Area of Practice

Mergers & Acquisitions

The Practice

AQUILAW’s M&A practice advises corporates, promoters, financial sponsors and institutional investors on transactions that shape the future of their businesses, with particular strength in cross-border deals and inbound investment into India. We are a trusted partner for foreign investors, multinationals, PE/VC funds and global funds entering or expanding in the Indian market, advising on optimal entry structures, sector-specific foreign investment conditions and the practicalities of doing business in India. Drawing on strengths across foreign exchange regulation, competition law, tax and regulatory practices, we guide clients through every stage of the deal from structuring and due diligence to negotiation, closing and integration.

Key Service Offerings

Advising foreign investors and multinationals on India entry strategy, including choice of entity, sector caps and structuring for tax and regulatory efficiency.
Structuring and negotiating cross-border acquisitions, joint ventures and outbound investments / acquisitions by Indian companies.
Drafting, reviewing and negotiating transaction documents, including term sheets, share purchase and subscription agreements, shareholders’ agreements, joint venture agreements, business transfer agreements and ancillary deal documentation.
Advising on FEMA, FDI policy and RBI approvals for foreign investment, technology collaborations and acquisitions in regulated sectors, compounding of offences under FEMA.
Legal due diligence and risk assessment across target businesses, assets and liabilities, including for offshore acquirers unfamiliar with the Indian regulatory landscape.
Structuring minority investments, control transactions, buyouts, promoter exits and PE/VC exits, including secondary sales and IPO-linked exits.

The Aquilaw Advantage

What sets AQUILAW apart on M&A mandates is our ability to combine deal-making agility with the discipline needed to see complex, cross-border and PE/VC-backed transactions through to closing. We are a natural first port of call for overseas clients entering India, bringing hands-on experience navigating FEMA, FDI policy and sector-specific approvals alongside the commercial pragmatism needed to get deals done. Our partner-led teams work seamlessly with our regulatory, tax and dispute resolution practices to anticipate roadblocks before they arise, backed by a pan-India presence that gives international clients on-ground reach and regulatory familiarity across the country’s key commercial and industrial centres.

The team navigate and facilitate complex commercial deals within tight timelines and readily provide innovative commercial solutions to overcome negotiation hurdles.