handles fund formation, management buyouts, minority and controlling-stake acquisitions and a range of follow-on transactions. Notable ability in the financial services, telecommunications, logistics and energy sectors.
They are very thorough, proactive and knowledgeable.
They are a competent team, very capable.
They are customer centric and respond in detail to points raised or opinion sought. They are not ambiguous in their response.
MP Bharucha is lauded by market sources as “one of the leading lawyers in the country” who “has been on the top of his game for a long time. Active on a range of commercial disputes, he maintains a particularly high reputation as a litigator in the Mumbai market.”
Alka Bharucha “boasts a stellar reputation in corporate transactions. She is renowned for her expertise in cross-border M&A as well as her proficiency in providing advice on general corporate issues, in particular within the power, telecommunications and banking sectors.”
Hiroo Advani “is highly sought after for the breadth of his experience in arbitration issues. He often takes on cases in the energy, infrastructure and construction sectors.”
Justin M Bharucha “specialises in foreign direct investments in highly regulated sectors. He is regularly active on complex cross-border transactions, utilising his deep knowledge of inbound and outbound M&A.”
Vandana Pai “commands a strong reputation among market commentators, who praise her excellence in providing assistance with private equity transactions. Her clients are effusive with praise, with one reporting: ‘She foresees business and legal issues and is very proactive in addressing potential concerns.’
We receive top-notch partner time. They are realistic in negotiations, which results in the work being handled faster in a more congenial atmosphere.