Kunal Mehra

Kunal Mehra

Partner

Level 5 – Max House, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III, New Delhi – 110020, India

Key Practice Areas

  • Competition and Antitrust
  • Corporate & Securities

Key Sectors & Industries

  • E-Commerce
  • Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals
  • Manufacturing
  • Oil and Gas
  • Automobiles and Automotives

Education

  • Bachelor of Laws – ILS Law College, Pune
  • Master of Laws (International Business Laws) – Queen Mary, University of London.

Professional Memberships

  • Member Bar Council of Delhi
  • Supreme Court Bar Association
  • Competition Law Bar Association

Languages

  • English
  • Hindi

Experience

Kunal is a seasoned competition and M&A lawyer with over 19 years of work experience. Kunal actively advises on competition related matters including merger control assessments and filings with the Competition Commission of India, abuse of dominance cases, cartels, compensation claims and also undertakes competition compliance programmes for leading corporates. Kunal also has extensive experience in the areas of mergers and de-mergers including cross border mergers, acquisitions, private equity transactions, general corporate advisory, joint ventures, business transfers, drafting and negotiating transaction documents. Kunal has also advised multi-national companies on investment structures and entry-level strategies under Foreign Direct Investment in various sectors, regulatory approvals and filings in India. Kunal has also advised on disputes between majority and minority shareholders and related issues including drafting of detailed court pleadings and participation in all court proceedings. Kunal is an avid writer and has published several articles in leading corporate law journals and business newspapers.

Recent Key Assignments

  • Advised The Dow Chemical Company in its USD 130 billion merger with DuPont and the deal was awarded Matter of the Year globally at the prestigious Global Competition Review Awards 2018.
  • Advised East India Petroleum Private Limited (EIPL) against South Asia LPG Co. Ltd. before the CCI for abuse of dominance. CCI imposed full 10% penalty for the first time in an abuse of dominance matter. Successfully defended the decision before the NCLAT upon appeal. Currently representing EIPL in the Hon’ble Supreme Court.
  • Advised the promoters for acquisition in shareholding in NSPIRA Management Services Private Limited from Morgan Stanley and Banyan Tree. Obtained the CCI’s clearance in 10 days.
  • Advised an Indian media house on its cross border merger of several companies pursuant to a Scheme of Amalgamation.
  • Part of the team that advised Bharti Airtel Limited in its acquisition of Zain telecom’s Africa operations.

Recent Awards and Recognition

  • Listed in Forbes Legal Powerlist 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020 listing India’s Top 100 Lawyers.
  • Listed in India Business Law Journal’s The A-List of India’s top lawyers in 2024, 2023 and 2022.
  • Recognised as ‘Rising Star’ by Asian Legal Business India 2021.
  • BW Legal World 40 Under 40 Elite Club of Lawyers and Legal Influencers, 2021.
  • Awarded 40 Under 40 ‘Rising Star’ Award 2020 by Legal Era.
  • Ranked regularly as “Recommended Lawyer” by Legal 500 Asia-Pacific.
  • Awarded ‘Deal of the Year’ by the India Business Law Journal 2023 for a transaction involving Morgan Stanley and Banyan Tree Capital exit from NSPIRA Management Services.
  • Awarded ‘Deal of the Year’ by the India Business Law Journal 2020 for a matter that secured the highest percentage fine in any abuse of dominance matter.