Abhishek Parekh
Abhishek Parekh specializes in matters pertaining to Private Equity, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Investment Funds, and has over 14 years of working experience.
Abhishek advises domestic and international clients (including numerous corporates, sovereign wealth funds, and private equity funds) on their investments and cross-border M&A transactions, across various sectors, including the manufacturing, financial services, infrastructure, and real estate sectors. Abhishek has been actively involved in several marquee transactions over the years and has been recently recognized as a “Private Equity – Rising Star” by Law.com (International) and ALB Rising Star 2023 by Asian Legal Business.
Abhishek is also actively involved in the structuring and setting up of private equity funds, hedge funds, alternative investment funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) and mutual funds in India and in representing these funds before the regulators in India for seeking appropriate registrations. He has represented clients on various mergers & acquisitions particularly in the funds space and has advised clients in joint ventures for the setting-up and operation of private investment funds both, in and outside India.
Abhishek graduated from Government Law College, University of Mumbai and has obtained a Solicitor’s degree from the Bombay Incorporated Law Society. In addition, Abhishek is also a qualified Chartered Accountant and has, prior to joining Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, worked at J. Sagar Associates, Advocates and Solicitors covering areas of corporate law, and with Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) covering diverse areas of audit as well as domestic and international taxation.
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Mergers & Acquisitions
- Represented the Brookfield Group
- on its acquisition of six identified Special Economic Zones from Unitech Corporate Park and the Unitech group of Companies.
- in its sale of its entire road asset platform to IndInfravit, an InvIT backed by CPPIB, at an enterprise valuation of $1.2 Billion.
- in its acquisition of East West Pipeline (a cross-country trunk pipeline for transportation of natural gas operating from Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh) to Baruch (Gujarat) and covering approximately 1460 kms) from the Reliance group in an approximately INR 14,000 Crore transaction.
- in its proposed acquisition of the telecom towers owned by the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani (ADAG) group of companies;
- in all the asset acquisitions undertaken by Brookfield REIT in India, including the most recent USD 1.4 billion acquisition of commercial office assets in North India and Western India in partnership with GIC.
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- Represented Macquarie Asia Infrastructure Fund in the sale of its shareholding in Swarna Tollway Private Limited and Gujarat Road and Infrastructure Company Limited to Highway Concession Trust (an Infrastructure Investment Trust sponsored by KKR) for approximately INR 3,000 Crore.
- Represented Union Bank of India in its joint venture with Dai-Ichi Life Holdings, Inc., where Dia-chi took a significant minority stake in a subsidiary of Union Bank Limited which is engaged in the asset management space and became a co-sponsor of the mutual fund. This joint venture vehicle carries on the asset management business and manages the mutual fund of Union Bank of India.
- Represented Wadhawan Global Capital and DHFL Limited in the sale of their significant majority stake in Aavanse Financial Services Limited to Warburg Pincus through a bidding process led by the sellers and their bankers;Represented SONA BLW Precision Forgings Limited on its investment in NOVELIC d.o.o. Beograd-Zvezdara (Serbia).
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Private Equity
- Advised Aequs Private Limited (“Aequs”) and Mr. Aravind Melligeri, Aequs Manufacturing Investments Private Limited, and Melligeri Private Family Foundation (“Promoters”) towards USD 54 million fund raise by Aequs.
- Represented FW Asset Management on its investment in (i) Wildcraft India Private Limited, a company engaged in the business of manufacturing and marketing of outdoor equipment, apparels, footwear and associated accessories; (ii) N.A Sportz Interactive Private Limited; (iii) Technology Frontiers (India) Private Limited; and (iv) Smaaash Entertainment Private Limited.
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- Represented Kora Management LLC in their investments in (i) Edelweiss Asset Management; (ii) Zomato India Private Limited; (iii) Trustroot Internet Private Limited (Udaan); and (iv) Merabo Labs Private Limited (Dealshare).
- Represented Primacy Industries Limited, a leading manufacturer for fragrance-based consumer products in air-care, personal care and health & hygiene categories, in its fund raise from India Resurgence Fund.
- AdvisedPanthera Growth Partners in their investments in, (i) Innoviti Payment Solutions Private Limited, a largest provider of collaborative commerce platform; (ii) Pepperfry Private Limited; (iii) Casa2 Stays Private Limited, known as Fabhotels for scaling up its new business vertical; (iv) Foxtale Consumer Private Limited, a D2C skincare brand.
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Investment Funds
- Advised Allianz Capital Partners GmbH (ACP) in its investment in 25% of the units issued by IndInfravit Trust in 2018, a private InvIT set up by L&T Infrastructure Development Projects Limited. This is the first private InvIT to be set up under the SEBI (Infrastructure Investment Trusts) Regulations – the first private placement undertaken by an InvIT in India.
- Represented the sponsors and managers in the setup of “Taking Off to the Future Airport Fund”, a 1.5 billion Dollar Alternative Investment Fund (Category II), set up exclusively for the purposes of investment in the airports and related sectors.
- Represented Hornbill Capital in its joint venture with the Orchid Asia group to establish a fund in Mauritius, which was set up to make investments in listed securities in India, and assisted in the drafting all the relevant fund documentation, liaising with the offshore counsel and offshore administrators to seek registration of the fund in Mauritius.
- Represented Aspada Partners, a leading India-focused impact investment fund, in its takeover by the LGT Lightstone Group. Also, representing the Lightstone Aspada group in the proposed setup of an Indian focused fund, for the purpose of making venture capital investments in India.
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- Advised Indian Angel Network Fund (IAN Fund) on various legal and regulatory aspects, including representing the IAN Fund in raising commitments from various investors from time to time.
- Advised Mindspace Business Parks REIT, its sponsors (Anbee Constructions LLP and Cape Trading LLP) as well as the investor selling shareholders (entities affiliated to the Blackstone Group Inc.) and its manager (K Raheja Corp Investment Managers LLP) in connection with the structuring and filing offer document for listing of units pursuant to an IPO in 2020.
- Represented Karvy Capital in a joint venture with the Landmark group to establish and manage a Category II Alternative Investment Fund, which was set up to make investments in the real estate sector in India.
- Represented Prozone Intu Properties, Seven Rivers Capital Advisors and the Essel Group of companies, in the respective set up of Alternative Investment Funds in India. Also represented the Wadhawan group of companies in their investment in a Category II AIF sponsored by Avaana Capital.
- Represented the KKR group in the sponsorship and set up of an Infrastructure Investment Trust, for their renewable energy portfolio in India.
- Represented the Brookfield Group in successful sponsorship and listing of the Brookfield REIT.
- Represented Avestha Fund Management in the setting up of a Category III Alternative Investment Fund.
- Advised SWAMIH Fund, a credit fund set up and sponsored by the Government of India to invest in and assist in the completion of under completion housing projects, on certain compliance regulatory matters.
- Advised Waterfield Advisors and the fund of funds managed by them in their investment in – (i) Faering AIF; (ii) Fireside Ventures AIF; (iii) India Quotient AIF(iv) Alteria Capital AIF (v) True North Private Credit Fund.
- Advised DFID UK in its investment in the Rajasthan Venture Capital Fund.
- Advised LGT Group and the Lightrock Global Investing platform sponsored by the LGT group in their Indian fund and regulatory aspects and structuring of an offshore fund for the purposes of investing in India.
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A detailed experience statement can be shared on a confidential basis.
Professional Memberships
- Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa
- Institute of Chartered Accountants of India
Education
- B. Com, LL.B, Mumbai University
- Chartered Accountancy, ICAI
- Solicitor, Bombay High Court
