Ms Manjula Chawla > Phoenix Legal > NEW DELHI, India > Lawyer Profile
Phoenix Legal Offices
PHOENIX HOUSE 254
OKHLA INDUSTRIAL ESTATE
PHASE III
110020
India
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Ms Manjula Chawla
Work Department
Corporate and commercial (M&As and foreign investment), Antitrust/Competition, Employment, Energy & Infrastructure, IP, IT & Outsourcing, Litigation and Arbitration, Private Equity, Telecommunications.
Position
Manjula Chawla is the co-founding partner of Phoenix Legal, a leading full-service law firm in the country.
Career
Before setting up Phoenix Legal, Manjula spent over 12 years as a senior partner in a leading commercial law firm in India.
She concentrates in the areas of strategic corporate investments, mergers & acquisitions, foreign direct investments, projects, private equity, corporate finance and restructuring, employment, and general corporate and commercial matters.
Manjula’s was one of the first handful of lawyers who chose to become a corporate lawyer and advise on cross-border transactions soon after the liberalization of the Indian economy in 1991. Since the early years of liberalization, she has assisted many multinational corporations (including several Fortune 500 companies) in establishing their presence across various sectors including automobiles, aviation, biotechnology, chemicals, energy & infrastructure, financial services, F&B, healthcare & pharma, IT and outsourcing, oil and gas, ports, transportation and telecommunications. She has counselled and represented various clients in numerous mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions in these sectors. . She has also been involved in several complex litigation and arbitration matters arising out of commercial and cross border transactions. She is actively involved in rendering probono legal advice to international and foreign non-profit organizations in relation to their activities in India furthering social causes.
Manjula’s commitment to her clients and consistent delivery of high-quality services has been recognized by her clients and peers. She was awarded the National Law Day Award – 2000 by the Union Law Minister for “excellence in corporate law” and for “unique contribution in bringing foreign exchange into India”. She featured in the Lexis Nexis publication on “100 Legal Luminaries of India”, which throws light on some of the most illustrious legal minds in India and She has been consistently been recognised as a leading corporate lawyer by Asia Legal, Chambers & Partners, Euromoney and others.
Among various accolades, she featured in the list of Most Promising Women Leaders 2021 by The Economic Times, India Super 50 Lawyers 2021 by Asian Legal Business, Corporate Governance Lawyer of the Year as the Women in Business Law Awards 2021, Asia by Euromoney and has regularly featured in the A-List of India’s Top Lawyers. Her clients have described her as “very dynamic and proactive” and praised her for her “practical” legal advice and “solid” commercial experience.
In 2008, she co-founded Phoenix Legal with offices in Delhi & Mumbai and the firm soon became one of the fastest growing law firms advising clients across the country. The firm offers an extensive range of transactional, regulatory, advisory, dispute resolution, and taxation services. The Firm advises a diverse clientele including domestic and international companies, banks and financial institutions, funds, promoter groups and public sector undertakings.
The firm practice area includes Aerospace & Defense, Antitrust & Competition, Banking & Finance, Commercial Contracts, Corporate & Securities Laws, Corporate Insolvency & Restructuring, Dispute Resolution – Arbitration & Litigation, Environment, Employment & Industrial Relations, Foreign Investment & Exchange Control, Infrastructure & Project Finance, Intellectual Property, International Trade, Information Technology & Outsourcing , Insurance, Joint Ventures, Foreign & Technical Collaborations , Legal Compliance, Bribery & Anti-Corruption, Mergers & Acquisitions , Mining & Resources , Private Equity & Funds , Procurement & Transaction Advisory, Real Estate , Regulatory Affairs , Taxation , Technology, Media and Telecommunications.
The firm has been successful in establishing its identity outside its origins, dealing with significant depth in complex domestic and international matters. The key reason behind setting up Phoenix Legal was the desire of its founding partners to bring client-service into sharper focus and provide commercially viable legal advice in all sectors of the economy.
Phoenix Legal is committed to developing strong client relationships, engaging capable and dedicated professionals and investing in technology. Enthusiasm, energy and a drive for excellence influence the way the firm works. It invests time in understanding the client’s businesses, which enables it to provide commercially oriented and innovative legal solutions to achieve their goals. The firm has consistently achieved highest client satisfaction ratings amongst top Indian law firms and has been recognized as a leading law firm in India by several legal directories.
Phoenix Legal has been ranked in various practice areas by Asialaw, Chambers and Partners, Legal500, IFLR100, Benchmark Litigation and India Business Law Journal. Some of the other accolades received by the firm are: an award-winning law firm in, Energy & Natural Resources, Insurance & Reinsurance, Shipping & Maritime and Structure Finance & Securitisation practices by India Business Law Journal 2022 Indian Law Firm Awards, Automotive Law Firm of the Year in India – Global Law Experts Annual Awards 2022, Law firm of the year – Mergers and Acquisitions – India – Global 100, 2022, ranked by Asian Legal Business (ALB) in their Asia IP Rankings 2022 for copyright and trademarks practice, “Deal of the Year“, at the IHC, 2021, Dealmaker‐ for the Deals of the Year, India Business Law Journal 2021, Asia’s Top 50 India Law firms by Asian Legal Business 2021, advising on the “Most Innovative Deal of the Year, 2021”, at the Indian Securitisation Awards, 2021 by the Indian Securitisation Foundation, leading firms in the Energy & Natural Resources by In-House Community, 2021.
As part of the firm’s management committee, Manjula plays an active role laying down growth strategies for the firm and partners. She however derives greatest satisfaction in guiding and mentoring young lawyers and also law students.
Languages
English, Hindi, Punjabi.
Memberships
- Executive member – Mumbai Centre For International Arbitration’s Users Council for the Automotive Sector.
- At-Large Council Member for India – International Pacific Bar Association (IPBA).
- India Working Group Member – International Bar Association (IBA).
- Member – Legal Services Task Force of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).
- Patron Member – Bar Association of India.
- Member – Delhi High Court Bar Association.
- Member – Bar Council of Delhi.
- At Large Council Member for India – International Pacific Bar Association (IPBA).
- Vice President – North India Council (NIC) of the Indo- American Chamber of Commerce (IACC).
- Executive Committee Member – Bar Association of India.
- Treasurer – Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF).
- Member – DWEN (Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network) India Community, an initiative by Dell.
- Member – International Bar Association.
Education
Miranda House, Delhi University: BA (Hons), Political Science
Campus Law Centre, Delhi University- LLB(1988)
Leisure
Travelling, Music, Swimming, Social work
Lawyer Rankings
India > Restructuring and insolvency
Phoenix Legal advises on voluntary liquidation, dissolution of companies, and other matters under the IBC. The team is headed by Saket Shukla, Manjula Chawla, and Abhishek Saxena, alongside Gautam Bhatikar, who is based in Mumbai. The team is especially proficient at handling corporate insolvency matters for resolution professionals. In particular, associate partner Neha Naik has represented several notable banks and foreign-owned enterprises in relation to insolvency proceedings. Lawyers are in Dehli unless otherwise stated.
India > Life sciences and healthcare
The team at Phoenix Legal advises clients across the pharma, biotech, healthcare, and medical devices spaces, combining transactional and corporate advice with work on disputes, intellectual property issues, and regulatory matters. The firm has particular expertise in handling regulatory issues relating to M&A and financing transactions, with practice co-head Abhishek Saxena noted for his expertise in cross-border M&A. The team is also led by Pranav Srivastava , who combines transactional and disputes experience, and Manjula Chawla, who has a strong record in cross-border commercial structuring and corporate matters.
India > Labour and employment
Adept at handling both contentious and non-contentious employment matters, Phoenix Legal regularly advises on employee transfers, disciplinary inquiries, industrial disputes, and terminations, with particular sector expertise in the manufacturing and service industries. Manjula Chawla and Abhishek Saxena take point on corporate employment matters; Saket Shukla handles restructurings and senior executive exits; Sawant Singh in Mumbai has a broad practice and is recommended for M&A-related employment mandates, while Pranav Srivastava is the key contact for clients in the tech and life sciences sectors. The five co-lead the practice. All lawyers mentioned are based in Delhi unless otherwise stated.
India > Corporate and M&A
(Leading individuals)Phoenix Legal offers in-depth experience in providing advice on corporate, regulatory, and corporate governance matters across a wide range of spaces, ranging from infrastructure to healthcare. The firm displays skill in handling multi-jurisdictional M&A and business restructurings, along with assisting corporations on investment models which ensure a beneficial tax structure. Operating out of New Delhi, Manjula Chawla focuses on corporate finance and joint ventures, Saket Shukla specialises in strategic advisory work, and Abhishek Saxena’s practice includes insolvency and restructuring matters. Pranav Srivastava is an expert on the technology and life sciences sector, whilst from Mumbai, co-founding partner Sawant Singh has expertise in private equity and project finance work. Akshay Sachthey is also noted as a key lawyer.
India > Real estate and construction
The real estate team at Phoenix Legal advises investee companies, property developers, buyers, lessors, lessees and funds on various real estate issues. Manjula Chawla’s expertise ranges from strategic corporate investments and corporate finance to M&As, joint ventures, corruption and compliance investigations, and general corporate and commercial matters. Saket Shukla advises international investors, multilateral agencies and promoter groups on complex transactions across multiple sectors, including infrastructure, construction, insurance, hospitality, but also mining and resources as well as oil and gas. From the New Delhi office, Pranav Srivastava focuses on technology (including IT and FinTech), life sciences, healthcare, infrastructure, power, oil and gas and EPC/ construction sectors. He also handles cross-border investments and the appointment of contractors.
Lawyer Rankings
- Leading individuals India > Corporate and M&A
- Corporate and M&A India
- Labour and employment India
- Life sciences and healthcare India
- Real estate and construction India
- Restructuring and insolvency India