Kunal Mehra
Partner
New Delhi
Kunal Mehra is a Partner in the Firm and heads the Antitrust and Competition practice. Kunal also actively advises on M&A, Private Equity and General Corporate matters and operates out of the Firm’s New Delhi office. Kunal is a seasoned lawyer with almost 20 years of work experience.
Kunal actively advises on competition related matters including merger control filings with the Competition Commission of India, abuse of dominance cases, cartels and also undertakes competition compliance programmes for leading corporates. Kunal also has extensive experience in the areas of mergers and de-mergers including cross-border mergers, acquisitions, private equity transactions, joint ventures, general corporate advisory, drafting and negotiating transaction documents.
Before joining the Firm, Kunal was a Partner with DSK Legal, and he has previously worked with AZB & Partners, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, Dua Associates and Luthra & Luthra Law Offices. Kunal holds a Master of Laws in International Business Laws from Queen Mary, University of London and a Bachelor of Laws from ILS Law College, Pune.
- Advised Werke International Beteiligungsverwaltung GmbH in relation to securing Green Channel Deemed Approval from the CCI in relation to its acquisition of Hyva III BV.
- Advised The Dow Chemical Company in its USD 130 billion merger with DuPont including in relation to remedies. The deal was awarded Matter of the Year globally at the prestigious Global Competition Review Awards.
- Advised certain individual shareholders in relation to acquisition of shareholding in NSPIRA Management Services Private Limited from Morgan Stanley and Banyan Tree. Obtained the CCI’s clearance within 10 days.
- Advised Springfield Investments International BV in relation to its acquisition of a minority stake in Indiaideas.com Limited.
- Successfully represented East India Petroleum Private Limited (EIPL) against South Asia LPG Co. Pvt. Ltd. (SALPG) before CCI for abuse of dominance in LPG terminalling services market. The order of the CCI represented the first time a penalty of 10% of the average annual turnover of the preceding three years was imposed in an abuse of dominance matter. Successfully defended the decision before NCLAT in the appeal filed by SALPG against the CCI decision. Currently representing EIPL in the appeal filed by SALPG in the Supreme Court.
- Currently engaged in a private action litigation before the NCLAT representing EIPL in its claim for compensation against SALPG for loss incurred on account of abuse of dominance by SALPG.
- Advising 2 Super Speciality Hospital in an ongoing inquiry/investigation before the CCI alleging abuse of dominance in relation to services provided to patients admitted in those hospitals.
- Successfully defended Power Grid before the CCI and its appellate authority in relation to the proceedings pertaining to alleged abuse of dominance.
- Conducted an extensive competition compliance program for a motorcycle manufacturer in relation to its vertical relationship with its dealers.
- Advised Excel Controlinkage Private Limited and its Promoters in relation to acquisition of 100% shareholding of Excel by Greaves Cotton Limited.
- Advised Uno Minda Limited in relation to a Scheme of Amalgamation for merging its JV companies and a wholly owned subsidiary with itself.
- Advised FINN Partners Limited in respect of its acquisition of health communication and marketing agency SPAG Consultants Private Limited.
- Advised Hughes Communications in relation to its acquisition of Bharti Airtel Limited’s VSAT business pursuant to a Scheme of Arrangement.
- Advised Gateway Distriparks Limited in relation to its acquisition of entire shareholding of Blackstone GPV Capital Partners (Mauritius) V-H Ltd. in Gateway Rail Freight Limited.
- Part of the team that advised Bharti Airtel Limited in its acquisition of Zain Telecom’s Africa operations.
- Advised Star Group in relation to the merger of companies in BVI, UAE and India with Star India Private Limited.
- Advised Arrow Webtex Limited, a listed company in the de-merger of its textiles division and transfer of the same to Arrow Textiles Limited and subsequent listing of Arrow Textiles Limited.
- Advised Tata Consultancy Services Limited and Tata Infotech Limited, both listed companies, in relation to their merger.
- Advised HT Media Limited in relation to de-merger of its radio business and transfer of the same to HT Media Limited.
- Advised Pramerica USA in relation to transfer of shares from DLF to DHFL in DLF Pramerica Life Insurance Company Limited.
- Advised Specialty Minerals Inc. in its joint ventures with BILT, JK Paper and West Coast Paper to, inter-alia, set up satellite plants to manufacture precipitated calcium carbonate.
- Advised Jubilant FoodWorks Limited in relation to its master franchisee agreement with Dunkin’ Donuts Franchising LLC, to bring Dunkin’ Donuts to India.
- Advised Sequoia Capital in relation to its investments in Prakash Snacks as well as a few seed investments.