Banking and finance Tier 2

Phoenix Legal's practice undertakes syndicated lending, structured finance, acquisition finance and project finance matters for a wide range of clients, including banks and financial institutions. Sawant Singh focuses primarily on private equity, project finance, securitisation and asset reconstruction mandates. Abhishek Saxena advises clients on cross-border transactions, particularly investments in the energy sector. Aditya Bhargava specialises in structured finance, rupee term loans and ECB deals.

Corporate and M&A Tier 2

Corporate and commercial law are core areas of practice at Phoenix Legal, which has a strong track record of handling transactions in regulated sectors, including insurance, financial services, pharmaceutical, infrastructure and natural resources.  Showcasing experience in inbound and outbound investments, the practice is further skilled at advising on corporate governance, tax structures and regulatory requirements. Manjula Chawla is a seasoned practitioner in strategic corporate transactions involving multiple jurisdictions. Saket Shukla has extensive experience in the insurance sector.

Dispute resolution: litigation Tier 2

Phoenix Legal’s team represents public and private sector clients in various corporate, civil, and criminal disputes across India’s courts, including matters in the Supreme Court. Vasanth Rajasekaran frequently acts for clients in litigation relating to the enforcement of arbitral awards, in addition to handling corporate and commercial litigation. Mrinal Ojha focuses on commercial disputes in various sectors, including insurance, infrastructure, and energy.

Insurance Tier 2

The strong contentious offering at Phoenix Legal’s insurance practice regularly represents domestic and international reinsurers and assurance companies in complex coverage disputes. Co-head Mrinal Ojha fields expertise in employment practice liabilities while challenges to claim settlements are regularly handled by co-heads Trinath Tadakamalla and Debarshi Dutta, often with a cross-border element. Co-head Saket Shukla leads on non-contentious transactional support, policy-building engagements and regulatory advice. Insureds in the pharmaceuticals and automotive sectors also retain the team for litigation support.

Projects and energy Tier 2

Phoenix Legal acts for lenders and borrowers in project finance transactions, and is adept at handling M&A deals involving infrastructure assets. The practice also assists with the preparation of concession agreements, PPP structures, EPC contracts, regulatory aspects of projects and dispute resolution. On the energy front, practitioners attract mandates on the legal issues of the entire supply chain, covering gas, LNG and conventional and renewable power. Sawant Singh leads matters pertaining to project finance, while Abhishek Saxena has significant experience in cross-border deals, PPP models and tender processes in relation to energy projects. Pranav Srivastava focuses on transactional work involving the energy sector and infrastructure disputes.

Labour and employment Tier 3

Ongoing instructions for Phoenix Legal’s labour and employment practice include compensation package structuring, collective bargaining negotiations (for the extensive manufacturing client base), employee contract reviews, workforce reorganisations and M&A-related due diligence. A long list of IT clients retains the team for advice on retrenchments, executive-level remuneration and trade union negotiations. The partnership comprises practice heads Manjula Chawla, Saket Shukla, Abhishek Saxena and Sawant Singh.

Restructuring and insolvency Tier 3

Phoenix Legal is well equipped to assist a range of stakeholders in insolvency proceedings, such as creditors, insolvency professionals and corporate debtors. Its portfolio is further populated by mandates concerning the winding up of companies and voluntary liquidations, as well as distressed M&A. Sawant Singh has significant experience in matters pertaining to asset reconstruction, corporate and debt restructuring. Sriram Ramachandran, whose specialisms include complex M&A and private equity deals, is another noteworthy member. Former co-head Jyoti Singh left the team to establish her own boutique law firm.

Tax Tier 3

Tax advisory and cross-border restructuring matters at Phoenix Legal are handled by co-head Abhishek Saxena on the direct side and co-head Pranav Srivastava on the direct side. The team was recently engaged by Indian subsidiaries to advise on transfer pricing, triangular trade agreements, import-export transactions, permanent establishment issues and general M&A activity. Co-heads Manjula Chawla and Saket Shukla add strength to transactional matters. sectors of focus include insurance, financial services, IT, healthcare and the heavy industries. The team welcomed a new partner Jatin Arora who joined from PwC Legal in September 2021 to lead the firm's indirect tax practice.

TMT Tier 3

Phoenix Legal advises technology, media and entertainment clients in relation to their regulatory and transactional needs, including software development, investment, acquisitions and licensing. Manjula Chawla has significant expertise in corporate transactions and corporate governance, competition law, employment and data protection mandates. Saket Shukla is a go-to partner for clients engaged in M&A, PE exits, restructuring and joint ventures.

Real estate and construction Tier 4

Indian and international corporates, real estate funds and developers seek Phoenix Legal's support in an array of real estate matters. Mandates range from foreign direct investment to acquisition and lease of immovable property, construction and engineering contracts as well as project development. Siddharth Hariani is a key individual in the team, which often offers advice in relation to compliance and regulatory issues under RERA.