Kunal Mehra

Kunal Mehra is a Partner in the Firm and heads the Antitrust and Competition practice. His primary practice area is Competition Law, and he is a seasoned lawyer with over 21 years of work experience. He also actively advises on M&A, private equity and general corporate matters, operating out of the Firm's New Delhi office.

He actively advises on competition-related matters, including merger control filings with the Competition Commission of India, abuse of dominance cases and cartels, and also undertakes competition compliance programmes for leading corporates. He has extensive experience in mergers and de-mergers, including cross-border mergers, acquisitions, private equity transactions, joint ventures, general corporate advisory, and drafting and negotiating transaction documents.

Before joining the Firm, he was a Partner with DSK Legal and has previously worked with AZB & Partners, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, Dua Associates and Luthra & Luthra Law Offices. He 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.

His key representations include advising Werke International Beteiligungsverwaltung GmbH on securing Green Channel Deemed Approval from the CCI for its acquisition of Hyva III BV; advising The Dow Chemical Company in its USD 130 billion merger with DuPont, including in relation to remedies, a deal awarded Matter of the Year globally at the Global Competition Review Awards; and advising certain individual shareholders on the acquisition of shareholding in NSPIRA Management Services Private Limited from Morgan Stanley and Banyan Tree, obtaining the CCI's clearance within 10 days.

He successfully represented two leading super-speciality hospitals of Fortis Healthcare Limited, namely Fortis Vasant Kunj and Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, in a landmark abuse of dominance inquiry before the CCI concerning allegations of excessive pricing and abuse of alleged after-market dominance in the healthcare sector. He also successfully represented East India Petroleum Private Limited against South Asia LPG Co. Pvt. Ltd. before the CCI for abuse of dominance in the LPG terminalling services market, an order that 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. He successfully defended the decision before the NCLAT and is currently representing EIPL in the appeal filed by SALPG in the Supreme Court, as well as in a private action litigation before the NCLAT for compensation.

Other matters include providing strategic inputs and assisting the team representing the CCI before the Delhi High Court in a high-stakes writ proceeding and a Letters Patent Appeal, securing dismissal of the challenge by International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.; advising a medical devices and healthcare manufacturer before the CCI in proceedings involving allegations of abuse of dominance and anti-competitive vertical restraints under Sections 3(4) and 4 of the Competition Act; representing two steel manufacturers before the CCI in an ongoing investigation into alleged cartelisation in the steel sector; and successfully defending Power Grid before the CCI and its appellate authority in relation to proceedings pertaining to alleged abuse of dominance.

His corporate and M&A experience includes advising Excel Controlinkage Private Limited and its promoters on the acquisition of 100% shareholding of Excel by Greaves Cotton Limited; advising Uno Minda Limited on a scheme of amalgamation for merging its joint venture companies and a wholly owned subsidiary with itself; advising FINN Partners Limited on its acquisition of SPAG Consultants Private Limited; advising Hughes Communications on its acquisition of Bharti Airtel Limited's VSAT business pursuant to a scheme of arrangement; advising Gateway Distriparks Limited on its acquisition of the entire shareholding of Blackstone GPV Capital Partners (Mauritius) V-H Ltd. in Gateway Rail Freight Limited; and being part of the team that advised Bharti Airtel Limited on its acquisition of Zain Telecom's Africa operations.

He has also advised Star Group on the merger of companies in BVI, UAE and India with Star India Private Limited; advised Arrow Webtex Limited on the de-merger of its textiles division and transfer of the same to Arrow Textiles Limited and subsequent listing; advised Tata Consultancy Services Limited and Tata Infotech Limited on their merger; advised HT Media Limited on the de-merger of its radio business; advised Pramerica USA on the transfer of shares from DLF to DHFL in DLF Pramerica Life Insurance Company Limited; advised Specialty Minerals Inc. on its joint ventures with BILT, JK Paper and West Coast Paper; advised Jubilant FoodWorks Limited on its master franchisee agreement with Dunkin' Donuts Franchising LLC; and advised Sequoia Capital on its investments in Prakash Snacks and a few seed investments.