Samvad Partners > Bangalore, India > Firm Profile

Client Testimonials

CLIENT : Firm (Dispute Resolution Litigation)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘a good litigation team’
Individual (Poornima Hatti – Disputes) ‘very responsive’

CLIENT : Firm (Banking & Finance)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘technically sound’ team
Firm (Corporate and M&A) “Samvad has a strong team of experienced and pragmatic lawyers who are mindful of business objectives and structure their legal advice on that basis.”

CLIENT : Firm (Labour & Employment)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘Each partner is specialised in specific areas which helps in getting the best solutions.’

‘A specialised and motivated team who can perform and deliver within a strict timeline.’

CLIENT : Individual (Poornima Hatti – Disputes)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘Poornima Hatti is hard working, sharp, and self motivated.’

CLIENT : Firm (Corporate and M&A)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘Samvad has high expertise in M&A and transactional legal matters in the IT industry. Their expertise in M&A should be highly praised, as their output is always consistent and the partners are quick to respond.’

CLIENT : Firm (Private equity)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘They are diligent, thoughtful folks. Have the right balance on when to be high touch and when to be low touch with clients.’

‘Highly reliable and follows through on their stated word without requiring us to follow up on them.’

CLIENT : Firm (TMT)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘In our association with Samvad over six years, we have had opportunity to work with many associates. Each of them has brought clarity and lucidity to the context of our task and have guided us in various ways.’

CLIENT : Individual (Arjun Krishnan – Disputes)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘Invaluable to his client’,

CLIENT : Individual (Natasha Mahajan – Private equity)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘a go-to name for venture debt deals’

CLIENT : Individual (Siddharth Seshan – Private equity)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘We work with Siddharth Seshan primarily. He has stood out among all the other legal professionals I have worked with on the following grounds: Knows his subject matter inside out; has an opinion on subjects outside his domain of expertise, hence has become my go to person to talk to on all legal topics even outside private equity.’

CLIENT : Individual (Vineetha MG – Banking & Finance and Private equity)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘Very approachable’

‘Vineetha MG has good domain and sector knowledge, coupled with an excellent communication style and strong negotiation skills.’

CLIENT : Firm (Banking & Finance)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘The team is well trained and even associates are very knowledgeable and skilled.’

‘Samvad is a mid-size firm which has created a big impact. Their quality of work is great and partner involvement better than most firms. If you need a firm which is not outrageously expensive and can deliver a quality product in less time then Samvad is the answer.’

CLIENT : Firm (Data Protection)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘Samvad have a real “can do” attitude, coupled to a commitment to provide practical and commercial advice. They are extremely accessible and down to earth: very easy to get along with and always seem to go the extra mile for you.’

CLIENT : Firm (Dispute Resolution Litigation)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘excellent, timely and professional advice’

‘The team has a thorough offering in diverse areas of laws and can cater to any kind of corporate client and handle litigation before various courts and tribunals. The team is young, and the firm has offices in different parts of the country. Their ability to adhere to time lines, transparency in their dealings with clients, quality of legal advice, and their commitment to the client’s interest make them stand apart.’

CLIENT : Firm (Labour and Employment)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘team of very knowledgeable, articulate partners’

‘rock-solid’ advice on Covid-19 pandemic-related workforce streamlining, in-house fraud investigations and senior management exits.

‘The team at Samvad Partners is abreast of the technicalities of the law and also understand the industry well. I strongly believe that Samvad Partners is well ahead of the curve in terms of being a diverse and inclusive team. In terms of engagement and collaboration, they do a fantastic job of connecting with the client in a timely manner.’

‘They have a team of very knowledgeable, articulate partners who continue to help us with matters related to labour and employment. The advice is rock-solid. The wider implications of any matters are shared so that we make an informed decision.’

CLIENT : Firm (Private Equity & Venture Capital)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘Worked with Samvad Partners for last 8 years. They have represented us with multiple fundraise and investment processes. In fact, when we did our first investment they represented one of our investors and we liked their work and then hired them to represent us in future. We are happy and satisfied client of theirs.’

‘Samvad Partners has been an invaluable resource to our company. They come with a depth of experience in the nuances of contracts/agreements involved in fund raising as well as day-to-day operational issues.’

‘The team has provided practical, business-oriented advice in a timely and cost-effective manner. Their work for our company has been impeccable and unparalleled. Highly recommend them!’

CLIENT : Firm (Technology, Media & Telecom – TMT)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘Samvad’s legal team have been able to convey our point of view in negotiations and have always reached a result which has worked for us. They are both well informed and client centric.’

‘The team is extremely accessible and responsive, and ensure timely and satisfactory delivery on all matters.’

CLIENT : Individual (Arjun Krishnan – Dispute Resolution Litigation)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘Arjun Krishnan is exceptionally talented, and very good at devising a legal strategy for any kind of case. He is amiable and can work with the most senior professionals in the field and deliver to their expectations.’

CLIENT : Individual (Natasha Mahajan – PE&VC)
TESTIMONIAL : We were fortunate in finding Natasha Mahajan to represent us in all the VC/PE funding negotiations. She was batting for us 100% the whole time, while also being pragmatic in getting all the parties on the same page and closing the documentation in a quick manner.

CLIENT : Individual (Neela Badami – Data Protection)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘very switched on, very client friendly and very good at what she does.’

CLIENT : Individual (Nivedita Nivargi – PE&VC)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘Nivedita Nivargi has been leading the partnership for us. She has been supportive, transparent and always available for advice even during the odd hours sometimes.’

CLIENT : Individual (Nivedita Nivargi – TMT)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘Nivedita Nivargi has been an outstanding client partner for us. She is always very supportive and available when we need her advice even during odd hours.’

CLIENT : Individual (Poornima Hatti – Dispute Resolution Litigation)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘remarkable grasp of the law’

‘Poornima Hatti is very bright and good at case management and handling court matters.’

CLIENT : Individual (Poornima Hatti – Employment)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘an expert in her field and always available’

‘Poornima Hatti definitely stands out in her client engagement and quality of deliverables.’

CLIENT : Individual (Rohan George – Data Protection)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘Rohan George: super bright, practical and efficient, he knows the market well and is always up to date and current in his advice

CLIENT : Individual (Vineetha MG – Banking & Finance)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘Ms. Vineetha MG is the partner I usually work with. She is motivated and driven and deeply involved in all the deals. She is good with structuring and negotiation and has expertise in project finance and banking and finance transactions.’

CLIENT : Individual (Vineetha MG – Projects & Energy)
TESTIMONIAL : ‘Ms. Vineetha MG is the partner I usually work with. She is motivated and driven and deeply involved in all the deals. She is good with structuring and negotiation and has expertise in project finance, and banking and finance transactions.’

Diversity

Respect for human rights is of fundamental essence to the Firm. Every lawyer and employee is responsible for upholding a work environment free from all discrimination and harassment and reflects respect for human rights. The Firm ensures that there is no discrimination amongst its lawyers and employees in compensation, training, and employee benefits, based on race, colour, caste, religion, social or ethnic origin, disability, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, physical or mental ability, HIV status, ancestry, or affiliation with a political, religious or union organization or majority/minority group. The Firm believes that diversity in the workplace creates an environment conducive to engagement, alignment, innovation, and high performance.

The Firm provides equal employment, advancement, and development opportunities to all its lawyers and employees. All employment, retainer, and recruitment-related decisions of the Firm are based on merit, qualification, abilities, and performance. This has helped us inculcate a culture of trust and fairness. The Firm takes affirmative action to ensure that all employment-related decisions, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, training, development, compensation, benefits, transfer, termination, lay-off, discipline, and discharge, are free from unlawful discrimination. The Firm makes reasonable accommodations to employees and lawyers with known disabilities. The Firm provides a work environment free from any form of discrimination, including but not limited to sexual harassment.

While not intentional, we are proud that nearly 80% of our Partners and 55% of our lawyers are women, making us unique among not just Indian but also global law firms.

Notable Cases

1.Advising a leading Indian venture capital fund manager on various disputes arising out of a sale by the Client of a significant portion of shareholding (worth approximately USD 13 million) in a tech platform company (“Company”) to a Singapore listed shareholder of the Company. The Firm has advised the Client in relation to the arbitration proceedings instituted by the Singapore listed shareholder of the Company against the Company under the SIAC Rules.

2.We acted for Yes Bank Limited in relation to the restructuring of INR 27,900,000,000 loan granted to Warora – Kurnool Transmission Limited (“WKTL”). This involved a change in ownership and management control of WKTL as part of a resolution process pursuant to which was acquired by Adani Transmission Limited. This was the largest restructuring in the transmission sector as well as one of the largest transmission sector acquisitions.

3.We acted for PB Fintech (Policy Bazaar) in the context of its IPO, providing extensive support to its in-house legal and secretarial teams on various aspects of the listing process, including but not limited to in connection with undertaking various corporate compliances and negotiating with the existing investors in connection with the listing process. The Firm also acted as legal counsel to the Founders and advised them in connection with the sale of their shares in the offer for sale component of the IPO.

4. Amazon and Flipkart are the two largest e-commerce marketplaces in India, and challenged the investigation ordered by the CCI before the Karnataka High Court. The case is important because it is the first investigation launched by the CCI into the e-commerce sector, which is perceived to be a source of market power that falls outside the pigeonholes of traditional concepts in anti-trust law. CCI successfully represented by the Firm all the way to the Supreme Court to ensure that the investigation went ahead.

5.We advised Kaleidofin Private Limited, which is a mission propelled fin-tech platform dealing with mutual funds, service providers to lenders and an investment advisory, in their Series B investment from Michael and Susan Dell Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We also advised the existing investors of the company including the likes of Omidyar Network, Oiko Credit, Bharat Fund and the Blume Group.

6.We assisted and advised ICICI Bank Limited in relation to granting (i) rupee term loan facility for an amount aggregating to INR 340,64,00,000 (Indian Rupees Three Hundred Forty Crores and Sixty Four Lakhs only); and (ii) Overdraft facility for an amount aggregating to INR 5,00,00,000 (Indian Rupees Five Crores only) to Khalghat Sendhwa Tollways Private Limited for refinancing of the existing financial indebtedness of the borrower.

7.Disputes with Essel Group – The firm successfully acted as lead counsel for a leading private sector bank against the debt-ridden Essel group of companies in vacating an injunction granted against invocation of a pledge of shares given as security for loans and declaration of the borrowers as wilful defaulters.

8.We acted for The Fundamentum Partnership Fund I, Eight Roads Ventures India III LP, and F-Prime Capital Partners Healthcare Fund V LP, existing investors in API Holdings Private Limited in connection with acquisition of the Medlife Group by API Holdings Private Limited (Pharmeasy), in a share swap arrangement, rendering this as one of the most notable consolidations in the e-pharmacy sector in India.

9.We acted for GIC, an existing investor in Argan (Mauritius) Limited, in relation to their divestment from Atria Convergence Technologies Limited. This is one of the largest exit and acquisition in the broadband space.

10.The Firm represents one of India’s oldest electric cable manufacturing companies, in proceedings initiated against it by an Indian multinational public sector bank before the National Company Law Tribunal for initiation of corporate insolvency and in recovery actions initiated against the client and the promoters before the Debts Recovery Tribunal.-

11.We advised True North, in relation to their 100% exit from Actify Data Labs Private Limited, engaged in end-to-end data analytics, machine-learning and AI space, by way of sale of stake to Canada based Groupe Voxco Inc for an aggregate amount of upto USD 33 crores payable in two tranches.

International Capabilities

International Memberships

• INSOL India and International
• Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC)
• Indo American Chamber of Commerce (IACC)
• International Chamber of Commerce India (ICC)
• International Chamber of Commerce India’s (ICC) Task Force on “Disability Inclusion in International Arbitration”.
• Singapore International Arbitration Centre’s (SIAC) Reserve Panel of Arbitrators and a member of the SIAC Working Group for South Asia.
• Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC)
• International Technology Law Association (ITech Law)
• International Trademarks Association (INTA)
• GRI Club
• International Advisory Experts (IAE)
• International Bar Association (IBA)
• Women Law Network
• One of our partners is a member of LCIA-Young International Arbitration Group.
• One of our partners is ICC YAF representative for South Asia for 2021-2023

Joint operations, law firm networks or “best friend” networks

Nextlaw Referral Network – the largest, most innovative legal referral network in the world with over 670 members spanning 200+ countries.

International Advisory Experts – an exclusive platform for international law firms and other advisory firms.

Clients

• Acciona Infraestructuras, S.A.
• Ascott Group, Singapore
• Blue Dart Aviation Limited
• Bosch Limited
• Dell International Services India Private Limited
• Deutsche Bank AG
• Eight Roads Ventures Mauritius Limited
• Fresenius Medical Care (Central Asia-Pacific), Hong Kongc
• GIC Singapore
• GILDEMEISTER Beteiligungen GmbH (DMG Mori AG)
• Goldman Sachs (India) Securities Private Limited
• Hedrich Vakumanalagen GmbH & Co.
• HSBC
• International Finance Corporation
• JP Morgan
• Jungle Ventures
• Kaizen PE
• KTB Network
• L & T Finance Limited
• L & T Infrastructure Development Projects Limited
• LoGon Investment GmbH
• Mahindra Aerospace
• Manpower Asia Pacific
• Manpower Group
• Manthan Systems
• Mauritius Commercial Bank
• MindTree Limited (MTL)
• Munich Re Ventures
• NSR Mauritius Advisors LLC (New Silk Route)
• NTT Data Corporation
• ON Mauritius
• Red Hat Asia Pacific Pte Ltd.
• Samsung Ventures
• Sequoia Capital
• Shunwei Capital
• Sogefi S.p.A
• Tata International Singapore Pte. Ltd.
• Techstars Central LLC
• UTICO FZC
• Visa Worldwide Pte Limited
• Western Bulk Carriers AS
• Xiaomi Technology India Private Limited
• Yahoo India
• Yes Bank

Law Firms

• BAE, KIM & LEE LLC
• Bird & Bird
• CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP
• Cooley LLP
• Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP
• Davis Polk & Wardwell, Hong Kong Solicitors
• Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
• Herbert Smith Freehills
• King & Wood Mallesons
• Simmons & Simmons LLP
• Zhong Lun