Justin M Bharucha

Managing Partner
Professional Summary

Practice Areas

  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Banking & Finance
  • Project Finance
  • Regulatory & Compliance
  • Employment & Human Resources

Admissions

  • Advocate on Record, Supreme Court of India
  • Solicitor, High Court, Mumbai

Professional Affiliations

  • Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa
  • Bombay Bar Association
  • Bombay Incorporated Law Society

Office

Mumbai, India

Languages Known

  • English, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati

Education

  • B.A. LL.B (Hons.), National Law School of India University, Bengaluru
  • LL.M (Corporate & Financial Laws), London School of Economics, London

Contact

  • T. +91 22 2289 9300
  • M. +91 81081 00914
  • E. justin.bharucha@bharucha.in

Experience

Introduction

Justin’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, finance, infrastructure, and litigious investor exits. His mergers and acquisitions practice includes advising on domestic and offshore acquisitions (ranging from organic joint ventures to venture capital and private equity investments).

His area of expertise includes foreign direct investment in restricted industry sectors such as defence, banking, and retail. Justin also has an extensive structured finance practice.

He is also developing the Firm’s Infrastructure Practice, extending from the development of ports and roads to logistics. Justin also advises clients on mandates relating to anti-corruption and ethics.

He chairs the Employment Law Practice at the Firm and oversees the development of the Firm’s Impact Policy Group, which includes policy engagement, government relations, impact mandates, and pro bono engagements.

Indicative Experience

  • Advising JM Baxi Group on various M&A and financing mandates.
  • Advising VisVires Indian Consumers Pte. Limited on its investment in various wineries and helping them acquire a controlling stake in India’s second-largest winery by capacity and sales.
  • Advising IL&FS Investment Managers Limited on exit strategies and representing them in their disputes with promoters of real estate companies in which IL&FS Investment Managers Limited had previously invested.
  • Advising Macquarie Group Limited on various matters, including INR 100 billion facility from Yes Bank Limited for India’s first Toll Operate Transfer (TOT) concession as well as investments made previously.
  • Advising General Motors Company on various matters relating to its India business.
  • Advising Safeway Concessions (a part of the Macquarie Group and comprising 9 Indian concessionaires) on raising approx. INR 50 billion financing from Yes Bank Limited for funding the concession fee for the 1st Toll Operate Transfer (TOT) concession package in India.
  • Advising HSBC France on debt restructuring and resolution plans being framed by a consortium of lenders for each of Reliance Communication Limited, Reliance Infratel Limited, and Reliance Telecom Limited in the context of the facilities extended by the foreign lender to Reliance Telecom Limited.
  • Advising India Factoring and Finance Solutions Private Limited on a proposed loan of INR 670 million to Synergies Castings Limited.
  • Advising Capital Small Finance Bank Limited on several rounds of investment from private equity investors.
  • Advising in the capacity of India counsel for the offshore fund being raised by VisVires Indian Wineries 2 Master Fund Pte. Limited.
  • Advising MentorCap Management Private Limited on several investments, including erecting the sale and purchase of artworks and setting up a joint venture for purchasing and marketing artworks.