Vikram has experience in advising clients in diverse industry sectors including manufacturing, fashion, retail, hospitality, media, aviation, medical devices, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, services, real estate, telecommunications and infrastructure.
He specializes in corporate and regulatory laws with emphasis on mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, fund investments and private equity transactions. Vikram also advises clients on general corporate matters including in the areas of foreign exchange laws, competition laws and real estate.
Apart from general corporate, Vikram has considerable expertise and experience in advising both domestic and international clients on a range of legal and regulatory issues relating to labour and employment laws.
Broad experience:
- Inditex S.A.: Advised Inditex SA, one of the leading fashion houses from Spain and owner of the “ZARA” brand, in connection with its joint venture with Trent Limited, a listed company within the TATA group, for the purpose of single brand retailing of branded products in India and subsequently advising the Indian joint venture company in its day to day legal affairs.
- OC Oerlikon: Advised OC Oerlikon, a Swiss company engaged in the business of manufacturing textile machinery across the world, in connection with the divestment of its shares/ business in four Indian companies as part of a global business sale to China’s Jinshen Group. This transaction was nominated as one of the deals of the year 2013 by the Indian Business Law Journal .
- DLF Limited: Advised DLF Limited, a publically listed Indian real estate company, in connection with its proposed acquisition of a promoter owned developer company.
- Jagran Prakashan Limited: Advised Jagran Prakashan Limited, a listed company engaged in the business of publishing “Dainik Jagran” newspaper, in connection with the acquisition of minority stake of its promoter owned holding company by Blackstone, a leading private equity investor.
- Renold plc: Advised Renold plc, a leading UK based manufacturing company, in connection with its acquisition of an industrial chain manufacturing facility as a going concern from L.G. Balakrishnan & Bros Limited, an Indian listed company.
- Ascott Group: Advised the Ascott Group, a leading international serviced residence owner-operator, in connection with the splitting up of its joint ventures initially set up to develop serviced apartments in India involving acquisition of the entire shareholding of the Indian joint venture partner (Rattha group) in four joint venture companies and selling Ascott’s shareholding in one joint venture company to the Rattha Group.
- Ascott Group: Advised the Ascott Group in connection with its various projects in India for setting up, managing and operating serviced apartments.
- Ascott Group: Advised the Ascott Group in connection with its proposed acquisition of an Indian company owning serviced apartments.
- T.V. Today Network Limited: Advised T.V. Today Network Limited, an Indian listed company engaged in the media sector and part of the India Today Group, in connection with its sale of four radio stations in India on a slump sale basis to Entertainment Network (India) Limited, an Indian listed company.
- Gucci Group: Advised the Gucci Group, one of the leading fashion houses from Italy and the owner of the “Gucci” brand, in connection with structuring its investment and setting up of its joint venture in India under the single brand retail trade sector.
- Al Hail Holding LLC: Advised Al Hail Holding LLC, a UAE Based entity, in connection with its acquisition of beneficial stake in Transguard Group LLC, an Emirates group company engaged in cash management, facilities management, manpower and outsourcing services.
- Living Media India Limited: Advised Living Media India Limited, engaged in the media sector and part of the India Today Group, in connection with the sale of its stake in Carwale.com to Axel Springer Asia GmbH, a German entity.
- Living Media India Limited: Advised Living Media India Limited, engaged in the media sector and part of the India Today Group, in connection with the purchase of remaining stake in Bagit.com from Axel Springer Asia GmbH, a German entity.
- Motorola Solutions: Advised Motorola Solutions, in connection with the compliances, requirements and modalities for intra-group transfer of employees engaged in a certain line of business from one subsidiary to another subsidiary company in India as part of a global business transfer.
- Motorola Solutions: Advised Motorola Solutions, in connection with the compliances, requirements and modalities for transfer of employees engaged by its subsidiary company in India in a certain line of business as part of a business transfer.
- Carlson Group: Advised the Carlson Group, a leading global hospitality and travel chain, in connection with its proposed joint venture with an Indian developer company for the purposes of setting up hotels across India.
- Samsung C&T Corporation: Advised Samsung C&T Corporation, a leading Korean infrastructure company, in connection with its bid submission process for various infrastructure projects in India.
- Global Acquisition: Advised a Swiss company in connection with the Indian leg of the global acquisition of its drive systems business.
- Grupo Massimo Dutti: Advised Grupo Massimo Dutti, a Spanish company owning the “Massimo Dutti” brand, in connection with its joint venture with Trent Limited, a listed company within the TATA group, for the purpose of single brand retailing of branded products in India.
- Major Brands India Private Limited and Promod Asia Invest Pte Limited: Advised Major Brands India Private Limited and Promod Asia Invest Pte Limited in connection with their joint venture for the purpose of single brand retailing of “Promod” branded products in India. The transaction also involved transfer of business from an existing franchisee company to the joint venture company.
- Maier S. Coop: Advised Maier S. Coop, a renowned European entity engaged in the business of manufacturing automobile components, in connection with its joint venture with Unitech Machines Group in India.
- Alpha Maier Private Limited: Advised Alpha Maier Private Limited, an Indian joint venture company engaged in the business of manufacturing automobile components, and its shareholders in connection with the expansion of production capacity of the joint venture company involving amendment of the existing joint venture terms and external commercial borrowing from the foreign shareholder.
- Sonova Group: Advising various entities in the Sonova Group in connection with their proposed investments in India in the medical devices (hearing aids and cochlear implants) sector involving advice on entry strategies, obtaining regulatory approvals and providing day to day legal advice regarding their operations in India.
- Crate & Barrel: Advised Crate & Barrel, a leading US based chain specializing in house wares, furniture and home accessories, in connection with the setting up of its subsidiary company in India involving advice on entry strategies, due diligence of proposed office space and providing advice on its employment related matters.
- Contract Pharmacal Corporation: Advised Contract Pharmacal Corporation, a US based company engaged in the business of pharmaceutical research and development, in connection with the setting up of its subsidiary company in India involving advice on entry strategies, due diligence of proposed R&D facility and subsequently advising the Indian subsidiary company in its day to day legal affairs including employment related matters.
- IFCI Limited: Advised IFCI Limited in connection with setting up of a venture capital fund in India and registration of the fund with Securities and Exchange Board of India.
- Multi-Jurisdictional Venture Capital Fund: Advised an Indian scheduled bank categorized as a government company in connection with its proposed setting up of a two legged venture capital fund in India and another favourable jurisdiction.
- UAE Based Entity: Advised a leading independent supplier of industrial and specialty gases based in the UAE in connection with its proposed acquisition of a cylinder manufacturing facility based in Gujarat.
- UAE Hotel Project: Advising the shareholders of a leading construction company in UAE in their investment and management agreements pertaining to setting up of a hotel in Dubai.
- Foreign Direct Investment: Advised various other foreign companies in connection with the setting up of their business in India.
- Security Creation: Advised a leading Indian real estate group in connection with the creation of mortgage of an operational mall and its receivables as part of transaction involving issuance of secured non-convertible debentures through private placement.
- Aircrafts Mortgage: Advised a leading Indian business conglomerate in relation to its proposed loan transactions with a US entity involving mortgage of three aircrafts.
- JV- Family Entertainment Centres: Advised a UAE based family, engaged in the business of running family entertainment centres worldwide, in connection with its joint venture arrangements with the owners of a commercial facility in India.
- JV- Workforce Solutions: Advised a leading provider of workforce solutions based in Australia in connection with its proposed joint venture with a private security solutions provider in India for the purposes of providing permanent recruitment services and contract labour services in relation to Indian nationals.
- Brand Franchising: Advising a leading multinational jewellery brand in relation to its brand licensing arrangements for single brand retail of products in India.
- Oil and Gas Sector: Advised a leading multinational company engaged in the business of land drilling and well servicing in the oil and gas sector in connection with the setting up of its presence in India involving advice on entry strategies and applicability of various central and state specific employment laws.
- India Today Group: Advised the India Today Group, a leading Indian business house engaged in the media sector, in connection with its various transactions including licensing arrangement for printing, publishing and distribution of branded magazines in India, leave and license arrangements, advertisement contracts and software purchase and licensing agreements.
- IDIADA SA: Advised IDIADA SA, a Spanish project consulting company, in connection with its project consultancy agreements with Natrip Implementation Society, a government society set up to operate the National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project.
- Bharti Infratel Limited: Advised Bharti Infratel Limited, an Indian Category-1 telecommunication infrastructure provider company, in connection with its contracts with telecommunication related composite service providers.
- Fibcom India Limited: Advised Fibcom India Limited, an Indian company dealing in optical transmission products, integrated network solutions and telecom infrastructure development projects, in connection with its contracts with Tellabs of Denmark.
- Primatel Telecom Limited: Advised Primatel Telecom Limited, an Indian company engaged in the business of telecommunications equipment, in connection with its technology transfer arrangements with various foreign entities.
- Technicolor Group: Advised Technicolor Group, engaged in the content services and animation sector, in connection with its operations in India involving day to day legal advice.
- Caterpillar Group: Advised the Caterpillar Group, engaged in the business of manufacturing power generation and compression sets with data transfer equipment, in connection with its licensing arrangements in India for operating VSAT terminals for data transfer.
- O-Zone Networks Private Limited: Advised O-Zone Networks Private Limited, a telecommunication company holding an Internet Service Provider License, in connection with its regulatory compliances under the Department of Telecommunications guidelines and license agreement as well as the foreign exchange laws of India.
- Closure and Winding Up: Advising a leading US based chain, specializing in house wares, furniture and home accessories, in connection with the closure of operations and winding up of its Indian subsidiary.
- Closure and Winding Up: Advising a speciality insurance company based in the UK in connection with the closure of operations and winding up of its Indian subsidiary engaged in outsourcing services.
- Dover India Private Limited: Advised Dover India Private Limited, the Indian subsidiary of a diversified global manufacturing company, in connection with aspects pertaining to settlement of statutory claims with families of deceased employees.
- Wyndham Hotel Group: Advised the Wyndham Hotel Group in connection with secondment arrangements of group employees and drafting related documents.
- Business Transfer: Advised a global provider of operations, maintenance and asset and project management services in connection with the proposed transfer of its certain lines of businesses in India as a going concern.
- Employment Advisory: Advised various domestic and international clients in connection with legal and regulatory issues relating to labour and employment laws and drafting employment related documentation.
- Employee Terminations: Advised various domestic and international clients in connection with employee terminations on diverse grounds including downsizing, office closure, health, misconduct, retrenchment, performance etc.
- Social Security: Advising a multinational tubular and oil and gas services company in connection with the rectification of the non-compliances of its Indian branch office under the provident fund and employee state insurance laws.
Professional appointments and activities
- Member of the Bar Council of Delhi
Qualifications
- B.Com (Hons)
- LL. B