What we say about the firm's legal practice in India
Aviation
Within Mumbai, AZB & Partners is a third tier firm,
AZB & Partners’ recent key matters include advising on the refinancing of three B787-800 aircraft leased to Jet Airways by GECAS. Zia Mody and Ashwin Ramanathan are recommended.
Banking, finance and capital markets
Within Banking and finance: Mumbai, AZB & Partners is a second tier firm,
The team at AZB & Partners is recommended for its ‘excellent analytical skills’ and ‘good understanding of financial products’. It advised Bharti Airtel on negotiating and documenting a $2.7bn syndicated loan from lenders including State Bank of India, IDBI Bank Limited and HDFC Bank. It also acted as counsel to a lender consortium of 18 banks and financial institutions, led by ICICI Bank, regarding a INR 56.7bn loan facility to Jaiprakash Power Ventures. Bahram Vakil is ‘excellent’.
Within Capital markets: Mumbai, AZB & Partners is a second tier firm,
AZB & Partners acted as legal adviser to the underwriters - including Kotak Mahindra Capital Company, Citigroup Global Markets India Private and SBICAP Securities - on the Tata Steel’s supplemental public issue of equity shares. Shameek Chaudhuri is recommended.
Within New Delhi, AZB & Partners is a second tier firm,
AZB & Partners’ ‘responsive and very commercial’ service represents corporates and banks on a range of financings. The team has also acted on various Mumbai-led capital markets transactions, including IPOs and bond issuances, for both issuers and underwriters.
Corporate/M&A
Within Mumbai, AZB & Partners is a first tier firm,
The ‘excellent’ team at AZB & Partners advised Bharti Airtel its $10.7bn acquisition of the pan-African operations of Zain from MTC Telecommunications. It also acted for Vedanta Resources on acquiring a controlling interest in Cairn India. Other clients include Reliance Industries, JFE Steel Corporation and Fortis Healthcare. Zia Mody is ‘outstanding’.
Within New Delhi, AZB & Partners is a second tier firm,
One of the most prolific transactional firms in the market, AZB & Partners provides an ‘excellent service’ to both corporates and private equity firms. Anil Kasturi, who is well regarded, recently advised Warburg Pincus on its $140m investment in Diligent Power. Kasturi also acted for Max India on its $150m sale to an affiliate of Goldman Sachs. Percival Billimoria and Ajay Bahl are also recommended.
Dispute resolution
Within Mumbai, AZB & Partners is a third tier firm,
AZB & Partners has ‘impeccable knowledge’. It has won disputes for KPMG, Philip Morris, and Dhariwal Industries. Zia Mody is recommended.
Within New Delhi, AZB & Partners is a third tier firm,
Although it is better known for its transactional expertise, AZB & Partners regularly handles complex commercial and financial disputes for clients.
Insurance
Within New Delhi, AZB & Partners is a third tier firm,
AZB & Partners handles contentious and non-contentious work for insureds and is also often engaged in insurance-related M&A.
Intellectual property
Within Mumbai, tier 4
AZB & Partners provides sound, strategic advice on a range of IP issues. Zia Mody is recommended.
Within New Delhi, tier 4
Praised for ‘its ability to co-ordinate IP matters happening in neighbouring countries’ and to provide ‘very reactive, relevant, realistic and proactive answers’, AZB & Partners handles a broad array of contentious and non-contentious work for corporate clients. This regularly includes advising on IP issues concomitant to M&A.
Investment funds
Within Mumbai, AZB & Partners is a second tier firm,
AZB & Partners is experienced in advising clients on establishing and structuring a variety of funds, as well as investment routing, exit, tax planning and regulatory matters. Zia Mody is recommended.
Leading firms in Bangalore
Within Leading firms in Bangalore, AZB & Partners is a first tier firm,
AZB & Partners’ Bangalore team is recommended for its ‘good business acumen’ and ‘well thought out guidance’. Highlights included advising Pfizer on the $2.4bn sale of its Capsugel business to KKR. Srinath Dasari is ‘first rate’. As an addendum, the firm recently de-merged from Anup S Shah Law Firm with which it now shares a best-friends agreement.
Legal market overview
Within Legal market overview,
While full-service heavyweights such as AZB & Partners, Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A. Shroff & Co, Luthra & Luthra and J Sagar Associates dominate the markets in New Delhi and Mumbai, other niche firms such as Karanjawala and Company, Tuli & Co and Anand and Anand perform well for dispute resolution, insurance and intellectual property respectively.
Projects and energy
Within Mumbai, AZB & Partners is a first tier firm,
AZB & Partners’ clients include Reliance Industries, Tata Motors and Tata Steel. Bahram Vakil is highly rated for project finance.
Within New Delhi, AZB & Partners is a first tier firm,
Praised for its ‘personal touch, professionalism and ability to get the job done within deadlines’, AZB & Partners’ projects team is largely focused on the finance side. Capital markets as a means of financing has been popular recently, and the team notably represented Reliance on its $1.5bn bond issuance.
Real estate
Within Mumbai, AZB & Partners is a second tier firm,
AZB & Partners advised Securities Private Limited and Kotak Mahindra Capital Company on a $320m IPO. Other clients include Kalpataru and Tata Realty and Infrastructure. Kalpana Merchant and Sai Krishna Bharathan are recommended.
Within New Delhi, AZB & Partners is a first tier firm,
AZB & Partners is particularly accomplished at handling fund-related and capital markets aspects of real estate work. In this regard, Gautam Saha represented Sun-Apollo on the $23m acquisition of Parsvnath Buildwell.
TMT
Within Mumbai, AZB & Partners is a second tier firm,
AZB & Partners has acted for clients such as Qualcomm, HAV3 Holdings and HSBC Private Equity on TMT transactions. Zia Mody is highly regarded.
Within New Delhi, AZB & Partners is a second tier firm,
AZB & Partners has been involved in some of the largest TMT M&A in the market, advising Bharti Airtel on its $10.7bn acquisition of Zain’s African operations from MTC Telecommunication, and representing American Tower Corporation on the $450m acquisition of Essar Telecom Infrastructure.
Tax
Within Mumbai Leading individuals: India
Within New Delhi, AZB & Partners is a first tier firm,
AZB & Partners provides the full spectrum of tax advice to domestic and international corporates, either as part of a wider corporate service or on a standalone basis. The firm’s prominent reputation for M&A means that the tax team regularly provides tax structuring advice, such as its recent work for Bharti Airtel on the Zain Africa acquisition. Ajay Bahl and Percy Billimoria are recommended.