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SPEAKERS

L. Badri Narayanan, Executive Partner, Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan

L. Badri Narayanan is an attorney practicing in the area of tax, corporate and investment laws. He has worked in multiple jurisdictions including the US and India.

Badri advises and represents companies and financial institutions on matters relating to cross-border investment and tax laws. He has been advising several companies on a variety of issues such as consortiums and joint ventures, valuation, secondment, royalties and license fee arrangements, contract manufacturing scenarios, software as a service offering, and outsourcing. He has appeared before tax and regulatory authorities and before various Tribunals and Courts including the Supreme Court. He has also been advising clients on tax issues in commercial disputes and arbitrations.

He has significant expertise in investment-treaty claims and international and domestic commercial arbitrations. In the area of investment treaty arbitrations, Badri has represented one of the largest Japanese automobile manufacturers in an investment claim exceeding INR 5000 Crores (approx. 700 million USD) against the Republic of India under the Japan-India CEPA. The claim arose on account of certain actions taken by the Union and State governments in India involving changes in industrial policies and retrospective denial of statutory benefits. The parties were ultimately able to reach an amicable settlement on favourable terms with the Indian government. Badri is currently engaged in advising an East-Asian republic in its treaty negotiations surrounding the conclusion of a Bilateral Investment Treaty with the Republic of India, on substantive as well as strategic aspects.

Apart from his regular dispute resolution mandates, Badri enjoys advising companies in the digital services sector. He has advised some of the largest e-commerce companies on their India entry and operations, in order to comply with various Indian laws. He has drafted representations for changes in the laws relating to foreign direct investments (FDI) and tax laws relating to e-commerce. In the area of Fintech, he has advised on startups and companies on various Fintech and payments regulations. He has also made representations to RBI on various payments issues. Related to the Fintech area, he has advised companies in the areas of cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and gaming laws. Badri is also very active in telecom and media sector and has advised several telecom and OTT companies on both regulatory and tax issues. Mr. Narayanan is admitted to practice in India and New York.

 

Avaantika Kakkar, Partner (Head-Competition Law), Competition/Antitrust, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas

Avaantika is a highly experienced antitrust advisor in India. She advises on complex merger notifications and represents her clients before the Commission, the Appellate Tribunal, and Courts.

She was lead lawyer in the first Phase II merger control case in India (Sun Pharma/Ranbaxy) and in the first few cases involving remedies (Hospira/Orchid, ZF Friedrichshafen AG/TRW Automotive) at the CCI. She argued mitigated damages for Titan International, Inc. and secured a zero-penalty order for Grupo Isolux Corsán for delayed merger filings.

Her practice includes strategic advice for her clients in merger defence and enforcement as well as leading third-party objections to certain mergers before the CCI.

Her experience in Indian corporate and securities laws, transactional work in M&A, private equity, joint ventures, and structured finance equips her uniquely for strategy on merger regulation. She was among the first Indian lawyers to start practicing Indian Competition law in 2009, when the law came into effect.

 

Radhika Gaggar, Partner, Greater Corporate & Private Client Practice, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas

Radhika is part of corporate team and co-head’s private client practice & Japan desk of the firm. She advises on general corporate matters, with a special focus on private acquisitions and India inbound and outbound foreign investments.

Her expertise on Japan related relationships and transactions has been greatly fortified by her secondment to the Tokyo office of Anderson, Mori and Tomotsune, one of the leading law firms in Japan for a period of 9 months. She has also authored articles on investments into India from Japan as well as estate planning. She travels regularly to Japan for India focused seminars.

 

Ryo Okochi, Partner, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune

Ryo Okochi is a partner of Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, a full-service Japanese law firm which has a long tradition of serving international business and was best known for serving overseas companies doing business in Japan since the early 1950s. Ryo has expertise in cross border mergers and acquisitions, joint venture, and corporate restructuring. His practice focuses on transactions related to emerging countries such as India.

 

Anirudh Rastogi, Managing Partner, Ikigai Law

Anirudh Rastogi is the Managing Partner at Ikigai Law, an award-winning law firm specialising in representing technology-led businesses. Anirudh is an alumnus of Harvard Law School, USA and has practiced in the US, Singapore and India with a keen focus on Technology, Media and Telecoms, and Venture Capital. He advises several global-technology clients, including those from Japan, on issues of data protection. He has authored a book on information technology, and was named by India's BusinessWorld magazine as Achiever of the Year for his contribution to technology policy. Anirudh has advised on several first-of-their-kind technology mandates such as setting up India's first cryptocurrency exchange and launch of India's first commercial satellites.     

 

Veronica Situmorang, Managing Partner, Situmorang & Partners Lawyers 

Ms. Veronica is not only the Managing Partner at S&P Lawyers, but also licensed from Peradi (Perhimpunan Advokat Indonesia/Indonesian Advocate Association), a licensed Capital Market Lawyer, a licensed Curator registered under Asosiasi Kurator dan Pengurus Indonesia (AKPI) and an Intellectual Property Consultant, and ranked among Indonesia's 100 top lawyers by Asian Business Law Journal. She obtained her Bachelor’s in law and Master in Notary from Faculty of Law University of Indonesia. Before forming S&P Lawyers, she worked at various prominent and prestigious law firms allowing her to obtain numerous exposures in wide-ranging legal practices both national and International transactions, including but not limited to General Corporate and Commercial matters, Merger and Acquisition, Banking and Financing, Capital Market, Energy and Mineral Resources (including coal and Oil and Gas), Intellectual Property Rights, Litigation and Real Estate.

Her education qualifications, combined with her extensive experience and exposure, enable her to provide comprehensive and accurate legal analysis and advice to her clients. Her practice group encompasses General and Corporate Commercial, Banking and Finance, Capital Markets and Dispute Resolutions, and she always ensures that all counsels will have access to her rich exposures through a range of ongoing legal education.

Her passion for the law, combined with her extensive experience, makes her all-powerful force in the legal terrain.

Languages

Indonesian

English

Japanese (N5)

 

Theresia Hesti Oktaviani, Partner, Situmorang & Partners Lawyers 

Ms. Theresia Hesti graduated from the law faculty, civil law major, of Catholic University of Atmajaya with a cum laude predicate within 3,5 years and achieved the 3^rd highest GPA in law faculty.

Prior to joining S&P lawyers, she worked as legal and compliance staff in a multinational company, and in several prominent firms concentrating both litigation and non-litigation areas. She holds advocate license from Peradi and, a licensed Capital Market Lawyer and is a member of Association of Capital Market Legal Consultants (HKHPM).

Throughout years of her legal career, Ms. Theresia Hesti has been entrusted by renowned corporation to handle their legal affairs to navigate complex legal landscape by providing invaluable counsel to clients facing legal challenges. Her specialities include general corporate practices, merger and acquisition, investment, banking and finance, capital market, energy and natural resources, litigation, employment, bankruptcy, etc. With an extensive portfolio of successful cases and remarkable legal advice, she continues to be a trustworthy counsel for many high-profile companies seeking her expert representation.

Languages

Indonesian

English

Japanese (N5)

 

Vishwang Y. Desai, Managing Partner, Desai & Diwanji

Vishwang Desai is the Managing Partner and head of the corporate commercial practice group of Desai & Diwanji.

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.
 

Ashlesha Gowariker, Senior Partner, Desai & Diwanji
Ashlesha specialises in advising on strategic M&A transactions, PE and VC investments, entry and exit strategies, acquisition of stressed assets, regulatory compliances, business contracts and the like, across various industry sectors, including energy, oil & gas, transport, logistics, real estate and media & entertainment. She also advises on employment law aspects, environmental law compliances, litigation  strategy, corporate frauds and economic offences.

Her clients include domestic companies and conglomerates, multinational corporations, foreign and domestic banks and financial  institutions, global and domestic PE funds, VC funds and HNIs. Ashlesha has been a board member of several listed and unlisted  companies, serves as committee member in prominent trade bodies and speaks at various industry events. She has regularly contributed to advisory and regulatory committees of Central and State Governments and is privileged to be involved in the activities of two NGOs.
Her industry reputation for high quality work makes her a reassuring  choice of counsel for her clients. 

 

Jai Diwanji, Senior Partner, Desai & Diwanji

Jai Diwanji’s practice focuses on advising Indian and International clients on a wide range of Indian legal and regulatory issues, general corporate and commercial law and transactions, including private equity, venture capital, joint ventures and strategic transactions. Jai has advised numerous and complex inbound and outbound 
transactions and has a detailed knowledge of the Indian legal and regulatory framework. 

Jai’s sector experience includes banking and finance, intellectual property, manufacturing, I.T., education, corporate strategy, e –commerce, aviation, banking and finance, telecommunication infrastructure, warehousing and logistics, recruitment and staffing, mutual funds and fintech, dairy, dispute strategic advisory and sports and entertainment.
Jai works closely with corporates, international legal firms and wealthy individuals.