The article is written by Ayush Verma, a student of Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow.

There are not many nationalised firms in the field of TMT and most of them are based out of Delhi and Mumbai. However, there are some boutique firms also that specialise in this field.

The top firms in the field of TMT are determined with the help of information provided on various websites and the awards that went to these firms in the TMT practice. The list of firms given is suggestive based on their rankings on sites.

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Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas

The firm started in 2015 after separating from its predecessor Amarchand Mangaldas & Suresh & Shroff Company. It has over 750 lawyers, including 130 partners and its offices are located in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Ahmedabad.

The TMT group of the firm advises clients in structuring and executing of their transactions in the TMT sphere in India, and also provides specialist regulatory and strategic advice. In addition, it provides advice on commercial contracting and represents clients before the regulatory authorities and government departments that are relevant to the constituent industries.

It has a large and diverse clientele in TMT and its sub sectors including:

• Information Technology (including software development and licensing)
• Outsourcing
• Online gaming
• Online gambling
• Mobile and fixed line telecom operators
• Internet service providers
• Print and digital media
• Broadcasting
• Film and music production and distribution

Key Clients

It represented Apollo Hospitals Enterprises in its entry to a long-term partnership with EIT Services India as part of its drive for streamlining and optimising its operation.

Contact details are given here.

Naik Naik & Co.

The firm was founded in 2004 by its Managing Partner, Ameet Naik. The firm has 50 legal professionals working in its three offices in Mumbai.

The firm provides legal assistance to leading production houses, television channels/ broadcasters, studios (including Hollywood studios), digital media companies and content aggregators for and in relation to due diligence, acquisition, production, distribution and exploitation of various films and television shows on various modes, media and format. The firm advises various regulatory and industry bodies, including Indian Broadcasting Federation, Producers Guild, IFTPC on industry related issues.

Key Clients

It represented Viacom 18 in procuring the stay on ban in the screening of Padmavat Movie by the four states of India. The firm also helped in securing John Doe orders from the high courts in India to fight the menace of piracy.

Other notable clients include Amitabh Bacchan, Deepika Padukone and Ms. Sonam Kapoor.

Contact details are given here.

AZB & Partners

The firm was established in 2004 by Zia Mody along with Bahram Vakil and Ajay Bahl. It has 500+ employees and its offices are located in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai.

The firm is highly experienced in TMT practice and in assisting clients with issues ranging from content licensing to providing counsel on online entertainment regulations. It has also worked in the areas of cable television channels, Direct to Home platforms, radio and film production and in assisting Media Houses for their initial public offerings. The firm has also represented its clients outside India in international courts in matters relating to telecast rights, intellectual property disputes and antitrust and privacy issues with regulators.

Key Clients

It represented Wipro in assisting clients with issues ranging from content licensing to providing advice on online entertainment regulations.

Contact details are given here.

Trilegal

The firm was established in 2000. It has over 300 lawyers and 40 partners and its offices are located in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Gurgaon.

It offers regulatory and transactional advice to telecom and technology players, software and technology companies in India and abroad in areas including outsourcing, e-commerce, technology transactions, IP strategy, media and broadcasting. Its practice areas include films, electronic books and other online content distribution media and also works with cable and broadband companies that are looking to leverage existing cable networks throughout the country to distribute video on demand and triple play services.

Key Clients

It assisted Macnica in its USD 40 million acquisition of a 42% stake in Crowdanalytix Solutions.

Is also assisted Intel in connection with an audit of their existing closed user group facilities as well as their telecommunications infrastructure in connection with their business process outsourcing facilities in India.

Other notable clients include Microsoft Corporation, Gujarat government, Hewlett Packard, Cisco and Vodafone etc.

Contact details are given here.

Nisith Desai Associates

It was founded in 1989 and its offices are located in New Delhi, Mumbai, USA (Silicon Valley), Singapore and Bangalore.

The firm is widely recognised in transactional and regulatory TMT practice. It also provides advice on matters relating to joint venture and investments, e-commerce and telecom regulatory issues and also advises government bodies on fintech and crypto-assets work. Its client base constitutes e-commerce companies, IT and online gaming service providers.

Key Clients

It assisted Unocoin, one of the largest crypto currency exchanges in India, on various regulatory aspects, and in challenging the Reserve Bank of India’s notification asking banks and other regulated entities to disassociate with crypto currency service providers, including exchanges in a writ petition before the High Court claiming that it is violative of the fundamental right to practice any profession, trade or business.

Other notable clients include Viacom 18, Videocon and Sony Productions Inc. etc.

Contact details are given here.

DSK Legal

The firm was established in 2001 with the help of 7 lawyers, and its offices are located in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi and Bangalore. It has a team of over 140 lawyers including 13 partners. It merged with litigation and real estate firm AKS Law Associates in April, 2011 spreading its access in South India.

Its focus areas in the field of TMT include:

• Motion Pictures and Television
• Talent and celebrity management and brand endorsements,
• Music and music celebrity management
• Internet and digital media
• Publishing
• IP Rights management for monetization of IP
• Due diligence

Key Clients

The firm represented Salman Khan in the 2002 hit and run case and helped him in getting speedy bail within 5 hours of the sentence being pronounced.

It also Assisted Direct Access India in acquiring life rights for the production of the biopic of Dhyan Chand from his family.

Other notable clients include PVR and Sony Pictures etc.

Contact details are given here.

Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas

The firm was established in 2015 and is headed by Shardul Shroff who is the executive chairman of the firm along with Pallavi Shroff as the managing partner. Their team consists of over 600 lawyers including 110 partners and its offices are located in New Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata.

It is widely recognised for its transactional TMT work, especially in financing and investment in the technology, media and telecommunication industries. It is also skilled in giving directions related to telecom regulations as well as data protection and licensing. It has worked for international social companies like Facebook and Whatsapp and various e-commerce and mobile companies and cloud service providers.

Key Clients

The firm assisted Walmart in its USD 16 billion acquisition of a majority shareholding in Flipkart. It advised Vodafone India in its merger with Idea Cellular and also represented Zee Entertainment Enterprises in its acquisition of 9x Media Private. 

Other notable clients include One97 Communications and Videocon etc.

Contact details are given here.

Kochhar & Co.

The firm was established in 1994 and has more than 200 lawyers working worldwide. Its offices in India are located in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Gurgaon and Hyderabad, and it also has four overseas offices in Dubai, Singapore, Atlanta, Jeddah.

The firm deals extensively in matters relating to e-commerce, cloud computing, data privacy and software licensing. It has gained wide recognition for providing advice related to telecom regulations. It has a large client base including household names in the banking and mobile technology space. It also actively works in the field of VoIP implementation and bandwidth sharing.

TMT team of the firm is instructed by Fedex to advise on its courier tracking device, including obtaining approvals from the Department of Telecommunications.

Key Clients

It has assisted Report Bee Edusys in its acquisition by XSEED Education, performing all due diligence related to business transfer, intellectual property and employment agreements.

It has also acted for Akamai in a range of matters concerning data protection, net neutrality and regulatory matters.

Contact details are given here.

J. Sagar Associates

The firm was established in 1991 by Jyoti Sagar. It has more than 300 lawyers and its offices are located in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi.

The firm has provided extensive advice to telecom service providers in relation to voice, data, VPN and value-added services, and telecom and broadcast infrastructure entities and film, television and music production and distribution companies. The firm also advises on legal, policy, commercial and regulatory matters like negotiate transactions and contract compliance and approvals. It also advises celebrities and companies on their brand endorsements/ management contracts.

Key Clients 

It has advised eBay Singapore Services in relation to the sale of its entire stake in Flipkart to Walmart.

It has also assisted Board of Control for Cricket in India in handling assignments for several sporting icons and companies promoted by them.

Contact details are given here.

Khaitan & Co.

The firm was established in 1911 by Late Debi Prasad with the assistance of his brothers Mr. Lakshmi Prasad Khaitan and Bhagwati Prasad Khaitan. It has around 530 lawyers including 115 partners and directors, and its offices are located in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore.

The firm advises its clients in regulatory, policy and compliance issues. It also advises them on information technology, outsourcing, data privacy and protection, and contractual and interconnection agreements. The firm’s assistance in media ranges from broadcasting and endorsement contracts to television show licensing arrangements and joint venture arrangement between media companies.

Key Clients

It has advised Flipkart on the acquisition of its majority stakes by Walmart.

It has also represented NTT Docomo in enforcement proceedings relating to shareholders’ agreement with Tata Sons.

Other notable clients include Birlasoft, National Engineering Industries and Central India Industries etc.

Contact details are given here.

Indus Law

The firm was founded in 2000 and its offices are located in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

The firm has experience in advising on e-commerce and fintech-related mandates, including business structuring and regulatory compliance and it also handles related technology disputes as well as transactional TMT mandates. 

Apart from the above areas, it also advises on: 

• Commerce & electronic data interchange advice
• Conversion from brick and mortar retail to e-retail
• Cloud based delivery of software
• SAAS, IAAS and PAAS model implementation and software delivery
• Drafting, negotiating and reviewing equity subscription and shareholders agreements
• Drafting, negotiating and reviewing commercial agreements in relation to technology, media and telecommunication transaction
• Regulatory advice and communicating with the regulator or other governmental authorities in un-regulated sectors 
• Issues relating to Foreign Direct Investment and Competition Law
• Privacy and data protection

Key Clients

The firm assisted PayU Credit in its investment in the fintech company Paysense Pte.

It also assisted Times Internet in organizing the content library for its OTT and video streaming platform MX Player, including advising on content licensing, distribution and integration of other digital platforms.

Other notable clients include Microsoft India, Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Yahoo! India etc.

Contact details are given here.

Advaita Legal

The firm was founded in 2013 and has 40 lawyers and 2 partners. Its offices are located in Delhi and Mumbai.

It is well-known for dealing with investments in the telecoms and technology spheres and in assisting TMT companies entering the India market. It also provides advice on telecoms and technology regulatory issues, licensing and audits. It also deals with matters relating to the OSP environment as well as data privacy and regulatory compliance.

Key Clients

It has assisted Reliance Broadcast Network with regard to music license and end-user agreements relating to a mobile application, including advising on the regulatory framework relevant to the application.

It has also assisted Wipro in licensing issues by the Department of Telecoms for providing services at Delhi Airport.

Contact details are given here.

References

• https://www.asialaw.com/firms/j-sagar-associates/f1921#/rankings
• https://www.legal500.com/c/india/tmt#table_2272
• https://chambers.com/guide/asia-pacific?publicationTypeId=8&practiceAreaId=2015&subsectionTypeId=1&locationId=110
• http://chamberpractice.com/recommended/recommend.htm

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