Abhishek Mathur is a Partner at Luthra and Luthra Law Offices India, a leading Indian Law Firm, with about 22 years of experience in legal advisory, negotiating and structuring commercial transactions, drafting commercial contracts and dispute resolution. His areas of expertise include corporate-commercial laws, property laws, estate planning and commercial disputes. Mr. Mathur graduated in law from National Law School, Bangalore and is a university gold medallist. Mr. Mathur also attended the advanced programme on negotiation and dispute resolution by Stanford University, USA.

Experience Statement

• Advised Blackstone Real Estate Partners on a transaction involving a large foreign direct investment into/ development of real estate projects across various jurisdictions in India including Gurgaon, Pune, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Hadapsar, Noida and Ghaziabad.
• Advised Lehman Brothers Real Estate Partners on a large private equity transaction pertaining to foreign direct investment into a joint venture with a leading Indian real estate company, for development of large real-estate project in Mumbai under Maharashtra’s slum redevelopment programme. This project was among the first and largest slum-redevelopment projects in India.
• Advised FIRE (First Indian Real Estate) Capital Fund in relation to its investments, on a pan-India basis, in a large number of real-estate projects including in cities such as Jaipur, Indore and Chennai.
• Advised Arcelor Mittal in relation to their proposed acquisition of a large mining project in the State of Chhattisgarh.
• Advising one of the world’s leading steel manufacturing companies (name withheld) in relation to its large foreign direct investment in a joint venture with a leading Indian steel manufacturer for setting up a steel plant in Odisha over land admeasuring approximately 900 acres.

Overview

Akshit Kapoor has extensive experience in areas of real estate laws, mergers & acquisitions, private client and family office practice, banking and finance, capital markets, PE investments, insolvency and bankruptcy and corporate restructuring.

Akshit has represented and advised both Indian and International clients on general corporate matters, M&A, joint ventures and commercial contracts across various business sectors like health care, automobile, telecom, consumer goods sector etc.

He has closely collaborated with a wide range of international and domestic corporations, advising them on their business operations in both India and abroad. As being part of the Firm’s real estate practice, he has advised some of the largest real estate companies in India and has been involved in advising numerous international clients for their projects in India.

Akshit has represented and advised HNIs and HNFs, business owners, family offices, corporate fiduciaries as well as charitable and not for profit entities on restructuring, creation of trusts and wills, migration of residency and change in citizenship.

Akshit has advised on private placements and public offerings by issuers across a wide range of industries. He also regularly advises companies for their Initial Public Offerings (IPO) as well as on Qualified Institutions Placement (QIP).

Akshit possesses a profound grasp of the intricate commercial and legal intricacies surrounding land ownership, land acquisition, land use and conversion, regulatory and approval matters, foreign investments, and more.

As part of the Firm’s insolvency and bankruptcy practice, Akshit has gone on to advise clients on exit strategies, refinancing, debt restructuring, distressed sale etc. Akshit specializes in representing distressed funds, bidders’/resolution applicants, lenders / Committee of Creditors, and insolvency professionals in the context of restructurings, insolvency resolution processes, and liquidations governed by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

Overview

Gajanand Kirodiwal is a Partner Designate in the Dispute Resolution practice of the Firm. He has more than 10 years’ experience. He has been advising clients on legal issues concerning various practice areas including Insolvency & Bankruptcy, Arbitration, Debt Recovery, Commercial, Construction & Real Estate, Consumer, White Collar Crimes/ Financial Frauds etc.

He regularly appears before the Supreme Court of India, Delhi High Court, besides National Company Law Tribunals and other Tribunals/ Forums/ Authorities/ Commissions in Civil and Criminal litigations.

He is also acting as a Counsel for a prominent real estate group based out of Noida.

He has been part of a pre-packaged insolvency resolution process of a leading real estate company under Section 54C of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 before the National Company Law Tribunal, New Delhi. In the said case, the admission order passed by the Tribunal was notably the first ever admission by the Principal Bench of the Tribunal, after introduction of the provisions for pre-packaged insolvency resolution under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

Previously, he has worked at the office of Advocate General for State of Arunachal Pradesh and has also assisted the Advocates-on-Record for the State before the Supreme Court of India.

He is also a regular faculty for specialized certificate courses on IBC & real estate offered by National Law University, Delhi, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Patiala, Institution of Valuers etc., besides being a speaker at various events.

Experience Statement

• Representing and advising the Resolution Professional in the insolvency resolution process of one of the largest hydel power projects in India having a consolidated debt of INR 11,000 Crores.

• Represented a leading ground handling services firm at the Indian Airports in its challenge to the revocation of security clearance by the government authorities.

• Advised Apollo Hospitals North Limited in its acquisition of a hospital asset in DLF Phase 1, Gurugram, Haryana admeasuring 5.6 acre of land for an approximate value of INR 400 Crores and also represented it before the Hon’ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh in a litigation involving the said acquisition.

• Advised a Gurugram based leading real estate developer in acquisition of a parcel of land admeasuring 73 acres in Noida, Gautam Budhh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh valued at approximately INR 900 Crores. Further, represented the client before the Arbitral Tribunal and the Hon’ble Delhi High Court in the proceedings concerning interim measures.

• Advised and represented an offshore fund in respect of its investment in real estate in India and various litigations and arbitration proceedings emanating owing to certain disputes.

Overview

Girish Rawat is a qualified lawyer and company secretary with over 18 years of experience. Girish has been involved in numerous complex and high-profile transactions and advises across several sectors, including real estate, projects, infrastructure, hospitality, technology, manufacturing among others.

Girish focuses on banking, finance and restructuring, including structured finance, cross border lending, hybrid debt financing, project finance, acquisition finance, real estate finance as well as restructuring and security enforcement assignments, and the corporate insolvency resolution process.

He actively advises clients on various investment and financing transactions, including bond/ debt securities, both listed and unlisted, buyback of listed securities. He also advises clients on their investment and disinvestment strategies as well as takeover of the listed companies.

Experience Statement

• Acted for and advised State Bank of India in a financing transaction aggregating up to INR 4.36 Billion sanctioned to Solarcraft Power India 21 Private Limited (a SPV of BluPine Energy) for its 120 MW solar project at Panshina and Radhanpur District in the State of Gujarat, India.
• Acted for and advised HDFC Bank in connection with financial assistance of INR 4180 Million granted to a SPV of Blupine Energy for its 120 MW solar project in Sadla, Gujarat.
• Acted for and advised Assam Bio-Refinery Private Limited (a joint venture between Numaligarh Refinery Limited, Fortum 3 B.V., Netherlands and Chempolis OY, Finland) on successfully raising term loan of INR 3037.50 Crore from Power Finance Corporation Limited for its Bio- Refinery plant for 2G Bioethanol production and other products in Numaligarh, Assam.
• Advised Landmark Infracon Private Limited on acquiring land parcel of 39.0083 acres, situated in the revenue estate of Village Rajokri, Sub-Division, Vasant Vihar, District Northwest, Delhi.
• Acted as the sole legal counsel to the public issue of tax free bonds in the nature of secured redeemable non-convertible debentures aggregating to INR 5,000 Crore by Housing and Urban Development Company Limited.

Overview

Harry Chawla has extensive experience in the areas of Banking & Finance, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Real Estate. Harry has advised clients in the banking and financial services sector, real estate sector as well as the hospitality, health care, automobile, aviation, telecom, IT, ITES, consumer goods sectors.

He has represented some of the largest players in the Indian real estate market, including several Indian companies as well as foreign investors. He has also assisted the Government of India as well as State Government(s) in the drafting of legislations in this sector.

Harry has worked closely with a large number of international and domestic corporations with respect to their business in India and abroad, in the areas of general commercial advice, mergers & acquisitions, private equity, corporate restructuring, joint ventures, fund raising and commercial contracts, etc.

He has advised and represented clients on issues pertaining to corporate finance (both domestic and cross border), debt restructuring and refinancing, securitization, acquisition finance, structured finance, bonds and similar instruments. He has acted for both lenders and borrowers and been involved in complex transactions involving multiple lenders across jurisdictions.

He has also participated in the evolution and formulation process of business strategies with several clients, vis-à-vis their new ventures and business initiatives and has advised in establishing, operationalizing and implementing such business strategies of the clients. He has also advised several clients on strategizing in dispute resolution, negotiation and settlement etc.

Overview

Kedar Sharma is a Partner at Luthra and Luthra Law Offices India. He is working in the firm since 1998 and have 24 years of post-qualification experience. He specializes in the areas of General Corporate, Real Estate, Regulatory, Private Client Practice and Compliance. He has conducted a large number of legal / corporate due-diligence and possesses extensive experience in handling and liaison with the Governmental and Regulatory Authorities. He has often worked or liaison with the officials of Ministry of Finance (MoF), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Department of Telecommunication (DoT) and various other Ministries & Govt. departments for various clarification / approvals / licences etc.

Overview

Maureen Z. Ralte is a Partner in the M&A and Corporate Practice of the Firm. She has over 15 years’ experience in mergers & acquisitions, private equity, real estate and general corporate advisory. She has worked on a wide variety of corporate transactions across sectors including real estate, hospitality, automobile, renewable energy, banking & finance, tourism, entertainment, marketing, information technology, etc.

She has represented domestic and multinational companies in the negotiation, structuring, preparation and review of transaction documents, in the areas of general commercial advice, mergers & acquisitions, private equity, corporate restructuring, insolvency, joint ventures/ collaborations, fund raising and commercial contracts. She has advised clients on issues relating to general corporate compliances, corporate governance issues, real estate and exchange control laws.

Maureen has worked closely with the in-house departments of leading corporate houses and routinely advises them on complex legal issues.

Overview

Sanjay Mittal is a Partner at Luthra and Luthra Law Offices India and having an overall experience of more than 16 years. He is a part of the Firm’s general corporate, real estate, regulatory and private client practice team. Sanjay has extensive experience in real estate and corporate due diligence and matters relating to the regulatory practice, takeover of business undertakings and companies, bidding/tendering of PPP projects and other ancillary works.

Sanjay holds a vast knowledge of real estate laws and aspects of foreign exchange regulations relating thereto, thereby assisting clients in their ventures in the real estate sector. Sanjay has handled and undertaken the real estate due diligences and drafting of the agreements and other documents for the clients on a wide range of real estate projects including acquisition, sale, leasing, collaboration, development of townships, group housing projects, commercial developments, hospitality projects etc., across thousands of acres of land all over India. Sanjay also holds vast knowledge of issues relating to property title, encumbrances, land-use, zoning, compliances & documentations relating to regulatory and approval of projects, execution & registration of documents etc.

Overview

Shikher has demonstrative career with experience of almost a decade at the Bar. He specializes in advising clients on a wide variety a legal issues. Shikher has enabled various companies to establish themselves, especially where there is a lack of proper regulatory regime. Shikher regularly appears before the Supreme Court of India, Delhi High Court (till date he has appeared before 8 High Courts), districts courts and various tribunals.

At the Firm, Shikher has advised and represented some of the most prominent corporates which include Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd., Renault Nissan Automotive India Ltd., ANI Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Ola Cabs), Twitter Communications India Private Limited, M/s Fashnear Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Meesho), Rebel Foods Pvt. Ltd. (Foodpanda), In-shorts Group, Star India Pvt. Ltd., Dish TV India Ltd., etc.

Experience Statement

• Represented former promoter group comprising of KAL Airways and Mr. Kalanithi Maran against SpiceJet Limited and its promoter Mr. Ajay Singh (M/S KAL Airways Ltd. & Anr. v. Spicejet Limited & Ors.). KAL Airways and Mr. Kalanithi Maran initiated arbitration proceedings citing various breaches / non-compliances with the terms of the Share Sale & Purchase Agreement by SpiceJet and Mr. Ajay Singh.
• Representing Crystal Crop Care Protection Ltd. in a complex criminal prosecution launched by CBI, Gandhinagar and Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in relation to alleged fraudulent claim of Terminal Excise Duty running into crores of rupees. Recently, the Adjudicating Authority, PMLA, had passed an order confirming the provisional attachment order whereby ED had attached properties worth crores of rupees. Shikher has successfully obtained a stay on the order passed by the Adjudicating Authority, PMLA. The case is currently pending adjudication before the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi.
• Represented Philips India Ltd. (Mr. Mehul Kamik of Philips India Ltd.) successfully in a pending Common-Wealth Games matter (CBI case) before the Special Judge, CBI. Shikher representing the accused on behalf of the Firm and was successfully able to seek discharged of the accused. This was the first occasion where a CBI Special Court had discharged an accused in the Common-Wealth Games scam, purely on merits.
• Advising Twitter India regularlyin relation to various compliances under the regime of the IT Act as well as the recently framed Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digit Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. Apart from this, Shikher has also assisted the clients in strategizing and formulating responses to the notices (for e.g., Notice issued u/s 91 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, take-down notice issued by various law enforcement agencies, etc.) to the client.

Varun has more than 9 years of experience in handling banking, finance and restructuring, hybrid debt financing, project finance, acquisition finance, real estate finance and collaborating with clients, identifying their needs and recommending services and solutions to secure their interest.

Varun has experience of working with top financial institutions including Power Finance Corporation Limited, PTC India Financial Services Limited, L&T Infrastructure Finance Company Limited, L&T Housing Finance Limited, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited, IndusInd Bank Limited, Tata Capital Limited, India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited, REC Limited, HDFC Bank Limited, India Infradebt Limited, State Bank of India, Axis Bank Limited, Saraswat Cooperative Bank Limited, RBL Bank Limited, ICICI Bank Limited, IndusInd Bank Limited, Kautilya Finance Limited, Swamih Investment Fund 1- SBICAP Ventures Limited, National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development, NIIF Infrastructure Finance Limited, Aseem Infrastructure Private Limited and Aditya Birla Finance Limited as their legal counsel in several project finance and structured finance transactions.

Experience Statement

• Acted for and advised and acted for consortium of lenders including IndusInd Bank Limited, ICICI Bank Limited, Aditya Birla Finance Limited, India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited, Axis Bank Limited and National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development, in connection with financial assistance sanctioned to Oriental Infra Trust aggregating up to INR 45483 Million.
• Acted for and advised Power Finance Corporation Limited in connection with financial assistance sanctioned to the 4 (four) SPVs of Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Private Limited, aggregating up to INR 11560.20 Million for the purpose of partly financing the project cost for setting up sea water desalination plants at 4 (four) different locations in the state of Gujarat.
• Advised OLA Cell Technologies Private Limited, in relation to the financial assistance availed from State Bank of India aggregating up to INR 19100 Million in connection with 5 GWh (gross 5.9 GWh) green-field Gigafactory Project for manufacturing Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) battery for electrical vehicles, situated at Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu, India.
• Acted for and advised REC Limited, in connection with non-fund based project specific financial assistance aggregating up to INR 25000 Million sanctioned to Suzlon Energy Limited, acting as an EPC Contractor for supply of wind turbine generators for wind power project(s) awarded to multiple renewable power project developers.
• Acted for and advised HDFC Bank Limited, in connection with financial assistance aggregating up to INR 4180 Million sanctioned to Solarcraft Power India 9 Private Limited, for implementation and development of 120 MWac solar power project and related infrastructure being set-up at Sadla district in the State of Gujarat, India. 

Overview

Varun comes with over a decade of experience in M&A, private equity and general corporate advisory. Varun’s involvement in various transactions help both the investors as well as the target company navigate a very uncertain regulatory environment and close large investment rounds. He has played instrumental role in bringing clarity on certain grey areas of the regulatory framework, for instance, surrounding restructuring of such ECB Loans. His insights and legal advisory on transactions in relation to private acquisitions of assets during ongoing insolvency of the asset owner’s group companies has been incredible. Varun’s approach towards solving client’s problem is one of his strongest forte. He brings solution-oriented mind set to the table, helping client navigate the transactions in the most reasonable and timely manner and simultaneously creating space for his team to learn, adapt and grow into an even better professional

Experience Statement

• Advised IFFCO and reviewed financing documentations and corresponding amendments thereto, arising out of the restructuring of the credit facilities amounting to USD 850 Million availed of by IFFCO’s foreign subsidiary i.e. Jordan India Fertilizer Company.
• Advised a leading real estate company on the resolution and eventual acquisition of a landowning company owning 110 Acres of land valued at over USD 140.5 Million under the pre-packaged insolvency regime.
• Advised M3M India Private Limited (M3M) on INR 900 Crore debt infusion by Oaktree Capital through subscription to NCDs.
• Advised Apollo Hospitals in its INR 450 Crore hospital asset acquisition in Gurugram, Haryana.
• Advised by Kunshan Q Tech Microelectronics (India) Private (QTech) Limited on USD 20 Million external commercial borrowings (ECB).