For nearly two decades, Jay has been advising several large international and domestic private equity funds, financial institutions, multi-national corporations and Indian business houses on various types of complex M&A deals, private equity and venture capital investments and leveraged buy-outs. Jay has led large multi-disciplinary teams with the firm on complex acquisition transactions requiring simultaneous management of transactional issues alongside nuances arising from sectoral challenges and regulatory constraints. He has been involved in some of the largest foreign direct investment transactions that India has witnessed, in the real estate, infrastructure and media sectors.
He also regularly represents international and domestic fund managers in relation to structuring, formation and regulation of all kinds of alternative investment funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts, Infrastructure Investment Trusts, mutual funds, domestic funds and India focussed international funds. He has been involved in strategic joint ventures for setting up several funds and negotiates fund documents on behalf of the GP as well as the LPs. Jay frequently advises on the nuances of a dynamic regulatory regime and evolving trends around pooling vehicles and financial intermediaries in India.
Jay is a qualified lawyer and a member of Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa and in addition, is also a qualified chartered accountant. The dual qualification gives him an edge as a corporate lawyer who needs to understand and advise on transactions that are primarily driven by business related factors. He holds a double graduation, a graduation in commerce followed by a graduation in law from the Mumbai University and also holds a Solicitor’s degree from the Bombay Incorporated Law Society. He qualified as a chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and was a practising chartered accountant before pursuing a career in law. Prior to joining the Firm, Jay was a partner at the Mumbai office of another large tier 1 law firm.
Who’s Who Legal recognised Jay as a Global Leader for Private Funds – Formation, in their Global Guides 2022. Jay has been recognised as a Ranked as Band 2 Lawyer by Chambers and Partners, 2022 for Investment funds and “Notable Practitioner” by both IFLR 1000 in 2019-21 and by Asialaw 2021 in Investment Funds, Private Equity, M&A. He has been recommended in the RSG Consulting Report for 2017-18 for corporate law. Clients commented that Jay is able to use his legal knowledge “to quickly understand all the commercial aspects of a deal” and offer “expert advice” with “efficient situation-based solutions”, and that he has a “knack for anticipating issues and this helps him prepare us for the various situations that may arise”.
“Private Equity deals encompasses significant legal legwork and It’s quite challenging in the India landscape. I found Jay Gandhi and his team at Shardul Amarchand to be very knowledgeable and trustworthy partners. They have an uncanny ability to integrate the legal piece with all the other processes in deal.”
Anand S. Krishnan
Managing Partner - FW Advisors DMCC
