Full service firm DSK Legal moves up in the corporate and M&A, dispute resolution and media and entertainment categories this year. It had a banner year in 2019, hiring 26 lawyers from HSA Advocates. This was one of the largest team movements across law firms in India and shored up various core practice areas such as corporate and M&A, banking and finance, dispute resolution and projects. Corporate specialist Aparajit Bhattarcharya spearheaded the move from HSA. The firm also poached two partners from Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, corporate partner Rishi Anand and disputes partner Kirat Singh Nagra. With the added capacity on the corporate side, the firm posted a strong showing by closing over 40 sizable M&A deals. The firm’s specialised media and entertainment department is well-received by the market. It boasts many A-list Bollywood film stars as clients, along with local and international media houses and platforms like Disney and Star India. Key contact and managing partner Anand Desai is a venerable figure in the legal industry for banking and finance, corporate and M&A, disputes, and media and entertainment. Three M&A partners left for Pioneer Legal during the research period: Satish Kishanchandani, Pritha Jha and Narendra Dingankar.
Banking and finance
Work highlights
Advised ICICI Bank as the lender in relation to rupee term loan facilities provided to Catasynth Speciality Chemicals for setting up certain facilities to manufacture specialty chemicals in the Mangalore special economic zone.
Acted for Axis Finance on its rupee loan to Adani Group entities, which are engaged in real estate development and related activities.
Key clients
HDFC Bank, Edelweiss Alternative Asset Advisors, SBI Mutual Fund, SC Lowy Financial
Corporate and M&A
Work highlights
Advised online marketplace Flipkart on its acquisition of a strategic stake in EasyRewardz Software Services, India's first social collaborative rewards platform.
Represented ReNew Power on its joint venture partnership with GS E&C, one of South Korea’s largest construction and development companies. The joint venture investment will mark the entry of GS E&C into the Indian renewable energy sector.
Key clients
Avantor Materials, Bergguen Hotels, Flipkart, First Data Corporation, ReNew Power, Shapoorji Pallonji Investment Advisors
Dispute resolution
Work highlights
Representing a group of investors in proceedings against Kakade Constructions Company (KCC) concerning the execution of the consent terms between the investors, KCC and its promoters for an arbitration award. KCC and its promoters rejected the execution proceedings and the consent terms, leading to the high court challenge.
Advising Larsen & Toubro in disputes arising out of the invocation of Bank Guarantees.
Key clients
Aditya Birla Housing Finance, GMR Infrastructure, Life Insurance Corporation of India, Vistra ITCL India
Infrastructure
Work highlights
Advised Zurich Airport International on its bid to develop a greenfield airport in Noida on a design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis.
Working with the City And Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra in relation to the Navi Mumbai SEZ project. The team is advising the client on underlying documentation and intricate issues arising from the Maharashtra industrial policy.
Acting for NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Railways in the development of a draft concession agreement to allow for private participation in passenger train operation in India.
Key clients
Keolis Asia, National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, Shanghai SIIC Transportation Electric, Siemens Project Ventures
Media and entertainment
Work highlights
Secured the timely release of the film ‘URI: The Surgical Strike’ for RSVP, a division of Unilazer Ventures, against a backdrop of copyright infringement allegations.
Assisted Salman Khan Ventures by reviewing scripts, seeking film clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), drafting, review and negotiating production, marketing and distribution contracts for the films ‘Dabangg 3’, ‘Notebook’ and ‘Loveyatri’.
Advised Matrix India Entertainment Consultants in relation to all assignments for their talent roster including Alia Bhatt, Karisma Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Tara Sutaria.
Key clients
Balaji Motion Pictures, Disney UTV, Star India, UTV Software Communications
Private equity
Work highlights
Advised Prestige Hospitality Ventures on its investment for theacquisition of a 50% equity stake in Bamboo Hotel and Global Centre.
Acted for India Advantage Fund S4 I and Dynamic India Fund S4 US I with respect to its investment in BTI Payments.
Key clients
Hero Electric Vehicles, Lightbox Ventures III, Manash Lifestyle Private, National Investment and Infrastructure Fund, VKL Seasoning
Restructuring and insolvency
Work highlights
Represented SC Lowy Financial Hong Kong in a transaction related to the restructuring of Dewan Housing Finance. This deal involved complex structuring such as senior pass through certificates (PTCs), mezzanine PTCs and junior PTCs to ensure that the commercial objectives of the investors were duly safeguarded while maintaining due compliance with the Reserve Bank of India guidelines.
Advising the liquidator of SBQ Steels on the company’s ongoing liquidation process.
Key clients
Aditya Birla Finance, Global Cloud Xchange, Poppys Vista Hotel, Vistra ITCL
Technology and telecommunications
Work highlights
Represented Singapore-based biotechnology company, Biofourmis Holdings, as the acquirer with respect to sale and purchase of all asset and transfer of all employees of KGJ Software Technologies, a Bangalore-based software and IT services company.
Advised Singapore-based Technogen IT Services on its investment to acquire a 45% stake in Shivrai Technologies. The investment is divided into a mix of secondary and primary tranches.
Key clients
Flipkart
Client feedback
“All the partners of DSK Legal have in-depth knowledge and practical insights of real estate laws.” – Real estate
“The lawyers are available at all times and provide excellent advisory on local laws and regulations. They have an excellent awareness of the market and the environment.” – Regulatory
“DSK responded promptly and provided us with professional opinions.” – Technology and telecommunications
Anjan Dasgupta
“Appreciate the accessibility and availability, responsiveness and knowledgeability.”
Sajit Suvarna
“He is an amazingly good lawyer. He is the best in the real estate industry.”
