Nithya Partners

Led by Naomal Goonewardena, the banking and finance team at Nithya Partners has a stellar reputation. The practice manages some of Sri Lanka’s most complex secured and unsecured loan financings, structured financings and derivatives transactions. International and local commercial banks continue to rely on Goonewardena, a specialist in debt syndication, foreign direct investment and financial elements of corporate restructuring.

The team at Nithya Partners has long counselled capital markets participants in traditional and innovative deals in Sri Lanka. Headed by Naomal Goonewardena, the group was legal counsel for the issuance of Pan Asia Banking’s Lkr750 million ($5.2 million) five-year asset-backed securities, one of Sri Lanka’s first green debt instruments.

Arittha Wikramanayake, former director general of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka, heads the corporate and M&A practice at Nithya Partners. In corporate matters, the group counts large Sri Lankan companies on the Colombo Stock Exchange among its clients. The M&A team excels in legal due diligence for prominent deals.

Chanaka de Silva manages the dispute resolution and litigation group at Nithya Partners, covering complex corporate, commercial and arbitration work. The practice specialises in financial, such as commercial banking, and infrastructure litigation. In addition to instructing services, the group consists of partners and counsel that can appear before arbitral tribunals and Sri Lankan courts.

A specialist in financial law, Naomal Goonewardena leads the reputable tax practice at Nithya Partners. The team covers indirect tax matters and has strong relationships with the tax authorities at the Customs Department, the Department of Inland Revenue and the Excise Department.