Asialaw Profiles
The Guide to the legal markets of the Asia-Pacific

M L Bhakta

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Kanga and Company

Readymoney Mansion,
43, Veer Nariman Road,
Mumbai 400 001, India

Tel: (91 22) 6633 2288/6623 0000/2204 2288
Fax: (91 22) 6633 9656/7
bhakta@kangacompany.com


Mr M L Bhakta is a senior partner of Kanga and Company, a leading and a well known firm of Advocates and Solicitors in Bombay, established in 1890 having a vast clientele.

Mr Bhakta has been practicing for almost 50 years and has a vast experience in the legal field, especially in matters relating to corporate laws, banking and taxation. He is the legal adviser to leading foreign and Indian companies and banks, including Citibank, HSBC, Deutsche Bank and Reliance Industries Limited. He has been acting for a large number of foreign companies assisting their business needs in India.

Mr Bhakta has been recognised as a leading corporate lawyer in the country. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of some illustrious Indian companies including Reliance Industries Limited (the largest private sector company in India) and Ambuja Cements Limited. Mr Bhakta has also contributed several articles on diverse legal subjects and presented/read papers before various national and international fora. He has also co-authored a booklet on ‘Doing Business with India’ for benefit of foreign investors. Mr Bhakta has served as one of the joint Secretaries later as the Vice President of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, Bar Association, Bombay for a long number of years.

Mr Bhakta is the recipient of the Centennial Service Award for Professional Excellence from Rotary International.

Mr Bhakta has been named as one of the Leading Lawyers by Asialaw journal, Hong Kong for the years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and again for the fifth consecutive year in 2010. He was also named as one of India’s top 50 independent directors in survey made by Capital Market magazine in 2003.

Mr Bhakta presently heads the law firm of Kanga and Company. Kanga and Company was established in 1890 and is known to be one of the leading commercial law firms in India. The firm is a full service commercial law firm, and specialises in mergers and acquisitions, foreign investments, banking, real estate, franchising and taxation.

The firm’s expert teams in each practice area are known for their sound advice as also prompt and swift turnaround time, which has been highly appreciated and acknowledged by clients worldwide.

The firm’s legal expertise in banking includes syndicated foreign currency loans, factoring, forfeiting, securitisation and shipping loans with many Indian & foreign banks, some them right from the setting up business in India.  The firm has a strong reputation in handling a wide variety of capital market transactions including IPOs, Global Depository Receipt (GDR) issues, private placements and public offers of debt and equity.

The firm has built up high quality experience and has an outstanding track record in foreign investment, joint ventures, private equity investments and mergers and acquisitions having represented multinationals & Indian corporate house.  With its unmatched experience in real estate laws by catering to many recognised construction houses, the firm has been a proud winner of the India Business Law Journal’s Awards 2008, 2009 and 2010 Indian Law Firm in “Construction & Real Estate” category.

The firm has vast experience in advising Indian as well as international clients for establishing franchise network in India and drafting documents relating to franchising in various industries with one of its partners recognised in the “International Who’s Who of Franchise Lawyers” and “International Who’s Who of M&A Lawyers” for several years.  A large and active litigation department handles a variety of matters in litigation and disputes as well as domestic and international arbitration. The firm’s IPR practice includes registration of copyrights, trademarks and patents and drafting agreements for the transfer of intellectual property rights.