DH Law Associates has opened offices in Delhi and Patna and has also recently moved its Mumbai office to a larger premises at Nariman Point..DH Law Associates has opened offices in Delhi and Patna and has also recently moved its Mumbai office to a larger premises at Nariman Point..Gurmeet Kainth, who has over 12 years of experience working at various law firms and as an in-house counsel, manages the firm’s Delhi office..The firm has also recently recruited graduates from Indian Law School, Campus Law Centre and Amity Law School to support its expansion..Speaking to Bar & Bench Managing Partner Nusrat Hassan said, “The firm’s recent foray in Patna is a testimony to its commitment to support the impending surge in developmental activities in the region.”.Hassan added, “One significant aspect that distinguishes our firm from its mid-sized peers is our constant endeavor to explore and consolidate our experience in niche practice areas and geographies”..Partners Prasad Dhande, Effat Hassan and Sidhartha Srivastava manage the litigation practice of the firm in its Mumbai office..Hassan said, “The firm’s litigation practice has been involved in several high-value litigation matters in specialized areas such as telecom and infrastructure. The litigation group services several blue chip clients such as Coca Cola, Bharti Airtel, Tata Teleservices and Indus Towers.”.In recent years, the firm has also strengthened its corporate practice by hiring two NLSIU graduates Santosh Pai and Vikas Kumar..DH Law, set up in 1997 by Nusrat Hassan in Mumbai, also has an office in Goa. The firm also has a representative office in Milan, Italy..One of the ambitious and promising areas of activity for the firm is its China practice. The firm has had an active China practice since 2010. The firm has strong relationships with a number of Chinese law firms and other advisors active in the India-China business corridor..Speaking to Bar & Bench, Santosh Pai, Head of China Practice said, “Today we are the only Indian law firm with in-house capabilities to demystify the challenges of doing business in China for Indian clients. The establishment of the firm’s China practice has coincided with the rapid rise in investment flows between India and China. ”.He added, “An increasing number of large Chinese companies which have set their eyes on the Indian market also rely on our firm for advice and support”..Santosh is one of the few Indian lawyers who can speak Mandarin and divides his time between Beijing and Mumbai..Bar & Bench spoke to Santosh Pai regarding the firm’s China practice. .Bar & Bench: Why the decision to set up a China practice? .Santosh Pai: Most international law firms and many domestic law firms from the US, Europe and other regions set up their China practices when companies from their respective countries started expanding into China during the last 10 years or so. In 2010, there were already over 250 Indian companies with a presence in China. Yet there was not a single Indian law firm which had committed resources to develop a China practice. After the financial recession the governments of India and China decided to prioritize bilateral economic ties and investment flows between the two countries started rising. This was the context in which we started focusing on China..I was personally looking for a challenge to engage my entrepreneurial instincts so developing a China practice was a good fit. In recent months, the number of Chinese companies investing in India has risen sharply and this is bound to continue..Bar &Bench: How big is the China practice team? What are the firm’s future expansion plans relating to both, the China practice and otherwise? .Santosh Pai: The China practice is spread across our Mumbai and Delhi offices. It also includes Chinese lawyers at several PRC firms with whom we have close relationships..Bar & Bench: Do you see lot of Indian companies investing in China? .Santosh Pai: Yes, investments by Indian companies in China far exceed the investments made by Chinese companies in India. However, this is set to be reversed in the coming years as Chinese investments in India continue to rise. .Bar & Bench: What are the areas where you see the maximum amount of investment from India into China? .Santosh Pai: IT, Chemicals and Manufacturing are some of the key sectors in which Indian companies have heavily invested in China. .Bar & Bench: Talk us through your experience in assisting Indian companies investing in China and Chinese companies investing in India. .Santosh Pai: Both India and China have fairly complex regulatory environments. As a result, clients on both sides require a lot of education and hand-holding in the initial business planning stages. .Indian companies have several misconceptions about the Chinese legal system largely due to unfamiliarity. The Chinese legal system has advanced rapidly in recent years and today offers robust avenues and remedies for foreign investors. For example, there is a widespread misconception that the IP regime in China is primitive and ineffective. This might have been true 5-6 years ago. Today there are more IP filings and infringement actions in China than in any other jurisdiction in the world including the US. This has resulted in a sharp learning curve for the regulators and foreign companies in China. .Chinese companies, which have thrived in an ever-improving domestic regulatory environment over the last two decades, are sometimes shocked by the inefficiencies that plague the Indian legal system. At the same time Chinese clients tend to have more empathy than Western clients when faced with complexities or challenges while doing business in India. .Bar & Bench: With regulatory uncertainty and policy gridlock, what is the investor sentiment for the Indian market in China? .Santosh Pai: The Chinese are famed for thinking in terms of centuries. The main driver for Chinese investments into India is the market potential that India offers. Earlier, the Chinese were heavily reliant on the Western markets for growth. After the financial recession they have realized that India is one of the very few markets in the world that can deliver stable growth for them over the next couple of decades. Many factors such as rising income levels, consumption driven growth, large populations, improving infrastructure, etc. are unfolding simultaneously in India and China. This gives them a lot of confidence to focus on their long term objectives in India notwithstanding near term uncertainty and obstacles. .Bar & Bench: Do you have any tie up with a Chinese law firm? If not, then do you plan to enter one? .Santosh Pai: China is a large country in which the regulatory and fiscal machinery is heavily decentralized. Even the largest PRC law firms find it extremely difficult to provide comprehensive support of a consistent quality across the 33 provinces. We have developed a vast network of firms, lawyers and other advisors to suit every type of support that an Indian client might require in China. We have strong working relationships with multiple law firms in China but do not want to rule out any possibilities since China is a fast changing market. .Bar & Bench: Lastly, what are the recent business trends between India-China? .Santosh Pai: Trade between India and China touched US$ 80 billion last year. It has been growing at an average rate of 40% over the last 4-5 years and will continue to do so. More interestingly investment flows have picked up recently and almost every listed company in China today has India on its radar. A few years ago the Indian regulatory regime was negatively biased against Chinese companies although there was no black letter law that discriminated against Chinese companies. Today the Indian government welcomes Chinese participation in several sectors including power, telecom, infrastructure, and automotives. The possibilities are immense and these are still early days.
DH Law Associates has opened offices in Delhi and Patna and has also recently moved its Mumbai office to a larger premises at Nariman Point..DH Law Associates has opened offices in Delhi and Patna and has also recently moved its Mumbai office to a larger premises at Nariman Point..Gurmeet Kainth, who has over 12 years of experience working at various law firms and as an in-house counsel, manages the firm’s Delhi office..The firm has also recently recruited graduates from Indian Law School, Campus Law Centre and Amity Law School to support its expansion..Speaking to Bar & Bench Managing Partner Nusrat Hassan said, “The firm’s recent foray in Patna is a testimony to its commitment to support the impending surge in developmental activities in the region.”.Hassan added, “One significant aspect that distinguishes our firm from its mid-sized peers is our constant endeavor to explore and consolidate our experience in niche practice areas and geographies”..Partners Prasad Dhande, Effat Hassan and Sidhartha Srivastava manage the litigation practice of the firm in its Mumbai office..Hassan said, “The firm’s litigation practice has been involved in several high-value litigation matters in specialized areas such as telecom and infrastructure. The litigation group services several blue chip clients such as Coca Cola, Bharti Airtel, Tata Teleservices and Indus Towers.”.In recent years, the firm has also strengthened its corporate practice by hiring two NLSIU graduates Santosh Pai and Vikas Kumar..DH Law, set up in 1997 by Nusrat Hassan in Mumbai, also has an office in Goa. The firm also has a representative office in Milan, Italy..One of the ambitious and promising areas of activity for the firm is its China practice. The firm has had an active China practice since 2010. The firm has strong relationships with a number of Chinese law firms and other advisors active in the India-China business corridor..Speaking to Bar & Bench, Santosh Pai, Head of China Practice said, “Today we are the only Indian law firm with in-house capabilities to demystify the challenges of doing business in China for Indian clients. The establishment of the firm’s China practice has coincided with the rapid rise in investment flows between India and China. ”.He added, “An increasing number of large Chinese companies which have set their eyes on the Indian market also rely on our firm for advice and support”..Santosh is one of the few Indian lawyers who can speak Mandarin and divides his time between Beijing and Mumbai..Bar & Bench spoke to Santosh Pai regarding the firm’s China practice. .Bar & Bench: Why the decision to set up a China practice? .Santosh Pai: Most international law firms and many domestic law firms from the US, Europe and other regions set up their China practices when companies from their respective countries started expanding into China during the last 10 years or so. In 2010, there were already over 250 Indian companies with a presence in China. Yet there was not a single Indian law firm which had committed resources to develop a China practice. After the financial recession the governments of India and China decided to prioritize bilateral economic ties and investment flows between the two countries started rising. This was the context in which we started focusing on China..I was personally looking for a challenge to engage my entrepreneurial instincts so developing a China practice was a good fit. In recent months, the number of Chinese companies investing in India has risen sharply and this is bound to continue..Bar &Bench: How big is the China practice team? What are the firm’s future expansion plans relating to both, the China practice and otherwise? .Santosh Pai: The China practice is spread across our Mumbai and Delhi offices. It also includes Chinese lawyers at several PRC firms with whom we have close relationships..Bar & Bench: Do you see lot of Indian companies investing in China? .Santosh Pai: Yes, investments by Indian companies in China far exceed the investments made by Chinese companies in India. However, this is set to be reversed in the coming years as Chinese investments in India continue to rise. .Bar & Bench: What are the areas where you see the maximum amount of investment from India into China? .Santosh Pai: IT, Chemicals and Manufacturing are some of the key sectors in which Indian companies have heavily invested in China. .Bar & Bench: Talk us through your experience in assisting Indian companies investing in China and Chinese companies investing in India. .Santosh Pai: Both India and China have fairly complex regulatory environments. As a result, clients on both sides require a lot of education and hand-holding in the initial business planning stages. .Indian companies have several misconceptions about the Chinese legal system largely due to unfamiliarity. The Chinese legal system has advanced rapidly in recent years and today offers robust avenues and remedies for foreign investors. For example, there is a widespread misconception that the IP regime in China is primitive and ineffective. This might have been true 5-6 years ago. Today there are more IP filings and infringement actions in China than in any other jurisdiction in the world including the US. This has resulted in a sharp learning curve for the regulators and foreign companies in China. .Chinese companies, which have thrived in an ever-improving domestic regulatory environment over the last two decades, are sometimes shocked by the inefficiencies that plague the Indian legal system. At the same time Chinese clients tend to have more empathy than Western clients when faced with complexities or challenges while doing business in India. .Bar & Bench: With regulatory uncertainty and policy gridlock, what is the investor sentiment for the Indian market in China? .Santosh Pai: The Chinese are famed for thinking in terms of centuries. The main driver for Chinese investments into India is the market potential that India offers. Earlier, the Chinese were heavily reliant on the Western markets for growth. After the financial recession they have realized that India is one of the very few markets in the world that can deliver stable growth for them over the next couple of decades. Many factors such as rising income levels, consumption driven growth, large populations, improving infrastructure, etc. are unfolding simultaneously in India and China. This gives them a lot of confidence to focus on their long term objectives in India notwithstanding near term uncertainty and obstacles. .Bar & Bench: Do you have any tie up with a Chinese law firm? If not, then do you plan to enter one? .Santosh Pai: China is a large country in which the regulatory and fiscal machinery is heavily decentralized. Even the largest PRC law firms find it extremely difficult to provide comprehensive support of a consistent quality across the 33 provinces. We have developed a vast network of firms, lawyers and other advisors to suit every type of support that an Indian client might require in China. We have strong working relationships with multiple law firms in China but do not want to rule out any possibilities since China is a fast changing market. .Bar & Bench: Lastly, what are the recent business trends between India-China? .Santosh Pai: Trade between India and China touched US$ 80 billion last year. It has been growing at an average rate of 40% over the last 4-5 years and will continue to do so. More interestingly investment flows have picked up recently and almost every listed company in China today has India on its radar. A few years ago the Indian regulatory regime was negatively biased against Chinese companies although there was no black letter law that discriminated against Chinese companies. Today the Indian government welcomes Chinese participation in several sectors including power, telecom, infrastructure, and automotives. The possibilities are immense and these are still early days.
