Practice Areas
A successful investment strategy necessitates the ability to spot a good opportunity, an understanding of the market and regulatory challenges, outstanding industry and sector knowledge, and experience in closing domestic and cross-border transactions. Our Investment Funds Practice offers all these coupled with superior transaction management assistance to give our clients exceptional support through the life cycle of a deal.
We have established a formidable reputation in the market for working on large and complex transactions within very tight timelines. Our services cover the entirety of an investment cycle, from fund formation, downstream investment, follow-on transactions, and restructuring of holdings, to exit from the investment.
Our practitioners structure transactions across publicly traded and private companies, consortium deals, management buy-outs, pre-IPO placements, and private investment in public equity (PIPE) deals covering financial services, technology, hospitality, media, research & development, telecom, energy, roads, pharmaceutical, and real estate sectors.
We act for a variety of financial investors, including private equity and venture capital funds, portfolio investors, angel investors, family offices and foundations. We also act for target companies and founders on the full range of transactions.
Indicative Experience
Practice Experts
- Advising General Atlantic with respect to multiple investments and exits, including in BillDesk (payments solutions), Capital Foods (packaged food manufacturer – Ching’s Secret, Smith & Jones), NoBroker (real estate tech start-up), Rubicon Research (pharmaceutical), Acko Technology (insurtech), TBO Tek (travel related services), Amagi (media technology), Cygnus Medicare (hospital chain), and the National Stock Exchange.
- Advising Advent International with respect to the investment in KreditBee (fintech solutions).
- Advising Apollo Global on multiple investments and exits in real estate and hospitality companies in India.
- Advising Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec’s real estate vertical Ivanho é Cambridge with respect to multiple investments, including its USD 1 billion joint venture with the Lodha Group and Bain Capital to develop digital infrastructure assets, and investments in logistics parks in India with the Logos group.
- Advising Brighton Park Capital with respect to multiple investments, including in TheMathCompany and Indegene.
- Advising CI Capital Partners with respect to the Indian leg of its acquisition of the Nathan Group.
- Advising Macquarie Infrastructure & Real Assets on its successful bid for 9 roads under the 1st Toll Operate Transfer (TOT) model granted by the National Highway Authority of India. .
- Advising Flourish Networks with respect to multiple investments, including in Octopolis Technologies (digitising the FMCG marketplace), and Coastal Aquaculture Research Institute Private Limited (AI for aquaculture).
- Advising Lightrock with respect to multiple investments, including in WayCool, BeatO, and EdgeGird and exit from Ummeed Housing Finance.
- Advising Developing World Markets with respect to multiple investments and exits in the financial services sector.
- Advising Lightrock on policies to be adopted to ensure compliance with applicable law in India and GIFT City.
- Advising Emerald Technology Ventures on its investment in Inphlox Water Systems (water treatment solutions).
- Advising Investment Fund for Developing Countries on its investment in Blue Planet Environmental Solutions (CO2 reductions platform).
- Advising JM Baxi Group (International Containers & Terminals) with respect to the investment from Bain Capital.
- Advising Girnar Software Private Limited (Cardekho), and its promoters on the Series A, Series B, Series C, and Series D investments by Sequoia Capital, Hillhouse Capital, RNT Associates, HDFC Bank Limited, Times Internet Limited, Google Capital, Dentsu Inc., Axis Bank, Ping An Global Voyager Fund, ICICI Bank, and others and on raising venture debt by Trifecta.
- Advising Rupeek Fintech Private Limited on multiple rounds of fundraise from investors such as Lightbox, Bertelsmann Nederland B.V., Peak XV Partners V, Accel India V (Mauritius) Limited, GGV VII Investments Pte. Limited, 360One, and Elevation as well as multiple rounds of venture debt from Stride, Trifecta, Lighthouse Canton and Blacksoil.
- Advising InsuranceDekho on its Series A and Series B rounds of fundraise including from Goldman Sachs, TVS Capital, Leapfrog, Investcorp, Avataar, Eurazeo, Mirae, and Beams.
- Advising Vedantu with respect to the investment by ABC World, Tiger Global, Accel, Omidyar, TAL Education Group, Westbridge, Prince Maximilian, and GGV Capital.
- Advising Seven Turns Private Limited (owner of The Goodbug) on its Series A round of fundraise from Fireside Ventures.
- Advising Carbay Pte. Limited, which is a Singaporean subsidiary of Girnar, on its Series A round of fundraise from Navis Capital and Mars.
- Advising Eeki Foods (agri-tech start up) on its Series A investment by General Catalyst, Avaana Capital, Better Capital, SAB Holdings, and others.
- Advising Minimalist on its Series A investment by Peak XV and Unilever.
- Advising Higher Orbit (agri-tech start up) on its seed round of investment by angel investors.
- Advising Roposo (fashion portal) with respect to the investment by angel investors.
- Advising Epigeneres Biotech (healthcare) with respect to the investment by angel investors.Advising
- Advising WeWork on the establishment of a Securities and Exchange Board of India registered alternate investment fund.
- Advising Motilal Oswal with respect to compliances under the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012.
- Advising White Oak Capital Management Consultants I-LP with respect to compliances related to their fund advisory business.
- Advising various international banks and institutions with respect to their foreign portfolio business in India.
- Advising various fund managers with respect to obtaining and surrendering registration as a foreign venture capital investor with Securities and Exchange Board of India
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.