ALMT Legal

Full service law firm ALMT Legal moves up the rankings for its dispute resolution, and technology and telecommunications work. The firm has a wide range of practices including banking and finance, capital markets, corporate and M&A, dispute resolution, labour and employment and private equity. Its disputes offering not only covers all commercial litigation and arbitration but also criminal matters as well. Senior partners Sameer Tapia, Aliff Fazelbhoy, SR Arun and Prashant Popat preside over two offices in Mumbai and Bangalore.

Banking and finance

Work highlights

Advised State Bank of India’s Bahrain Branch in connection with its funding to a private sector bank in India under the external commercial borrowing (ECB) regulations.

Represented State Bank of India’s London branch on its loan to REC, formerly the Rural Electrification Corporation. This involved advising and negotiating the loan agreement and other ancillary documents.

Key clients

Mashreqbank, MUFG Bank

Capital markets

Work highlights

Acted for BOB Capital Markets, Karvy Investor Services and PNB Investment Services as the underwriters with respect to the proposed public offering of ITI, a government-owned telecommunications equipment manufacturer in India.

Engaged by Canara Bank for its proposed divestment of a controlling stake in Can Fin Homes in accordance with the SEBI Takeover Regulations.

Key clients

Karvy Financial Services, Virtusa Consulting Services

Corporate and M&A

Work highlights

Advised Archroma group on its acquisition of BASF's stilbene-based optical brightening agents business for paper and powder detergent applications.

Acted for AI-based educational platform Funtoot, its founder and investors on its acquisition by a subsidiary of the Reliance Group.

Key clients

Compass Group, Polaris Consulting & Services, Seedfund Group

Dispute resolution

Work highlights

Advising an individual entrepreneur in strategising and resolving a decade-old shareholder dispute with a former friend and colleague relating to cross-holdings in six companies.

Defending IAG Cargo, a British air cargo provider, in a commercial suit filed against it by a consignor of gold jewellery that was shipping through the client.

Key clients

Ellipsis Entertainment Media, R Mall Developers

Labour and employment 

Work highlights

Advising a US multinational company on implementing a restructuring plan during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Successfully defended its Europe-based multinational client in a criminal complaint filed by an employee against the company and its directors, including a global head, alleging harassment and victimisation at work.

Private equity

Work highlights

Acted for Ascent Capital Private Equity Trust on its investment into Naari Pharma, a pharmaceutical company with a focus on women’s healthcare products.

Advised Innovation in Food and Agriculture Fund on its funding of Ecozen Solutions, an agriculture start-up.

Key clients

Aquasail Distribution Company, August Jewellery, Sanghvi Beauty and Technologies

Real estate

Work highlights

Assisted its domestic hospitality sector client on sorting out all documentation issues for its various properties in India to enable it to seek funding by a mortgage.

Advised local client on land plot leasing and compliance with regulations laid down by the lessor.

Restructuring and insolvency

Work highlights

Advised Shivsu Canadian Clear Waters on the initiation and filing of insolvency proceedings against Bank Note Paper Mill India.

Represented real estate investor Jamal Ahmed in filing for claims before the National Company Law Tribunal to challenge a claim rejection by the resolution professional.

Key clients

Elmeasure India

Tax

Work highlights

Acting for a large multinational drilling company on establishing an office in India and seconding individuals to the office. It is also assisting the client on offshore drilling operations off the coast but within Indian territorial waters.

Advised a non-resident Indian on the implications of a proposed change in his residential status from non-resident Indian to resident Indian, especially with respect to his shareholding in various companies set up outside of India.

Key clients

Crompton Greaves

Technology and telecommunications 

Work highlights

Advised a global technology company on commercial transactions with various third parties in India in relation to proprietary connection management software that can be utilised by telecommunication companies to offload data traffic from a telecommunication network to any of the identified wifi networks.

Acting for a domestic technology solutions company that has developed an end-to-end software platform for Namdhari Agro-Fresh and drafting, negotiating and finalising the platform development and services agreement.

Client feedback

“Outstanding service in corporate and M&A.” – Corporate and M&A

“Prompt, balanced advice, pragmatic and realistic. Access to senior staff and domain specialists is readily available.” – Investment funds

“The advice provided is quite practical to implement as well as pertinent to the situation in a very timely manner. They handhold you till the entire process is completed and the outcome achieved. They provide you with the right sense of advice with pros and cons.” – Labour and employment

“ALMT is incredibly responsive and dedicated to turning around work in an accurate and swift manner.” – Real estate

“Highly ethical in all respects. They are very responsive and customer-focused. Their advice is always for the long term and never for short immediate gains. Their clarity on the subject arising on account of experience and depth of research is their hallmark. They are also not money-minded.” – Tax

Rajat Bopaiah

“He is good with negotiations and has extensive knowledge of corporate law.”

Kruti Desai

“Kruti has been very supportive and the advice provided by her has helped us a lot. I highly recommend her services. She is approachable and very friendly.”

Aliff Fazelbhoy

“Excellent depth and breadth of knowledge, positive approach, ease of access and communication, and has quick responses.”

“He is a senior partner who is easily accessible, he is responsive and dedicated.”

Statira Ranina

“She is highly ethical and values-driven. She is very responsive to our needs. Her depth of understanding of our company and needs and her clarity on the subjects that she advises us on is remarkable. Her advice is never ambiguous, always long-term and takes into account emerging scenarios, and also past experiences. She is extremely articulate, very communicative and accessible.”