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

Bharucha & Partners make an appearance in the banking rankings this year amid echoes of praise from peers and assiduous support from clients. From its base in Mumbai, the firm has successfully established a formidable reputation for top-level service and advice. A client describes an experience with the firm: "There was a case that involved a bit of intricate banking and intra-bank investments. Having spoken to capital lawyers, who were very prominent lawyers, and after taking it to a corporate in Bombay, I took the case to [the firm]. When I spoke with them they were able to initiate a solution. I would recommend them because they worked well on this technical case, the underlying disputes and were reasonably priced too. There are high expectations in the banking sector and they're good at understanding what we need."

A highlight for the firm was its work restructuring Reliance Communications and its subsidiaries' extant ECBs (external commercial borrowings) which were valued at $2.9 billion in total.

Bharucha & Partners climbs the rankings this year with continued praise from peers and clients. A corporate client says: "For all corporate law matters, they are our primary lawyers today. Almost all or work in that field is handled by them. We've been working with them for many years and have been very happy with their service."

Partner Justin Bharucha is singled out by a client: "He knows his stuff. He's very good - pragmatic, commercial, responsive. We were able to reach him at all times."

A notable matter headed by partner Alka Bharucha was advising the Aditya Birla Group on the restructuring of its telecom assets. This was a complex matter which involved a range of M&A processes ranging from amalgamation to demergers to slump sales.