Member Profiles

Shivendra works on franchise assignments with various clients. This includes evaluating and structuring the franchise model and drafting of franchise- related documents including franchise agreement, collaboration agreement, product licence agreement, etc.; advising and providing regulatory assistance in connection with applying to governmental agencies for seeking approval of investments into India; resolution of franchisor /franchisee/consumer disputes through arbitration, conciliation, mediation and through court process.

Vishwang Desai is the Managing Partner and head of the corporate commercial practice group of Desai & Diwanji. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Vishwang has consistently advised on large and complex transactions across various sectors, including in relation to projects, energy & infrastructure, mergers & acquisitions, private equity, financings and banking. His experience includes advising on the full spectrum of deals, such as transaction structuring, regulatory advice, antitrust and competition laws, as well as FDI, RBI and FEMA-related issues. He has represented large multinational corporations, Indian business groups, private equity funds, multilateral agencies, export credit agencies, commercial lenders, guarantors and sponsors in some of the largest M&A, PE, energy and infrastructure deals in India. He also advises companies in relation to white collar crime, investigation and compliance and has been involved in several high profile investigations. He has been named as a leading lawyer in all the major global publications, is regularly included in the International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers as well as several top business lawyer lists, and has been repeatedly named ‘lawyer of the year’ by various publications. This is a general overview of Vishwang’s practice. Please contact him to receive a more detailed statement of his experience in any particular area of his practice. PRACTICE AREAS Mergers & Acquisitions Private Equity, Venture Capital & Start-ups Boardroom Strategy & Risk Management White Collar Crimes and Investigation Energy & Natural Resources Infrastructure & Project Development ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS Solicitor, Bombay Incorporated Law Society LL.B, University of Mumbai, Mumbai B.Sc, University of Mumbai, Mumbai PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS Admitted to practice in India LANGUAGES English (fluent) Hindi    (fluent) Gujarati (fluent) Marathi (fluent)

Utham Chengappa is a founding partner of Mani Chengappa & Mathur. Utham acts for clients on multi-jurisdictional outsourcing transactions, managed services agreements, software procurement, software as a service (SaaS) and cloud computing arrangements, licensing policies and strategies, product licensing agreements, services and consulting arrangements and privacy related matters. He also leads the firm’s employment law practice and advises clients on all types of employment related matters including policies, regulatory compliance, compensation and benefits, harassment and governance issues. His unique blend of experience enables him to take a holistic view of issues and provide business enabling advice to his clients.

As the founder of IndiaLaw LLP, Sreejith brought the best practices of the corporate world into the legal profession. He founded the firm in 1998, and over the course of more than two decades, the firm has grown to be a preferred name for several corporate leaders. Sreejith is well acquainted with the legal landscape of arbitration and civil & commercial litigation proceedings. He has successfully handled several civil and commercial litigations in the High Court of Bombay and various other courts. Though his forte is commercial arbitration, his opinion is continually sought after in all kinds of dispute resolution. His unique approach is to create a specialist mechanism for handling regular commercial arbitrations in a time bound manner for faster dispute resolution, obviating procedural delays in civil litigation. His work got him nominated as a member of the National Task Force constituted by CII on Dispute Resolution. Sreejith has also developed an innovative mechanism for the execution of the Arbitral Award and Decrees and has successfully handled thousands of execution proceedings across the country. The mechanism includes a potent blend of technology, a systematic approach and subsequent training to the Associates & Advocates. Sreejith’s expertise in Arbitration, Banking and Non-Banking Finance Laws has earned IndiaLaw a loyal corporate clientele. Today, the firm is associated with several leading Banks, NBFCs and other corporates. Right from the inception of his legal career, Sreejith had identified the requirements of the Indian corporate and he went on to create a client-friendly process that put clients at ease while addressing their legal concerns. This helped INDIALAW progress into a result-oriented, accountable group of lawyers who believe in the proactive handling of cases, personalized communication with their clients providing case development at every turn with tailored action plans. Sreejith is instrumental in introducing technology (including a customized ERP), a well-defined standard operating procedure and a dedicated client service team among others, which defined the modern legal practice. His vision, discipline and sincerity has led to the establishment and growth of the IndiaLaw.