IFLR 1000
The Guide to the World's Leading Financial Law Firms

"Trilegal has an established banking practice and I would see them as one of, if not the top, banking firms in India," says a competitor. The firm remains a favourite with international clients, which has no doubt been aided by its best friend's relationship with Allen & Overy. This international pedigree has attracted numerous mandates for the firm as bankers' counsel.

A client says: "The cross-border work we have with the firm has been seamless in transition between international counsel of Allen & Overy and the domestic partners. It's not just lending a brand name to the local firm; there is genuine international expertise here, which has been impressive."

Founding partner Akshay Jaitly is a heavyweight in the banking and finance sector, with clients naming him "a leading light" within the already sparkling line-up at the firm. A client says: "Though young, he is one of the founders of the firm. His manner is mature and measured, and very sharp. He brings a lot of value to the table it is difficult to find lawyers who can work effectively in private and public space, but he understands both perspectives. He is able to deal with both kinds of clients in an equally effective manner. He brings along a good network of private sector networks which is nice when we try to attract private capital."

A recent transaction saw partner Karan Singh represent an Axis Bank-led consortium in the rupee financing of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) of Reliance Infrastructure for the Mumbai Metro rail project for the Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd corridor. The transaction was closed in March 2011 and was valued at $1.56 billion.

Clients are very impressed with the firm's responsiveness: "First and foremost I would recommend them for their responsiveness. They're very very responsive, working beyond normal hours. When working with governments you need to respond quickly, as they will sit on documents and then suddenly want revisions. The associates at the firm go out of their way to respond to client needs."

Trilegal consolidates its position in the corporate standings this year. The firm continues to be a go-to firm in regards to cross-border transactions. One client singles out partner Sridhar Gorthi for praise: "He is one of the finest and most balanced partners I've worked with. He's one of the Trilegal founding partners. I've dealt with him on the other side and he's exceptional and impressive. He's very sharp, professional, and calm during negotiations. He's essentially a deal closer."

The firm advised Thomson Reuters in its high-profile capture of legal process outsourcing provider Pangea3. Gorthi led on this transaction, which was valued at $35 million and was completed in November 2010. The work involved a range of multijurisdictional issues including advising on withholding tax matters arising from a very recent judgment in India.

Another example of the firm's cross border capabilities includes its representation of Godrej Consumer Products in its acquisition of the PT Megasari Makmur Group, which is a household and personal care company in Indonesia. The transaction involved dealing with multijurisdictional legal and regulatory issues and the time constraint was challenging given the number of parties involved as well. This deal was completed in May 2010 and valued at $270 million.