Kaushal Kumar Sharma

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Mr. KK Sharma is former Director General & Head of Merger Control and Antitrust Divisions of the Competition Commission of India (CCI). He has to his credit the distinction of drafting the competition law and regulations in India and overseeing their enforcement thereafter. Mr. Sharma has investigated several cases of competition law violations falling under a number of sectors as the first Director General of the functional CCI. The creation of Merger Review Format for India, drafting of merger regulations and overseeing the first few merger clearances was done under his leadership. He has a comprehensive experience, of nearly three decades, in various Government departments and public bodies, including direct tax administration, the Competition Commission of India as well as the private sector. A regular speaker at national and international Conferences on competition law, he is an active member of International Competition Network (ICN) Merger Working Group. Mr. Sharma is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, a qualified lawyer and an economics masters. He is trained in competition law economics from King’s College, London.

KK SHARMA LAW OFFICES (KK):

KK SHARMA LAW OFFICES (KK) is an initiative of Mr. Kaushal Kumar Sharma, former DG of the Competition Commission of India and Commissioner of Income Tax. KK, as a law firm, is dedicated towards delivering quality services across the legal spectrum to its clients. Specialising in Competition and Tax Regulation, KK provides litigation, advisory, strategic consultancy, regulatory and compliance services. KK has carved a niche for itself as an exclusive competition law and tax law firm under the guidance, expertise and experience of its chairman, Mr. KK Sharma, augmented by a team of trained, driven professionals creating a formidable cohesive force representing a combination of expertise and swift execution. KK is always at the forefront of competition law litigation in the country, having handled highly complex and high stake matters. It represents clients at all the levels of judicial and quasi-judicial authorities mandated under the Competition Act.

 

Satinder Kapur

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Satinder Kapur is a dual-qualified English Solicitor and Indian Advocate. He has experience of advising clients on a wide variety of issues including structuring of investments, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate advisory. Mr Kapur has also handled various international and domestic arbitrations under various arbitration rules (including ICC, LCIA, AAA, SIAC, DIAC, Swedish Chamber of Commerce, UNCITRAL and GAFTA). He is also presently acting for Russian investors in a Bilateral Investment Treaty Arbitration before the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague.

He did his Bachelors in Technology (B.Tech) from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, India. He post-graduated from Bombay University in the area of Management Sciences (M.M.S) and went on to study law at the prestigious Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, India.

He was called to the Bar in India and also qualified as a Solicitor in England & Wales. He is also a member of the Bar Council of India, International Bar Association and The Law Society of England & Wales.

Satinder Kapur & Associates (SKA):

Satinder Kapur & Associates (SKA) is a Full Service Law Firm in New Delhi, India, that provides a complete range of Domestic and International, Corporate, and Dispute Resolution related Legal Services.

The Firm’s practice areas include International Commercial Arbitration, Bilateral Investment Treaty Arbitration, General Corporate Practice, Cross Border and Domestic Mergers and Acquisitions, Domestic Arbitrations and Litigation in India, setting up and supporting FDI Companies in India, Regulatory and Legal support to companies in India.

The Firm has tie-ups with several International Law Firms, Individual Lawyers and Hedge Funds.

 

Ranjit Prakash

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Ranjit founded Archeus Law, a boutique law firm specializing in the areas of Dispute Resolution, Project Advisory and Mining,  in October 2016. Prior to launching Archeus, Ranjit headed the Dispute Resolution, Project Advisory and Corporate Law Divisions and was a Senior Partner with other leading law firms in India. He has been practicing law since 1991 and is enrolled with the Bar Council of Delhi.

He has been advising on the infrastructure projects in particular the energy, highways and mining sectors over the past more than 25 years. He also has substantial experience in several international and domestic commercial arbitrations involving large infrastructure and manufacturing companies.

He has advised clients on several high pro le matters like representing SEPCO in the cases relating to the industrial accident which arose after the collapse of a chimney at the BALCO site, Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited (GFL) on a very high stake arbitration proceeding in the wind energy sector in India, Moser` Baer Electric Power Limited in an arbitration proceeding before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) with respect to a dispute arising out of an agreement entered for development Hydro Power Project, Visa Steel Limited in defending arbitration proceedings before London Court of International Arbitration, London.

Ranjit has extensive experience in representing clients before key institutions of arbitration in the world including Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) & International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

Ranjit has featured in the Chambers Asia-Pacific list of leading lawyers under the following categories:

·         Highly Recommended leading lawyer under the head Projects, Infrastructure & Energy space 2011 & 2012.

·         Noted Practitioner under the head Disputes Resolution – Arbitration- India 2016.

 

Kavitha Vijay

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Kavitha Vijay has been associated with the Chennai office ever since the commencement of its operations in July 2006.

She works primarily on mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures. She has also been a key player in starting the micro-finance practice in the Firm and has been actively engaged in advising many non-banking financial companies and micro finance companies with regulatory compliances, structuring of loan documentations, besides assisting them raise capital. Her other practice areas involve infrastructure and media & entertainment, besides general corporate law and advisory services. Her portfolio of clients include Saksoft Limited, , Emerging Markets Investment Fund 1A, The Midland Rubber and Produce Company Limited, CR Caterers India Private Limited, Eucare Pharmaceuticals Private Limited, MM Forgings Limited, Amrish Oncology Private Limited, Muthu Pharma Private Limited, , Bioserve Clinical Research Private Limited amongst others.

She is an independent woman director on the Board of a listed company, besides directorships in other public and private limited companies. She is also a trustee in an NGO Foundation “The Interface” which is involved with implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility related activities for corporate organizations. She has been involved with The Indus Entrepreneurs, Chennai Chapter, the Round Table of India and the Rotary Club for many years.

She holds a graduate degree in science from Madras University and a graduate degree in law from the Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Chennai.

Mergers & Acquisitions Law Practice:

Mergers & Acquisitions (“M&A”) being synonymous with efficient and effective growth strategy to various corporations, we have gained significant expertise in this field by successfully leveraging our experience and specialization in domestic and cross-border M&A transactions. We combine our rich experience and expertise with laws / regulations and research capabilities to devise innovative structures for M&A and have developed a successful domestic and international M&A practice.

Our Joint Ventures (“JV”) practice is an innovative and unique blend of expertise arising from a thorough understanding of domestic and international laws. We are geared to advise clients on all facets of joint ventures be it investment strategies, corporate and tax structures, investment documentation, compliances, IP licensing and strategy, franchising and exits including any third party sales. We represent clients that seek to utilize advantages of competitive operating costs in India in order to leverage their technologies and to take advantage of the burgeoning Indian domestic market and have been engaged as counsel across industries. Our structures for investment and operations from both regulatory and tax perspectives, including the extraction of technology payments are some of the most innovative ones in the JV space.

Our domain and sector focused teams across the country and our complementary practice areas enable us to deal with and advice on complex legal, regulatory and strategic issues involved in any M&A and JV transactions efficiently and cost effectively.

We assist our clients with:

  • Efficient structuring of M&A and JV transactions from a legal, regulatory and tax perspective and resolving complex legal and exchange control considerations through innovative structures.
  • Seeking regulatory approvals and liaising with the regulators as may be mandated by the transaction structure.
  • Leveraged buy-outs, sale and purchase of distressed assets, restructurings, including capital and debt restructuring, buy-back of securities and reduction of capital.
  • Undertaking legal and corporate due diligence with an industry specific focus across various sectors and industries and inter alia advising from a strategic perspective.
  • Drafting, review and negotiation of transaction documents such as term-sheet, scheme of arrangement to be filed with National Company Law Tribunal, various forms of agreements in relation to any given transaction, including but not limited to, share purchase agreements, share subscription agreements, stock swap agreement, shareholders’ agreements, joint venture agreements, asset transfer agreements, business transfer agreements, non-compete agreements, non-disclosure agreements, escrow agreements, intellectual property agreements, employment agreements and other ancillary documents.
  • Preparation of disclosure schedule/letter.
  • Closing and post-closing assistance including but not limited to filing of requisite forms with regulatory authorities.

 

Sameena Chatrapathy

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Sameena Chatrapathy joined the Firm soon after her graduation and has been with the Firm’s Chennai office since the year of its inception in 2006.

Sameena has worked on several private equity transactions in her experience representing both domestic as well as foreign funds, advising them through multiple rounds of funding. She also represents companies and promoters assisting in their fund raise right from preparation for funding through to completion. In the course of her experience she has worked with varied businesses and her sector expertise include healthcare, pharmaceuticals, energy and information technology. Her portfolio of clients include funds such  as Agnus Capital, IndusAge, the Tenshi Group and  businesses such as Olympus backed Aster DM Healthcare, Carlyle backed Newgen  and Qualcomm backed Attune  Technologies.

Sameena is also a lead member of the Corporate and M&A Team focusing on assisting and advising domestic and foreign clients in acquisitions both in India and overseas. She has worked on some of the high value and big ticket transactions in different verticals on one side and on the other, advised start-ups and early stage businesses in their compliances, investments as well as strategic alliances.

Sameena is also the exclusive ‘Recommended Attorney’ for Private Equity practice in India by Global Law Experts.

Lately, with her experience in investigation of allegations of sexual harassment and her inclination towards protection of women’s rights, Sameena Chatrapathy has spearheaded the Firm’s initiative to bring establishments in India in compliance with the sexual harassment laws, being a key member on the internal complaints committees of over 20 domestic establishments.

Sameena Chatrapathy holds a Masters degree in International Commercial Law from United Kingdom and a graduate with an honours degree from the prestigious, School of Excellence in Law, Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Chennai. She has been a university top rank holder all through her five years of under-graduate legal education, graduating with distinction.

Private Equity Law Practice:

Raising capital being synonymous with a much needed and necessary growth strategy to various corporations, we have gained significant expertise in this field by successfully leveraging our experience and specialization in domestic and cross-border investments. We combine our rich experience and expertise with laws / regulations and research capabilities to devise innovative structures for funding and have developed a successful domestic and international venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE) industry practice. With the advent of a start up culture and increasing interest in entrepreneurship in the country and the success rate of start ups in the country given the country’s rising consumerism, alternate investment funds (AIF) is poised to become an indispensable and integral part of the nation’s economy. India has meticulously been trying to ease the process of investing in India and constantly tried to boost investments in the country, with introduction of new securities such as convertible notes helping start-ups garner more, better and easier investments.

Our core proficiency lies in assisting national and international funds and investors, identify investment targets, structure the funding, conducting due diligences on the investee companies, preparation and negotiation of the transactional documents and assisting the company and investor through pre and post transaction regulatory compliance. Our transactional team’s expertise also ranges from being able to assist promoters and start ups to raise capital to assisting major corporations with corporate compliance and to further diversify their businesses.

We have constantly explored and mastered several verticals in the M&A and private equity market which has helped us grasp the intricacies of regional laws, regulatory environments, economic and commercial realities which in turn has enhanced our service capability. Our rich cross border experience and technical expertise has helped us provide targeted and tailored investment strategies and avenues for both foreign investment in India and overseas investment by Indian entities.

Our work with both listed and unlisted companies, investors and promoters has helped us appreciate and understand the whole gamut of the investments market in India, enabling us to assist companies and funds by providing an all encompassing advice keeping in mind the interest of all the parties to a transaction.

  • Efficient structuring of the investment mechanisms the prevailing laws, regulations and other market practices.
  • Drafting, review and negotiation of term sheets.
  • Comprehensive and  issue  based legal and  corporate due diligence on target companies in light of industry specifications across various sectors and  respective state legislations for the purpose of legal risk assessment and recommending effective  ways to mitigate the same.
  • Legal and regulatory requirements and assistance in seeking requisite approvals and making representations before the regulatory authorities such as RBI, SEBI, etc.
  • Drafting, review and negotiation of transaction documents including share subscription agreement, shareholders’ agreements, and share purchase agreements, intellectual property assignment agreements, employment agreements, charter documents and such other ancillary documents.
  • With preparation of ancillary documents pertaining to transactions such as disclosure schedule, compliance with conditions precedent and assistance towards closing and post-closing activities.

 

Sakate Khaitan

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Sakate is the senior partner at Khaitan Legal Associates. Sakate divides his time between London and Mumbai.

Sakate heads the corporate M&A, funds, restructuring and insurance practice at Khaitan Legal Associates. Sakate advises clients on inward investments into India and on an array of India-focused cross border transactions. Having started his career in litigation, Sakate has over 11 years of litigation experience advising various clients in their disputes that included high profile joint venture disputes, tax disputes and disputes with regulators. Sakate also serves on the boards of several companies as a non-executive director, lending his legal and business acumen to businesses around the globe. Sakate assists clients with pragmatic and commercially sound advice on dealing with Indian rules and regulations. His clients include multinationals, private equity funds, financial institutions, fund managers, and HNIs.

In his experience that spans over two decades Sakate demonstrates a deep commercial understanding of several industry sectors and significant transactional insights that offer immense value to the client.

Sakate is the alumnus of London Business School (“LBS”) and is also the co-founder of the India Business Forum (“IBF”) at LBS. The IBF is a platform that was created to build awareness and facilitate discussions on and encourage cross border investments to/from India.

Sakate is dual qualified and is a member of the Bar Council of India and is also admitted as a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales. However, he exclusively practices Indian law.

Khaitan Legal Associates:

Khaitan Legal Associates is a full service independent Indian law firm with offices in London and Mumbai and correspondent offices across different cities in India.

As India asserts itself with a renewed vigour on a global stage we realised a strong need-gap to offer solution-driven legal services that can help address the Indian law requirements of international clients and can assist Indian clients as they flex their presence across national frontiers. The answer to this hiatus lay in a new age law Indian law firm that would straddle across not only geographies, but also cultures, environments and aspirations; so as to comprehend the requirements of the clients and respond accordingly.

Founder and managing partner Sakate Khaitan along with other members of the team represent a diverse and rich experience in the legal services industry. Individually and collectively as a team many members of the firm have won many awards and accolades and are very well regarded for their expertise in their respective specialism by clients and peers.

Equipped with international vision, reach, scope and capability, Khaitan Legal Associates is committed to the highest principles of integrity, legal expertise, excellence, client focus and care. We pride ourselves in providing solution driven legal services to our clients by addressing their varied Indian law requirements.
With Sakate Khaitan recognised as leading expert in his field and acknowledged by industry peers for his in-depth expertise and know-how, together with highly trained teams, the firm is able to provide clients with bespoke solutions and exceptional service.

Our aim is to provide clients, both in India and globally, access to high quality legal advice and our endeavour is to effectively manage the legal risks of our clients in the manner that is practical, workable, cost-effective and enables the client to extract optimum value from a business initiative.

 

Rajeshwari Hariharan

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Rajeshwari Hariharan is the founder of Rajeshwari & Associates, a full service law firm based at New Delhi (India), specializing in the field of Intellectual Property including Patents & Designs, Trade Mark, Copyright, Plant Variety Registration, Geographical Indicators, besides other regulatory and allied areas.

After completing her Master’s Degree in Biotechnology and Bachelor’s Degree in Law, she was admitted to the Bar in 1993 and practiced as an advocate before the courts in Pune as well as the High Courts at Delhi and Bombay.

Ms. Rajeshwari led the patent litigation practice and played a key role in managing and growing the patents team in a reputed and leading Delhi-based law firm. She parted as an equity partner from the firm after almost 14 years, to set up Rajeshwari & Associates.

With over 20 years experience in legal practice, Ms. Rajeshwari’s areas of practice include counseling on issues relating to patent and infringement including rendering patentability opinions, drafting technology transfer and know-how agreements, licences, assignments; prosecution of patent applications in the field of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and biochemistry.

Ms. Rajeshwari was an active member of the legal team engaged for advising on issues related to reform initiatives in India. She has also advised clients on various aspects of Foreign Direct Investments, entry strategies, structuring of investments and acquisitions, drafting and negotiating of contract documents, as well as advised several clients on diverse high value and precedent-setting dispute resolutions.

She has rich experience in carrying out due diligence and handing of patent oppositions, revocations and appeals before the Patent Office and other higher for authorities. Currently, she handles patent and other litigations at the Supreme Court of India and various High Courts across India.

Besides authoring several articles, Ms. Rajeshwari is regularly invited to present papers and speak at various conferences and seminars in India and Abroad. Moreover, she has been rated by Chambers and Partners and Intellectual Asset Management magazine as one of the leading patent lawyers in the country.

 

Dr. Manoj Kumar, D. Litt

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Best lawyer in the Corporate M&A, Strategy and Policy & Regulation practice space in India, Dr. Kumar is known for his innovative, out-of-the box strategies pertaining to most critical and complex matters related to FDI, Cross-Border Transactions, Negotiations, Structuring, Re-structuring and advising on the multitude of international agreements. Lawyer, Policy Expert, Independent Director, Author, Strategist, Columnist, Philanthropist, Thought Leader and Guest Faculty (at top of the line Law Schools & the prestigious Indian Institute of Management (IIM)), Dr. Manoj Kumar has many introductions apart from being one of the ‘100 Legal Luminaries’ in India, as per the report published by LexisNexis 2016.

Dr. Kumar has been representing various leading Indian and international Corporates, Government Bodies and International Law Firms. An alumnus of prestigious world class institutions such as the Harvard Business School and the National Law School (NLSIU), Bangalore Dr. Kumar received his professional and leadership skills from distinguished & globally renowned Professors such as Padma Shri (Dr.) NR Madhava Menon and Prof. Nitin Nohria, presently the Dean of the Harvard Business School.

World’s best Publications and research agencies have awarded Dr. Kumar and his team as the best in India for Policy and Regulation practice for 3 years in a row (Asia’s leading research handle, IBLJ Award  in 2013, 2014 and 2015). Dr. Kumar has also been conferred as highly recommended attorney for International Business by Global Law Experts and Most acclaimed legal expert in Corporate M&A by Asia Law Leading Lawyers. The Government of India, the World Bank (WB), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Observer’s Research Foundation (ORF) and the Institute for Competitiveness have leaned on Dr. Kumar for his thought leadership.

Dr. Kumar has been involved in the drafting of several regulatory and policy documents as well as legislations notably, Media Regulation, Fast Track Commercial Courts, land Acquisition Bill, India as a hub of International Arbitration, Opening-up of the legal services sector in India. Apart from spearheading the support by legal fraternity in India to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (UNMDGs) and then the implementation of UN’s Sustainable Goals in India, Dr. Kumar has also been mentoring ‘Doctors For You’ as its Patron to provide critical medical care during disaster management and natural calamities & to prevent Neo-natal deaths in rural & tribal areas.

 

Ramni Taneja

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Born in New Delhi, on 4th December 1955, and Educated in Mumbai and London, Ramni Taneja enrolled as an advocate on the roll of the Bar Council of Maharashtra (Mumbai), subsequently transferred to the Bar Council of Delhi. She was admitted subsequently as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales (now known as senior courts of England and Wales). She is also a Notary appointed in 1999 by the government of India.

Miss Taneja practices as an advocate in the Supreme Court of Delhi, apart from various other tribunals and courts in India. Ramni Taneja had her schooling in London. She was awarded the diplome Superieur d’Etudes Francaises Modernes in 1975 by I’Alliance Francaise, Paris, France, (Mention Tres Honorable: i.e. Distinction.)

Miss Taneja has written extensively in international and Indian legal journals on various legal issues. She is an author on the subjects of Foreign Direct Investment and Globalization.

Name of State Bar Council where originally enrolled: 

Bar Council of Maharashtr

Name of State Bar Council on whose roll name stands currently: 

Bar Council of Delhi

Transferred to the Bar Council of Delhi from the Bar Council of Maharashtra on 20th October 1997 

Name of the Bar Association of which the Advocate is Member

– Supreme Court Bar Association

– Delhi High Court Bar Association

Qualifications: 

Professional

– Admitted as an Advocate on 17th October 198

Academic 

– B A Honours [English Literature and French Literature, University of Bombay, 1977

– LL.B, University of Bombay, 1980

– Diplome Superieur d’Etudes    Francaises Modernes, L’Alliance Francaise de Paris, 1975

 

Areas of Practice:

The areas of legal practice covering litigation and transactional legal work are:  all areas of civil, law commercial law, corporate law, constitutional   law and criminal law.

  

Ravi Nath

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Ravi Nath has 24 years of experience in aviation-related laws, including aircraft equipment & facility financing, regulatory and litigation. His clients include major manufacturers, leading banks and financial institutions, lessors and export credit agencies, such as: ABN Amro, AerCap, Airbus, Aircastle, Airlease, Apollo Aviation Management Limited, Avions de Transport Regional GIE, Avolon, AWAS, Bank of America, Bank of China Aviation Limited, BBAM, BNP Paribas, Boeing, Bombardier, China Aircraft Leasing Company Limited, China Development Bank, China Ex-Im Bank, Citibank, COFACE, Dassault, Deutsche Bank, Dubai Aero Space, DVB, ECGD, EDC, ELFC, Embraer, Euler Hermes, GECAS, HKAC, ICBC, ILFC, JP Morgan Chase, Macquarie, Natixis, Standard Chartered, US Ex-Im, Willis Lease Finance Corporation.

His practice includes government regulations, companies, cross-border financing and securitisation.

Mr Nath is a partner at one of India’s oldest legal firms, RNClegal / Rajinder Narain & Co. He was also the president of Inter Pacific Bar Association in 2004. Two of the firm’s other partners were chief justices of the Delhi High Court, and one a president of The High Court Bar Association.

During the last 10 years, Mr Nath has advised on transactions in excess of $15 billion. The Legal 500 stated: “Ravi Nath’s esteemed reputation as an aviation expert puts clear blue water between Rajinder Narain & Co. and its rivals…”

In addition, Who’s Who Legal 2013 has identified him as one of the world’s 10 highly reputed aviation lawyers. He is a frequent speaker at various International conferences and serves on the Legal Advisory Panel of Aviation Working Group.

Mr Nath served as the chair of the Aviation Committee of the International Bar Association and is the editor and author of various books and papers on aviation laws. He regularly advises on major aviation transactions and issues.
Moreover, the Bar Association of India has conferred its highest honour on him. He was invited, along with India’s former finance minister, Mr P Chidambaram, and president of the Bar Association, Mr Nariman, to be a co-author on a book relating to legal aspects of doing business in India.

Mr Nath received his B. Com (Hons) and his LLB in International and Competition Law at King’s College London and in Public International Law at Harvard University. He completed an apprenticeship at erstwhile Sinclair Roche, London.