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
Dispute Resolution (International Firms) - India 2025 – Leading firm for 9 consecutive years
Cavinder Bull, SC – Singapore expertise based abroad for 2 consecutive years
Mahesh Rai – Singapore expertise based abroad for 2 consecutive years
“Cavinder Bull is a standout who is very bright.”
A client described Mahesh as “very prominent and very aggressive.”
"I rate Cavinder as one of the best lawyers I have worked with globally. I was extremely impressed with Cavinder's ability to grasp and present complex issues with ease."
"Mahesh is extremely hard-working and very sound in his legal advice and representation."
"Mahesh provides me as a client with great attentiveness, tending to the needs of my case in the best way. He also always comes up with great strategy, showing his creativity as a lawyer."
“The turnaround time is very quick, with good input.”
“An abled and seasoned team. The team was responsive, and we worked seamlessly.”
"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.”
An interviewee appreciates the firm's “overall understanding of our business and the range of experts in different divisions who can be reached out to.”
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.”
Chambers Global
International & Cross-Border Capabilities 2025 – Leading firm for 7 consecutive years
India: Dispute Resolution 2025 – Leading firm for 5 consecutive years
Cavinder Bull, SC – Singapore expertise based abroad for 2 consecutive years
Mahesh Rai – Singapore expertise based abroad for 2 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
India Practice, Asian Law Firm of the Year 2019
India Business Law Journal
Regional Firm to Watch in 2025
Regional & Specialist firm in 2024 for 11 consecutive years
The International A-list 2025
Mahesh Rai – Recognised practitioner for 3 consecutive years
Leena Pinsler – Recognised practitioner
Jon Nair – Recognised practitioner in 2024
Cavinder Bull, SC – Recognised practitioner in 2022
Deals of the Year, 2023 - Apax Partners significant minority stake acquisition in IBS Software from Blackstone (2023)
Deals of the Year, 2022 - Dream Sports lead scorer in cricket NFT platform (2022)
Deals of the Year, 2021 - Enrica Lexie dispute
Deals of the Year, 2019 - Dahej petrochemicals’ contract dispute
Deals of the Year, 2018 - Sindicatum Renewable Energy’s Triple-tranche Green Bond Offering
Deals of the Year, 2018 - Walmart’s acquisition of Flipkart
Clients described Drew’s cross-border expertise as “outstanding and seamless” and “offers exceptional service on contentious and non-contentious matters”.
Chairman Jimmy Yim, SC and Director Foo Yuet Min and are highly recommended and CEO Cavinder Bull, SC “is spectacular and in a very elite league”.
Director Mahesh Rai is also praised for his proficiency and knowledge of Indian legal matters.
A client described our lawyers as “extremely industrious and understand the practicalities, nuances and challenges of dealing with the Indian market”.
A client praised Drew as “very professional, works under minimal guidance and is very smooth on timelines”.
Jimmy Yim, SC was recommended by his client as someone whose “experience, knowledge and strategy is supreme and unparalleled”.
A client spoke of his “very personalised, positive and business-oriented” experience with Drew.
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.”
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”.
“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
Cavinder Bull, SC – Dispute Resolution Lawyer of the Year 2015