India

Anand And Anand

A clear leader across the IP spectrum, this specialist firm fields a formidable contingent of lawyers who are well equipped to handle the most complex international licensing matters. The transactions team deals with licensing and evaluation. “Doing great work in licensing for clients at home and overseas”, Anand and Anand attracts work from standalone licensing deals and as part of bigger agreements. It is noted as particularly active in the pharmaceuticals sphere. Safir Anand is an acknowledged expert in IP matters and has written on licensing in India; he heads the transactional group. Senior partner Archana Shanker leads the patent team and is a wellregarded patent expert across several sectors, including pharmaceuticals.

Kochhar & Co

With several international offices, as well as six branches across India, this full-service firm has a strong footprint at home and abroad. Commentators note that it is especially strong in corporate work and is particularly reputed in the technology and IT sectors, where it has a clutch of major global clients. Stephen Mathias heads the technology law practice and is also in charge of the Bangalore office. He is well known as an expert in India’s growing TMT sector and often conducts licensing deals as part of M&A agreements.

Nishith Desai Associates

This firm offers a wide range of services to international companies, assisting clients through its IP and TMT departments. It is particularly renowned in the telecommunications, software and life sciences sectors, handling complex licensing matters as part of joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions. Gowree Gokhale heads the IP law department. As part of a broad practice, she handles licensing deals and cross-border transactional work.

Remfry & Sagar

Formed in 1827 and one of the oldest IP law firms in the world, Remfry & Sagar is a leading player in the Indian IP marketplace. Patent litigation is a key area of focus and the source of some of the firm’s licensing work. Further activity comes as part of bigger deals, such as takeovers and joint ventures. Cyril Abrol concentrates on technology transfer licensing for international clients from Europe, the United States and Japan.

At the nationwide corporate firm Trilegal, founding partner Rahul Matthan is recognised for his expertise in technology licensing. He heads the technology practice group and his licensing-related work encompasses crossborder M&A deals and technology transfer agreements.