The Legal 500

AZB & Partners has a strong reputation for its real estate funds expertise, and has previously advised Sun-Apollo India Real Estate Fund. It also counts Tata Realty as a key client. Guatam Saha is recommended.

The ‘very knowledgeable’ team at Luthra & Luthra advises developers, investors and corporations on all types of financing, investments, leasing, construction and development matters. Amaresh Singh heads the team, and recently advised Godrej Properties Limited Development on the development of a group housing project on a 22-acre land parcel in Gurgaon.

Full-service firm Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co fields a ‘very good’ real estate team, which advises its extensive client base on the spectrum of real estate matters. The firm has assisted the government of India, Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation on the drafting of real estate legislation. Highlights included advising DLF Home Developers on its sale of Haamid Real Estates.

Mrinal Kumar, who was promoted to partner in October 2011, is a key contact.

J Sagar Associates’ substantial team handles real estate matters for its large client base. The firm is particularly strong in real estate finance, covering structured lending, secured property lending and property securitisation, and also handles contractual disputes.

Headed by Sunil Seth, Seth Dua & Associates’ ‘exceptional’ real estate team has been involved in drafting the Real Estate Regulation Bill to regulate the rapidly developing real estate sector in India and concurrently protect the interest of investors. Other recent work includes advising Emaar MGF Land on its real estate investments, as well as its joint venture with Global Hyatt Corporation to set up a chain of business hotels in India.

Dua Associates represents a broad client base on real estate matters, drawing on expertise from across the firm’s eight Indian offices. The firm is particularly strong in private equity and venture capital investments in the real estate sector. Neeraj Sharma and Shashivansh Bahadur are the names to note in New Delhi.

Kochhar & Co Provides ‘good attention to detail’, and focuses on advising foreign clients on the real estate aspects of their businesses in India. Work includes providing ongoing advice to Honeywell on its portfolio of offices across India. Other clients include UnitedHealth Group, Tenneco and Panasonic. The ‘very good’ Alok Tewari heads the team.

Titus & Co represents its corporate clients on all Indian real estate matters. The firm represents a number of Italian companies in India, such as SICMA, Danieli, and Ferrero.

Trilegal handles the bulk of its real estate work from the Mumbai office, focusing predominantly on the financing side. However, the New Delhi team will often be called to advise on the real estate aspects of projects. Sitesh Mukherjee is the key contact.

Bhasin & Co has a good reputation in the hospitality sector, and frequently advises clients on large real estate projects, hotel joint ventures, long-term leases, and joint development projects.

Although the majority of real estate matters are handled out of the Mumbai office, DSK Legal’s New Delhi team handles general real estate work, as well as advising on foreign direct investment into the sector.

Jafa & Javali advises Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages, the Indian subsidiary of The Coca-Cola Company, on real estate matters.

KSB Partners focus is on real estate investment, where founding partner Srinivas Kilambi has a wealth of experience. Highlights included advising a leading asset management company in its $26m investment in a SPV concerning a group housing project in Gurgaon.

The ‘very dependable’ Kaden Boriss Partners fields a ‘strong team of lawyers’, and is commended for its ‘client-friendly approach’ and ‘prompt advice’. The ‘knowledgeable’ Amiya Ranjan Nayak heads the real estate team, which counts Bayer BioScience Private and Believers Church India among its clients.

Khaitan & Co. handles leasing, licensing and development matters for its broad client base, and also advises on real estate-related foreign direct investment. The firm is looking to develop its presence in the hospitality sector, and is advising a number of hotel companies looking to invest in India. While the Mumbai team carries out the bulk of the real estate work, New Delhi-based P K Agrawal advises on land matters, consumer affairs and environmental issues.

LexCounsel regularly advises clients on structuring real estate transactions. Recent work includes advising Jones Lang Lasalle on its hotel/mall project in Mysore, Karnataka. Seema Jhingan also advised Inter Globe India on Haryana’s various land laws.

MNK Law Offices’ growing real estate practice is praised for its response times and high levels of partner involvement. The ‘experienced’ Gyanendra Kumar is commended for his ‘depth of knowledge’ in real estate matters.

O.P. Khaitan & Co. Solicitors and Advocates advises real estate companies on real estate-related foreign direct investment in India and abroad, as well as advising Indian corporates.

Vaish Associates’ Vinay Vaish is recommended for his real estate expertise.

AZB & Partners’ prominent client base includes Tata Realty and Infrastructure, Kalpataru and Kotak Mahindra Capital Company, and its involvement in prestigious real estate projects. Sai Krishna Bharathan and Kalpana Merchant are recommended.

A ‘market leader’ with an ‘excellent and well-deserved’ reputation, Federal & Rashmikant is known for its work on conveyancing and complex real estate matters. M Federal is highly recommended.

Kanga & Company Advocates and Solicitors is a ‘well-known force’ in the market, and handles work for construction firms and developers such as Neepa Real Estate, and Orbit Corporation. M L Bhakta is recommended.

Mulla & Mulla & Craigie Blunt & Caroe is well known for its transactional expertise, and is a ‘respected and successful’ name in the real estate market.

Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co has a ‘solid’ team for corporate real estate transactions, where its clients benefit from the firm’s wider corporate expertise. JPMorgan India is a client. Vandana Shroff is recommended.

Hariani & Co advises clients such as Dewan Housing Finance Corporation and Marathon Group, and is recommended for transactional real estate work. Ameet Hariani is recommended.

J Sagar Associates provides ‘excellent advice that is always tailor made to suit the client and the situation at hand’. Clients include Runwal Developers, and Reliance Infrastructure. Akshay Chudasama is recommended.

Law Point’s clients include Urban Infrastructure Trustees, Wadhwa Group, and Kamla Landmarc Real Estate Holding. Joyita Sabharwal is recommended.

Wadia Ghandy & Co acted for Ekta Housing and Kiyana Ventures in their acquisition of land development rights from HDIL, and for the owners in an important land development project in Kanjurmarg. Dhawal Mehta is recommended.

ALMT Legal advised a foreign national on the sale of an inherited property, and represented another client in a dispute concerning plots for the construction of a truck terminal at Wadala. Sameer Tapia and Hitesh Jain are recommended.

Crawford Bayley & Co has expertise in large-scale developments, regional real estate matters, residential and commercial sales, and leasing and financing matters. Sanjay Asher is recommended.

DSK Legal’s Anand Desai is recommended for real estate matters, where Anand Desai, Sajit Suvarna and Jatin Pore are the key names.

Economic Laws Practice has expertise in real estate matters.

Gagrats advised key client Jet Airways (India) on the development of a major commercial property in Mumbai under a development agreement with Godrej Properties, and acted for Indiabulls Properties on the commercial development of properties at Jupiter Mills and Elphinstone Mills in Mumbai. P Kapadia is recommended.

Khaitan & Co. advised Anand Rathi Financial Services on due diligence and documentation for the acquisition of 4 separate premises in Mumbai, and for Moonview Infraestates on the acquisition of property in Bandra. Sudip Mullick and Savita Singh are recommended.

Kochhar & Co’s Rupali Sharma and Ajit Anekar advised Johnson Controls on its acquisition of premises at various locations in India, and Quintiles Research on its acquisition of commercial premises in Mumbai on a leave and licence basis.

Luthra & Luthra acts on a large variety of private equity real estate matters, and represents a number of Mumbai-based property developers, including Tata Housing. Other areas of strength include property management and hotel joint ventures. Bikash Jhawar is recommended.

Majmudar & Partners’ team acted for KPMG India on sub-leasing matters concerning its premises in Gurgaon and Bangalore, and for CompuCom Systems on rental and fit-out agreements in its property. Neerav Merchant is a key figure.

Nishith Desai Associates’ clients include Starlight Systems, Orbit Corporation, and Lokhandwala Group. Real estate funds and investment matters are a core focus, as is real estate tax work, in line with the firm’s wider strength in tax matters.

A.R.A. LAW’s Ashish Bhakta advises a number of investment banks, real estate funds, institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals on real estate matters. Title investigation is a particular area of expertise.

Brus Chambers, Advocates & Solicitors advised Keval Group on an affordable housing land deal, and advised longstanding client Wadhawan Group on various property deals in India through the client’s subsidiaries Dewan Housing Finance Corporation, and Housing Development and Infrastructure. Uttam Hathi is recommended.

DH Law Associates acts for clients including Emaar MGF and Metal Box India. It carried out due diligence work for Yum Restaurants on its outlets across India, and conducted the due diligence for Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages concerning its acquisition of warehousing facilities in Mumbai.

Desai & Diwanji is recommended for real estate matters.

JBSS & Co represented a public charitable trust on its acquisition of non-agricultural land. Amritha Ahuja is the key figure.

MDP & Partners acts for owners, developers, corporates, individuals, and foreign and domestic investors on a variety of real estate transactions. The firm has deep experience in commercial developments and foreign investment in real estate.

Manilal Kher Ambalal & Co, Advocates, Solicitors and Notary’s team acted for a well-known media personality on high-value property matters. Sunil Tilokchandani is recommended.

Solomon & Co. Avocates & Solicitors acted for L&T Realty on slum redevelopment projects in Mumbai, and advised Bombay Realty on the redevelopment of its Spring Mill land in Central Mumbai. Aaron Solomon and Omar Vanjara are recommended.

Vaish Associates is recommended for real estate matters, where Vinay Vaish has a good reputation.