India Desk
Our India practice provides clients with a seamless approach to corporate transactions and dispute resolution in India and the Asian region. Working alongside all of the leading law firms in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, we routinely work with Indian and South Asian clients in their corporate matters as well as their dispute resolution and intellectual property matters.
Our lawyers have worked in India and Bangladesh and are proficient in Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi and Tamil. They have intuitive understanding of the culture and practices that affect the conduct of a transaction in this region. This allows them to deliver seamlessly in corporate transactions and dispute resolution. This sets our India practice apart.
At the inaugural Asian Legal Business India Law Awards 2019, Drew is the first Singapore-based law firm to win India Practice, Asian Law Firm of the Year. This award recognises the top law firm headquartered in Asia with India expertise, excluding India-based law firms.
Practice Areas
Mergers & Acquisitions
We regularly advise clients in a wide range of sectors both within and outside of India in relation to their cross-border transactions, including acquisitions, divestments, joint ventures and shareholder agreements. With lawyers experienced in Indian laws, we are able to provide advice on structuring of transactions from the early stages and to provide insight into the cultural and commercial realities of doing a transaction in India.
Funds
With our expertise in funds and tax, we work with clients in the establishment of funds with an India focus which are tax efficient.
Dispute Resolution
Our clients have interests in and around the Indo-Subcontinent. We have acted in arbitrations and court actions and taken on advisory roles in disputes involving a wide range of issues from international sanctions to multimillion dollar plant, infrastructure, and resource development.
Our strategies are sensitive to the cultural milieu in which the dispute exists. We offer and execute solutions tailored to bring swift, economical, and satisfactory resolutions to contentious issues. Our lawyers take full advantage of modern connectivity, are readily contactable, and are able to travel at short notice to where they are needed.
Intellectual Property
We assist some of the largest, top-tier clients in their intellectual property work in South Asia.
Cross Border
With our Indonesia Desk lawyers, we have advised our Indian clients on their investments, joint ventures, acquisitions, and disputes in Indonesia. We provide support across many industries and projects, for example shipping, infrastructure, energy and resources, banking and finance, and entertainment and lifestyle.
Please see our Indonesia Desk webpage for further details.
Accolades
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2023
20 lawyers recognised, 5 practices ranked Band 1
Corporate/M&A (Desk based Abroad in Singapore) – India 2018 for 6 consecutive years
“This Singapore firm has expertise in structuring India-focused funds and handling venture capital investments into the country. The firm also advises on cross-border acquisitions and joint ventures for both Indian and international clients.”
Dispute Resolution (International Firms) (Expertise based Abroad in Singapore): India 2023 – Leading firm for 7 consecutive years
"They have significant knowledge of the Indian market and the practicality of cross-border arbitration and litigation involving India."
"I found the Drew & Napier team outstanding in terms of their presentation to the court; they very effectively summarised the facts of the matter."
Clients commented that the team is “able to navigate through and grasp Indian proceedings very quickly.”
Litigation - 13 consecutive years
Intellectual Property - 12 consecutive years
Restructuring & Insolvency - 12 consecutive years
Telecommunications, Media & Technology (TMT) - 12 consecutive years
Competition/ Antitrust - 6 consecutive years
Recommended in Arbitration, Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, Construction, Corporate Mergers & Acquisitions, Employment, Investment Funds, Real Estate and Tax.
Chambers Global 2023
International & Cross-Border Capabilities 2023 – Leading firm for 3 consecutive years
Chambers Global says that “The firm has especially well-developed international capabilities in the contentious arena. The team is very active in international arbitration, cross-border investigations, contentious and transactional IP and regulatory work across the South-East Asian region, India and China. The team often acts for Indian clients on inbound disputes relating to South-East Asian investments.”
"Their reach throughout Asia is exceptional," a client advises, who then adds: "They also know their way around other important legal centres like London and New York."
Asian Legal Business India Law Awards 2019
India Practice, Asian Law Firm of the Year 2019
This award recognises the top law firm headquartered in Asia with India expertise, excluding India-based law firms.
India Business Law Journal
Drew has been recognised as a “Regional and Specialist firm" for India work in the annual survey published in August 2021. We have been listed for the past 8 years. Firms that made it to this list are recognised for their commitment and ability to field India-related assignments.
Deals of the Year 2018 awards – two deals which Drew was involved in were identified as among the top 50 landmark deals in 2018 involving Indian parties. The deals - Sindicatum Renewable Energy’s Triple-tranche Green Bond Offering and Walmart’s acquisition of Flipkart - were selected for their size, novelty and complexity.
Drew has been highlighted as a “Regional and Specialist firm" for India work in the annual survey published in July 2018. We have been listed for the past 5 years.
Firms that made it to this list are recognised for their commitment and ability to field India-related assignments.
A client praised Drew as “very professional, works under minimal guidance and is very smooth on timelines”. (2018)
Jimmy Yim SC was recommended by his client as someone whose “experience, knowledge and strategy is supreme and unparalleled”. (2018)
A client spoke of his “very personalised, positive and business-oriented” experience with Drew. (2017)
Cavinder Bull SC was recommended as counsel and received praise from a client, who said “I would unhesitatingly recommend Cavinder Bull as counsel. His understanding and assessment of strategic, practical and legal issues is one of the best I have seen. Despite his obviously very heavy schedule, he has been extremely responsive…and has given significant thought and advice and various issues on an urgent basis.”
“Drew & Napier has been exceptional in their response to the complex and often time constrained requirements of the various matters in dispute. They are technically excellent lawyers, who also take the time to explain the complexity of the legal issues to non-lawyers.” (2015)
Cavinder Bull SC is described as “a highly skilled lawyer, with a courteous manner even in the midst of very difficult and antagonistic proceeding”, while Foo Yuet Min and Gerui Lim are also very skilled and “extremely dedicated to the needs of the client”. (2015)
“They are the best in business” and “very good on strategy.”
The Asian Lawyer Emerging Markets Awards (Southeast Asia and India)
Commercial Litigation Firm of the Year 2016
Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year 2015 – Cavinder Bull SC