ABOUT US

• Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific Rankings 2023: Tier 1 for Tax, Labor and employment, and International arbitration; Tier 2 for Commercial and transactions, and Government and regulatory; Tier 3 for White Collar Crime, Construction, and Insolvency.
• Amity University Maharashtra Confers an Honorary Doctorate to Nishith Desai, Founder, Nishith Desai Associates, for his outstanding achievements in the field of international law.
• Chambers & Partners Global Guide 2023: Band 3 in International & Cross-Border Capabilities, and Dispute Resolution; Band 4 in Corporate/M&A: The Elite.
• Who's Who Legal 2023: Nishith Desai and Nishchal Joshipura, recognised as India Experts in Private Funds practice.
• Legal500 Asia Pacific Rankings 2023: Tier 1 in TMT, Tax, Life Sciences & Healthcare, and Labour & Employment; Tier 2 in Data Protection, Dispute Resolution: Litigation, Tier 3 in Private Equity & Investment Funds, Fintech & Financial Services Regulatory, and Intellectual Property; Tier 4 in Corporate and M&A.
• India Business Law Journal A-List, Top 100 Indian Lawyers 2023: Nishith Desai, Gowree Gokhale, and Vikram Shroff
• Who's Who Legal 2023: Vyapak Desai recognised as Global Leader, and Sahil Kanuga as Future Leader for the Arbitration practice.
• Who's Who Legal 2022: Tanisha Khanna, recognised as an Expert in Sports & Gaming Law practice.
• National Law Review’s Go-To Thought Leadership Awards 2022: Gowree Gokhale, Aaron Kamath, and Purushotham Kittane were shortlisted amongst the top 1% of authors.
• ALB India Law Awards 2022: Law Firm of the Year for Labour & Employment, Medical & Healthcare, TMT; Equity Market Deal of the Year (Premium) for Oravel Stays’ IPO and ReNew Power SPAC Listing on NASDAQ
• India Business Law Journal 2022: Winner for Data Compliance & Cybersecurity, Labour & Employment, Media & Entertainment, Pharma & Life Sciences, Taxation (Direct), Taxation (Indirect)
• Benchmark Litigation Ranking 2022: Highly Recommended for Labor and Employment; Recommended for White Collar Crime
• Benchmark Litigation Rankings 2022: Tier 1 for International Arbitration, Tax; Tier 2 for Commercial and Transactions, Government and Regulatory; Tier 3 for Construction and Insolvency
• Legal 500 2022: Tier 1 for Labour and Employment, Tax; Tier 2 for TMT, Dispute Resolution, Data Protection; Tier 3 for Intellectual Property, Private Equity and Investment Funds
• Asia Law 2022: Outstanding for Media & Entertainment, Technology & Communications, Labour & Employment, Regulatory, Private Equity, Tax, Disputes; Highly Recommended for Disputes, Investment Funds; Recommended for Pharmaceuticals & Life Sciences, Construction, Capital Market, Corporate M&A; Other Notable for Banking & Finance.
• Chambers & Partners Asia – Pacific Guide 2022: Band 1 for TMT, Employment, Life Sciences, Tax; Band 3 for Private Equity, Dispute Resolution; Band 4 for Corporate M&A
• Chambers Ranking – Global Guide 2022: Band 3 for International & Cross Border Capabilities, Dispute Resolution, Corporate M&A
• Chambers Ranking – High Net Worth Guide 2022: Band 2 for Private Wealth Law
• Chambers Ranking – Fintech Guide 2022: Band 2 for Fintech Legal
• Chamber & Partners 2021: Band 3 for Dispute Resolution, Band 1 for Fintech.
• Chamber & Partners Asia Pacific Ranking: Band 1 for Technology, Media & Telecom, Employment, Tax, Life Sciences; Band 2 for Private Equity.
• Benchmark Litigation Asia Pacific 2021: Firm of the Year.
• The Legal 500 2021: Tier 1 for Labour & Employment, Data Protection, Private Equity & Investment Funds, Tax; Tier 2 for Dispute Resolution, TMT; Tier 3 for Intellectual Property; Tier 4 for Corporate M&A.
• Nishith Desai Associates Website: Most visited amongst Indian Law firms according to research by India Business Law Journal
• NDA has been placed in Band 1 by Chambers and Partners (Asia-Pacific) 2020 for the practice areas of Labour & Employment, Life Sciences, Tax and Technology, Media & Telecommunication (TMT).
• Nishith M. Desai (International Tax) has been ranked as Eminent Practitioner, Dr. Milind Antani (Life sciences) ranked at the Spotlight Table and Vaibhav Parikh (TMT), Vikram Shroff (Employment) have been placed in Band 1 by Chamber and Partners Asia-Pacific Lawyers Ranking 2020.
• AsiaLaw Asia-Pacific Guide 2020: Tier 1 for TMT, Labour & Employment, Private Equity, Regulatory and Tax
• RSG-Financial Times: India’s Most Innovative Law Firm (2019, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014)
• NDA has been ranked Tier 1 by IFLR1000 2020 for practice areas of Private Equity and Project Development: Telecommunications Networks.
• Nishith M. Desai (M&A) & Nishchal Joshipura (Private Equity, M&A) were ranked as Highly Regarded lawyers and Vaibhav Parikh (M&A), Ruchi Biyani (Capital markets: Equity and M&A), Ruchir Sinha (Private Equity), Karan Karla (M&A) have been recognized as Notable Practitioners by IFLR1000 Lawyer ranking 2020.
• India Business Law Journal has recognized NDA as ‘Indian Law Firm 2019’ for practice area of Labour & Employment, Media & Entertainment, Technology and Taxation.
• Nishith Desai Associates is deeply honored to announce that it has been recognized by the Financial Times as one of the Most Innovative Law Firms (Asia- Pacific Headquartered) in 2019.
• The firm ranked second in the Most Innovative Law Firm category. NDA scored the highest, as per tally, for Legal Expertise across Asia Pacific.
• We also won the prestigious ‘Innovation in the Rule of Law and Access to Justice' award together with Blueprint for Free Speech.
• The table released by FT indicates that we are the highest ranked Indian Law firm in the region.
• NDA has been ranked as top tier firm by Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific 2019 for practice areas of Government & Regulatory and Tax.
• ‘NDA’s Vikram Shroff is recognized by Who’s Who Legal as a Global Thought Leader in its latest Publication-Global Elite 2019’
• Dr. Milind Antani has been recognized by Who’s Who Legal for his outstanding contribution in the field of Lifesciences- Regulatory for five years in a row.
• Nishith Desai (international Tax & Fund Formation), Vaibhav Parikh (Telecom and Media) have been recognized as Thought Leaders-India by Who’s Who Legal 2019.
• NDA has been ranked in Tier 1 by Legal500 Asia Pacific 2019 Law firm ranking for the practice areas of Dispute Resolution, Labour & Employment, Investment Funds, Tax, TMT and Corporate M&A.
• Nishith M. Desai, Gowree Gokhale, and Vikram Shroff have been recognized as Leading Individuals; Vyapak Desai, Vaibhav Parikh, and Nishchal Joshipura have received special mentions, for their contribution to respective practice areas in Legal500 Asia-Pacific 2019 Lawyer Ranking.
• Nishith Desai, founder, Nishith Desai Associates recognized as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in India by the Indian Business Law Journal.
• NDA has been placed in Band 1 by Chambers and Partners (Asia-Pacific) 2019 for the practice areas of Labour & Employment, Life Sciences, Tax and Technology, Media & Telecommunication.
• NDA has been ranked Tier 1 by IFLR1000 2019 in the practice areas of Private Equity and Project Development: Telecommunications Networks.
• NDA has been recognized by ASIALAW 2019 for its ‘Outstanding’ contribution to the practice areas of Technology Law, Labour & Employment, Private Equity, Regulatory and Tax.
• Nishith M. Desai, Vyapak Desai and Vikram Shroff honored as ‘Market Leading Professionals’ by ASIALAW 2019
• NDAite, Bhavana Sunder has been awarded a scholarship to attend the IBA's Annual Conference in Rome for the International Bar Association scholarship 2018 for the Leisure Industries.
• NDAite, Meyyappan N has been awarded a scholarship to attend the IBA's Annual Conference in Rome from 5th to 12th October 2018 by Taxes Committee of the International Bar Association.
• RSG-Financial Times 2014, 2015 & 2017: India’s Most Innovative Law Firm
• RSG-Financial Times 2014-2017- Innovative Lawyers Report and Awards Asia-Pacific
• RSG-FT Awards (London) 2016: Asia Pacific's Most Innovative Law Firm Asia-Pacific
• IFLR 1000 Asia Pacific 2018: Ranked in Tier 1 for TMT, Private Equity
• Chambers and Partners Asia Pacific 2018: Ranked in Tier 1 for Tax, Labour & Employment and TMT
• Legal 500 2018 : Ranked in Tier 1 for Dispute Resolution, Labour & Employment, Investment Funds, TMT and Tax
• NDA is voted as the only firm from India to excel in the Life Science Practice sector in In-House Community Firms survey 2018, conducted by Asia Mena Counsel.
• IFLR 1000 Asia Pacific 2017: Ranked in Tier 1 for TMT, Private Equity
• Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2017: Ranked in Tier 1 for Investment Funds, TMT and International Taxation
• Chambers and Partners Asia Pacific 2017: Ranked in Tier 1 for Tax, Employment and TMT
• Corporate LiveWire Legal Awards 2015: Nishith Desai Associates won the “Excellence in Gaming Law” and “Top Tier in Labour & Employment Law”
• Chambers and Partners 2015: Ranked in Tier 1 for TMT, Tax and Employment
• IDEX Legal Awards 2015: Nishith Desai Associates won the “M&A Deal of the year”, “Best Dispute Management lawyer”, “Best Use of Innovation and Technology in a law firm” and “Best Dispute Management Firm”
• India Business Law Journal (IBLJ) 2015 has awarded us for Employment, Private Equity, Structured Finance & Securitization, TMT & Taxation
• Nishith Desai Associates has been recognized as a Recommended Tax Firm in India by World Tax 2015 (International Tax Review’s directory).
• Nishith Desai Associates has been declared as the Second Most Innovative Asia - Pacific Law Firm (2014) at the Innovative Lawyers Asia-Pacific Awards by the Financial Times - RSG Consulting
• IFLR1000 has ranked Nishith Desai Associates in Tier 1 for Private Equity (2014)
• Legal 500 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014): No. 1 for International Tax, Investment Funds and TMT
• Chambers and Partners has ranked us as # 1 for Tax and Technology-Media-Telecom (2014)
• IDEX Legal, an initiative of IDEX Legal (2014) has recognized Nishith Desai as the Managing Partner of the Year (2014)
• Nishith Desai Associates won the 'Best Tax Law Firm of the Year' by the Legal Era Awards 2013, India's legal awards celebrating excellence among the legal fraternity.
• Instituted by LegalEra magazine, the Legal Era Awards 2013 awarded Nishith Desai, Founder and Managing Partner of Nishith Desai Associates, with the honor of 'Tax Lawyer of the Year'.
• Recognized by Legal Era Awards 2013, the second edition of India's first legal awards, Nishith Desai Associates won for the 'Firm with Best Use of Technology'.
• International Financial Law Review (a Euromoney publication): Indian "Firm of the Year" (2012) for TMT practice
• Nishith Desai Associates receives "In-house Community Firm of the Year, 2012" for Life Sciences practice
• Legal 500: Ranked in Tier 1 for Tax, TMT and Investment Funds (2011/2012)
• NDA receives TMT WINNER award by IFLR / ASIA LAW (2011)
• NDA: Best performing Indian law firm, says RSG, UK
• Nishith Desai Associates receives "In-house Community Firm of the Year" for International Arbitration practice
• Nishith Desai Associates receives "Firm of the Year award" for Technology-Media-Telecom (TMT) practice
• NDAite, Mihir Shedde has been awarded a scholarship to attend the IBA's Annual Conference in Dubai on 30 October - 4 November 2011 by Individual Tax and Private Client Scholarship Committee of the International Bar Association.
• Nishith Desai: Honoured with the title of "Prof. Yunus Social Business Pioneer of India" - 2010 by The Grameen Lab and the Wockhardt Foundation
• Legal 500: Ranked in Tier 1 for Tax, TMT and Investment Funds
• Nishith Desai: Featured in the Lex Witness publication "Witness Hall of Fame: Top 50" - August 2010
• Honourable mentions by Asian-Counsel 2010 for Alternative Investment Funds, International Arbitration, Real Estate and Taxation
• Chambers & Partners: Ranked no. 1 for Tax, TMT and Real Estate-FDI practices
• International Legal Alliance 2010: Silver Award for the "Best Indian Law Firm" category
• IFLR : Winner of Indian Law Firm of the Year 2010 for Technology-Media-Telecom (TMT)
• NDAite, Hanisha Amesur was awarded a scholarship to attend the IBA's Annual Conference in Vancouver on 3-8 October 2010 by Taxation Section Scholarship Committee of the International Bar Association.
• NDAite, Ruchir Sinha was awarded a scholarship to attend the IBA's Annual Conference in Vancouver on 3-8 October 2010 by Real Estate Section Scholarship Committee of the International Bar Association.
• Nishith Desai: Voted "External Counsel of the Year 2009" by Asian Counsel
• Pacific Business Press: Winner of 'Asian-Counsel's Social Responsible Deals of the Year 2009'
• Nishith Desai Associates has been ranked # 1 in Tax, Investment Funds and TMT practices by Legal 500 (Asia-Pacific).
• Nishith Desai Associates has been named by Pacific Business Press as Asian-Counsel Firm of the Year 2009 for the practice areas of Private Equity and Taxation in India.
• NDAite, Mansi Seth, won the global competition at International Bar Association for her research paper on "Use of Trusts in India: Special Focus on Indian Fund Industry" submitted for the taxation section this year. This is the fourth consecutive year that an NDAite has won this competition. The previous winners were Annapoorna Jayaseelan, Shreya Rao and Archana Rajaram.
• Listed in Practical Law Company's (PLC) Which Lawyer? Yearbook 2009 as the leading firm in Taxation, and IT & e-Commerce.
• Among PLC's recommended firms for Capital Markets, Corporate Real Estate, M&A, IP, Outsourcing, Private Equity, Venture Capital and Telecom.
• Listed in the Asian Legal Business Watchlist of 'Top 10 Firms to Watch in 2009'.
• Nishith Desai, Founder ranked No. 28 in a global Top 50 "Gold List" by Tax Business, a UK-based international tax journal.
• Recognized by Chambers and Partners as the 'Most In-Demand Practitioners'.
• Ranked No. 1 by Asia Pacific Legal 500 in International Tax, Fund Investments, Technology Law, Media Law and Telecom Law.
• Nominated for 'Indian Law Firm of the Year' in Asialaw's India Awards, 2009.

Our Research Accomplishments

e-com tax policy must be in line with global practices by Raja Simhan T.E.

An expert group on taxation of e-commerce has said that India should not rush to make unilateral changes to e-commerce taxation under the current rules. for more ....click

Hinduonline.com site on October 28, 2002

Nishith Desai Associates has a stellar reputation locally and internationally for the quality of its advice and approach to global business. The firm is by some way the leader in terms of its use of technology and continues to invest both in IT and research (it operates a research center at Juhu beach near Mumbai). It has structured offshore funds investing in India, advised on taxation issues related to e-commerce and has a niche advising entertainment companies on the taxation of international touring artistes, including UB40, Michael Jackson and Ricky Martin."

The Asia Pacific Legal 500 (1999/2000 edition)

Mumbai's Nishith Desai Associates has done extensive research and government policy advisory work in the new area of e-commerce. The connection between this developing commercial sector and taxation issues has been a sticking point in the development of Indian laws to date.

Asia Law Profiles 2001

"In Mumbai, Nishith Desai Associates stands out as an economic and political think-thank as much as a law firm. Asia Law Profiles was received by an impressive team of young lawyers who shone in the absence of Mr. Desai himself. Desai runs the firm according to his "Gandhi-Handy" philosophy - not a skit from Spitting Image, but a marriage of the management theories of Charles Handy with the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. Desai's approach is interdisciplinary, which reveals itself in the makeup of his personnel - for example, the inclusion of a surgeon on the biotechnology team. A substantial amount of public policy work is carried out, and staff are supposed to devote 15 to 20% of their time to research, which feeds the development of new practice areas."

AsiaLaw Profiles 2002

Mumbai's Nishith Desai Associates has done extensive research and government policy advisory work in the new area of e-commerce. The connection between this developing commercial sector and taxation issues has been a sticking point in the development of Indian laws to date.

Asia Law Profiles 2001

"Nishith Desai Associates has worked on acquisitions in the media industry as well as representing major media conglomerates and artistes. In tune with its research focus, the firm issued a report entitled Bollywood v. Hollywood: Legal and Business Practices - a Comparative Analysis in June 2001, which makes fascinating reading for the uninitiated."