India (asialaw)

IndusLaw is a modern full-service firm that is rapidly coming up the ranks as a challenger to the established order of top legacy firms. In total, the pan-India coverage includes offices in Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Gurugram. The firm takes pride in its growing prominence among sophisticated clients for its dispute resolution, private equity and TMT work. It specialises in working with investors across the full funding lifecycle and on a variety of funds including sector-specific ones such as technology, life sciences, e-commerce, retail and infrastructure. The key contacts are founding partners Avimukt Dar, Gaurav Dani, Kartik Ganapathy, and Suneeth Katarki.  

The biggest news for the firm came in June, when global law firm CMS announced its alliance with IndusLaw. The latter has joined the CMS network, adopting the joint branding of CMS IndusLaw, while remaining an independent entity. This collaboration is set to be fully operational by the end of 2025 and does not constitute a merger, joint venture, or partnership. 

This alliance is significant for several reasons. For CMS, it establishes a substantial foothold in the rapidly expanding Indian legal landscape. Conversely, IndusLaw gains the advantage of offering world-class legal solutions that incorporate a global perspective, thereby enhancing its capacity to serve clients looking to scale internationally. Clients of both firms will benefit from an integrated approach to legal services, combining IndusLaw's deep understanding of Indian law with CMS's international expertise across various fields, including corporate transactions, regulatory matters, disputes, capital markets, technology and intellectual property. 

The alliance also heralds a new era of international collaboration within the Indian legal market, potentially stimulating further partnerships between Indian and foreign firms and fostering a more competitive and dynamic legal environment. Key benefits include the provision of seamless cross-border services, enabling CMS to deliver coordinated legal solutions for complex international matters. Additionally, IndusLaw's lawyers will support multinational clients of CMS looking to operate in India, while CMS's lawyers in over 45 countries will assist clients seeking to expand from India. This partnership facilitates knowledge sharing and expertise exchange, providing IndusLaw's lawyers with valuable international exposure. 

The alliance is driven by the ongoing liberalisation of the Indian legal market, which has become increasingly open to foreign law firms, and by India's robust economic growth, which positions it as a significant player in the global economy. As the fourth-largest economy, projected to become the third-largest by 2027, India presents a burgeoning need for international legal advisers equipped with local insights. Overall, this collaboration positions CMS to capitalise on emerging opportunities in India, enhancing its competitive advantage in the region.