Ganesh Rao is a partner at AZB & Partners in the investment funds practice, with 10 years of experience since graduating from the National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata in 2007. Ganesh exclusively focuses on the asset management and investment funds practice at AZB. Ganesh has been involved with the establishment of innovative and complex cross-border fund structures, including joint ventures. He has also been involved actively with regulators in the formulation of and revisions to asset management laws in India.

 

Ganesh regularly represents India-based and international sponsors in the establishment of investment funds focused on investing in the Indian sub-continent, in a broad range of sectors including infrastructure, real estate, venture capital, renewable energy, clean-tech, financial services as well as a broad range of market stages including venture capital, distressed assets, buy-out and listed equities funds.

 

Ganesh has also extensively advised on the establishment of fund of funds, joint venture investment vehicles, co-investment vehicles (side cars) and secondary transfers of fund interests. Ganesh has also acted as counsel to investors (including development finance institutions, pension funds, corporations and family offices) on their investments in private funds and other investment programs and as part of advice to sponsors, regularly advises on carried interest and the structuring of management arrangements between individual fund managers. In addition to advising on formation of funds and raising of capital, Ganesh regularly acts as ongoing counsel to fund managers, fund boards and investors on fund and fund-related regulatory and compliance matters. Ganesh also advises on fund- related disputes, extensions and restructurings.

 

A select list of the notable funds where Ganesh acted as fund counsel or co-fund counsel include the Macquarie SBI Infrastructure Funds, Kaizen Private Equity (India’s first education-focused fund), Dolma Impact Fund (the first private equity fund for exclusive investment in Nepal) and more recently, represented the Edelweiss group on its partnership with Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ).

 

Prior to joining AZB & Partners, Ganesh was a partner in the investment funds practice of a leading Indian law firm.