Overview
Mayer Brown supports clients undertaking business in India and acts for Indian diversified family conglomerates, corporations, Indian State and private banks and institutions with their legal requirements outside of India. Mayer Brown's India group offers a thorough understanding of the Indian legal market that we leverage to support our clients around the world who face legal challenges when undertaking business involving India.
Our group has significant relations with the leading Indian diversified family conglomerates, many of India's other leading corporations and the leading law firms in India. The members of our team have deep ties to the country and recognize the importance of regularly visiting India to meet with clients and local law firms.
We are familiar with the family business culture in India, and we work with the in-house legal team and the family members to ensure, in the context of the ownership and control of the family businesses, that the corporate structures and tax and related matters are appropriate for the business venture being contemplated outside of India.
Our group actively tracks the business and legal developments that might affect Indian corporations as they expand abroad and international enterprises with respect to their India-related activities. Additionally, our lawyers regularly present at seminars and conferences on matters of interest to Indian and international clients alike, such as India's emerging competition law, compliance with securities laws in relation to fund raising activities, transaction structuring, international arbitration alternatives and developments in Indian tax laws that may impact investment structures.
Despite progress in the liberalization of its economy, India's rapidly changing business, legal and regulatory environment remains complex and presents unique challenges for market participants, particularly foreign investors. These challenges include market access barriers, limitations on the repatriation of invested capital, restrictions on offshore lending and hard-to-navigate investment regulations. In order for businesses to succeed in this market, they will need to have a well-developed business strategy that takes into account the complex business, legal and regulatory environment and the diverse cultural nuances at play. Our decades of experience with the Indian marketplace means we are not learning the basics on your matters and can efficiently focus on the particular points that require addressing.
Mayer Brown is committed to pro bono and community service efforts. Noting the similar commitment by Indian corporations to corporate social responsibility, Mayer Brown supports those CSR programs with pro bono legal support both in India, when our experience is relevant, and outside of India through our extensive network of offices.
Experience
United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). Acted as US counsel to the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) in connection with the issuance of Basel III compliant unsecured and subordinated Tier 2 Notes aggregating to US$100 million, with a tenor of 117 months by RBL Bank Limited, a private commercial bank in India.
Allabahad Bank. Represented Allabahad Bank as lender in their external commercial borrowings to Emami Biotech Ltd., a Kolkata-based manufacturer of biodiesel; Skipper Ltd., the largest steel value added product manufacturer in Eastern India; and Cement Manufacturing Co. Ltd., the largest cement manufacturer in North East India, and its subsidiary Star Cement Meghalaya Ltd.
Large international entertainment and media company. Represented a large international entertainment and media company as a subordinated lender to and licensee from the Dreamworks Studios and Reliance Big Entertainment joint venture. The joint venture will establish a new studio to produce up to five to six films per year.
Fitch (Hong Kong) Limited. Advised Fitch (Hong Kong) Limited on several Indian domestic auto loan securitizations for Shriram Transport, an asset company that provides commercial vehicle finance in India.
Arden Partners plc. Advised Arden Partners, the underwriter and placing agent, in connection with the private placement by London-listed KSK Power Ventur, the Indian power company, of £62.5 million of shares.
Caparo Energy Limited. Advised Caparo Energy Limited on $80 million placing and admission to the London AIM market in connection with financing the acquisition of wind power generation assets in India. Mirabaud Securities was the placing agent.
Forum Asian Realty Income II, L.P. Represented Forum Asian Realty Income in connection with a $30 million investment in convertible bonds issued by Duet India Hotels Limited, an owner/manager/developer of hotel properties in India.
CNA Life. Represented CNA Life in negotiating $12 million of services agreements with Wipro Technologies, an Indian company.
Hewitt Associates LLC. Assisted Hewitt Associates in establishing legal arrangements between Hewitt and a new wholly-owned subsidiary in India to perform certain back-office administrative functions.
National Stock Exchange of India. Represented the National Stock Exchange of India in a first-of-its-kind cross-listing agreement with the world's largest derivatives exchange, Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). The cross-listing will allow Indian investors to trade in US indexes and expand CME's footprint in emerging markets.
Pactiv Corporation. Advised Pactiv in connection with an outsourcing project with Onward Technologies, based in Pune, India.
Infrastructure India Plc. Represented Infrastructure India and a sponsoring European bank on formation of a fund to invest in India infrastructure assets, including London stock exchange listing and power and roads portfolio acquisitions.
New Vernon Capital, LLC. Represented New Vernon Capital, LLC in connection with the formation of the New Vernon India Fund, a fund that invests in India public and private companies and real estate opportunities.
Rutley Capital Partners. Represented Rutley Capital Partners, the real estate private equity arm of Knight Frank LLP, in connection with the formation of a $500 million India real estate fund.
Apex Technology, Inc. Represented Apex Technology in an arbitration dispute against Thales Raytheon regarding sale of radars to India.
Global hotel and agri-business conglomerate. Successfully represented plaintiff, an India-based global hotel and agri-business conglomerate, in a US federal action arising from a dispute over commodities sales, including plaintiff’s response to a related Indian government investigation of alleged foreign exchange violations.
Infosys Consulting/Infosys Technologies, Ltd. of India. Advised Infosys Technologies, Ltd. of India on insurance for trademark infringement.
Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited of India. Represented India-based Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited of India (Reliance), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, in the $98.15 million acquisition of Cayman Islands-based Columbus Centre Corporation, which indirectly owns a 73.37 percent stake in New York’s Mandarin Oriental hotel.
Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited. Advised Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited in India, on the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Stoke Park Limited, a company incorporated in the United Kingdom, for £57 million.
CoreLogic Inc. Represented CoreLogic, a leading provider of information, analytics and business services, in the $60 million sale of its captive India-based business-process outsourcing subsidiary, CoreLogic Global Services Private Limited, to Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation and in the related negotiation of a seven-year services agreement with Cognizant.
Dow AgroSciences LLC. Represented Dow AgroSciences in the divestment of its European Dithane fungicide business to India-based Indofil Industries Ltd., a fully integrated agri-business and agri-chemicals company.
Gulf Oil LP. Represented Gulf Oil in its $1 billion acquisition of Houghton International Inc., a leading international supplier of metal finish fluids and industrial lubricants, from AEA Investors LP.
Walton Street Capital and Starwood Capital Group. Represented Walton Street Capital and Starwood Capital in the exchange of their stake in Bengal Shriram, an integrated township project at Uttarpara on the outskirts of Kolkata, for a stake in Bengal Shriram’s parent entity, Shriram Properties, the real estate development arm of the Shriram Group.
Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited of India. Represented India-based Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited of India (Reliance), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, in the $98.15 million acquisition of Cayman Islands-based Columbus Centre Corporation, which indirectly owns a 73.37 percent stake in New York’s Mandarin Oriental hotel.
Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited. Advised Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited in India, on the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Stoke Park Limited, a company incorporated in the United Kingdom, for £57 million.
CoreLogic Inc. Represented CoreLogic, a leading provider of information, analytics and business services, in the $60 million sale of its captive India-based business-process outsourcing subsidiary, CoreLogic Global Services Private Limited, to Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation and in the related negotiation of a seven-year services agreement with Cognizant.
Dow AgroSciences LLC. Represented Dow AgroSciences in the divestment of its European Dithane fungicide business to India-based Indofil Industries Ltd., a fully integrated agri-business and agri-chemicals company.
Gulf Oil LP. Represented Gulf Oil in its $1 billion acquisition of Houghton International Inc., a leading international supplier of metal finish fluids and industrial lubricants, from AEA Investors LP.
Walton Street Capital and Starwood Capital Group. Represented Walton Street Capital and Starwood Capital in the exchange of their stake in Bengal Shriram, an integrated township project at Uttarpara on the outskirts of Kolkata, for a stake in Bengal Shriram’s parent entity, Shriram Properties, the real estate development arm of the Shriram Group.
Recognition
- Mayer Brown has been recognised as one of the “Key Players” (foreign law firms) for India-related deals by India Business Law Journal. (August 2022)
- David Carpenter (New York) and Soumitro Mukerji (Singapore) were named to India Business Law Journal’s 2022 “International A-List.” (May 2022)
- Soumitro Mukerji (Singapore) named among top India-focused lawyers at international law firms by India Business Law Journal. (April 2022)
- David Carpenter (New York) and Paul de Bernier (Los Angeles) were named to India Business Law Journal’s “International A-List.” (April 2019)
