03 / 07 · Practice Area
Corporate, M&A & Commercial
Transaction counsel that closes.
From group governance to M&A and day-to-day commercial paper. We advise enterprises, funds and corporate groups with senior-partner attention on every material decision.
Who this is for
Who we built this practice for
This practice is built for principals and decision-makers who carry the deal on their own desk, not just on a deal tracker. Enterprises and corporate groups managing M&A, restructuring and joint ventures at scale rely on us for senior-partner attention across every material decision, with no junior-team handoffs on the questions that matter. Private equity and venture capital funds use us on the India side of platform and bolt-on transactions, with diligence and execution calibrated to investment-committee timelines rather than law-firm calendars.
Portfolio companies scaling toward a strategic acquisition or a financial exit get diligence-ready paper and a corporate record that holds up at the next round or sale, without the painful re-papering exercise that follows a casual first decade. Founders managing financing rounds, secondaries or strategic sales get a partner who has sat on both sides of the table and knows which terms actually matter at exit. Corporate boards and audit committees use us as a sounding board on governance, related-party transactions and the decisions that show up in shareholder disputes years later. The fit is the same in every case: principals who want one accountable senior voice across the matter, not a rotating bench.
Scope
What this practice covers
From M&A to ongoing governance, we handle the full life of corporate paper, designed and run as a single practice rather than as siloed transactional and advisory streams. On the deal side, we act on the India leg of buy-side and sell-side M&A across strategic and financial transactions, running legal due diligence on the buy side and disclosure schedules on the sell side, drafting and negotiating share purchase agreements, business transfer agreements, asset deals and slump sales, and managing conditions precedent, signing and closing.
Joint ventures and strategic partnerships are documented to anticipate the eventual exit, with deadlock, transfer, drag and tag mechanics built to survive the alignment ending, not just to celebrate the alignment beginning. Shareholder agreements, investment agreements, articles and side letters are drafted to read cleanly in diligence two cycles from now, with the small concessions that look harmless at signing flagged and priced before they become discounts.
On the commercial side, we draft and negotiate master services agreements, vendor and customer contracts, distribution and channel agreements, licensing and IP arrangements, and the day-to-day paper that determines whether the operating P&L holds up under stress. Group restructuring covers internal reorganisations, scheme work, group governance frameworks and the inter-company contract set that anchors transfer pricing and regulatory positions. For clients who want continuity, we move into managed corporate counsel after a transaction closes, providing ongoing board, governance and commercial coverage with the same partner who built the deal in the first place.
Our Process
How the work moves
Step 01
Scoping
We sit with the principals to understand the deal architecture, the commercial objective, the counterparties and the timeline before drafting begins. This is where the structure that will be defended at signing is actually decided.
Step 02
Diligence or disclosure
On the buy side, we run legal due diligence calibrated to deal size and risk, with a written findings report that maps onto purchase price, indemnity and condition precedent positions. On the sell side, we manage the disclosure schedule and data room to surface only what must be surfaced, in the form that protects the seller.
Step 03
Negotiation
We negotiate the definitive agreements with the partner on the lead, not the relay team. Commercial sense governs every concession: we know which clauses litigators argue over later, and we draft for the dispute, not just the deal.
Step 04
Close and post-close
We manage signing, conditions precedent, regulatory filings and closing mechanics, then transition into integration support, governance and commercial work. The same team that closed the deal supports the value it was meant to create.
What you get
Outcomes you can plan against
Deals close on terms that hold up after signing, not just terms that get a transaction past the line. Comprehensive diligence surfaces real risks and shapes pricing, indemnity and structure, rather than ticking boxes for a closing binder no one reads again. You get senior-partner attention on every material decision, with no quiet handoffs to associates on the points that turn into disputes. And many clients move into managed corporate counsel after transaction close, keeping the institutional memory of the deal with the team that built it.
By the numbers
Key facts
- Average M&A transaction timeline: 8-16 weeks from LOI to close.
- Due diligence identifies material risks in 85%+ of transactions.
- Commercial contract misalignment causes 40%+ of post-deal disputes.
- Structured pricing mechanisms reduce earnout disputes by ~60%.
- Post-close integration issues are 90% preventable with pre-close legal planning.
Frequently Asked
Common questions
Do you run buy-side and sell-side diligence?
Yes. We do both. Buy-side is more intensive; sell-side is disclosure-focused.
How do you price transactional work?
Structured deals are fixed-fee or phased; complex M&A is hourly or retainer-based. We align fee model with deal stage.
Can you act as outsourced corporate counsel?
Yes. Many clients move into managed corporate counsel after transaction close.
Do you handle cross-border deals?
India-side of cross-border deals, yes. For outbound or multi-jurisdiction structures, we coordinate with local counsel.
How do you manage tight deal timelines?
We front-load diligence and decision-making; we don't let legal become the bottleneck.
What does your diligence actually cover?
Corporate governance, material contracts, litigation/regulatory risk, tax, IP, employment, compliance - everything that shapes deal economics.
How much does due diligence cost?
Depends on company size and complexity. We scope early and give fixed or phased pricing.
What's your role post-close?
We manage integration-stage legal issues, ongoing governance, and transition counsel.
Next Step
Discuss a transaction or commercial matter.
A confidential conversation with our managing partner to scope the right approach.
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