Uday Walia

Practice Areas

Uday is a dual-qualified lawyer, qualified to practice in both England and India. After graduating in Chemistry in 1994 from St. Stephen’s College, he completed his BA in Law (1997) and LL.M. from the University of Cambridge. Uday began his career at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in 1998, where he worked for six years before returning to India. Prior to joining Touchstone Partners, Uday was a partner for 13 years with an Indian corporate law firm, S&R Associates. Uday’s corporate practice covers financing and restructuring matters, including insolvency under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, capital markets and general corporate matters, including data protection and other regulatory matters.

Work Highlights

Uday has advised various multinational corporations and financial institutions on diverse Capital Markets, Corporate & M&A, private equity, and venture capital, and Finance Experience matters. His portfolio includes the following notable deals.

Capital Markets, Corporate & M&A experience:

Advised Frammer AI in receiving seed investment from Lumikai Fund II.

Advised BorgWarner Inc. on the internal restructuring of the fuel systems and aftermarket segments of the BorgWarner group.

Advised Micronics Inc. on the acquisition of the advanced filtration technology business of FL Smidth Private Limited.

Advised NDTV on various M&A transactions, providing general corporate advice and advice on the Takeover Code and other regulations applicable to listed companies.

Advised GEF Capital Partners in the first major overseas listing of an Indian company, ReNew Power, via the SPAC route, involving an enterprise value of US$8 billion.

Advised Barbeque-Nation Hospitality on its pre-IPO placement from Xponentia Opportunities Fund – I and Jubilant Foodworks Limited.

Advised the bookrunning lead managers for the first initial public offering, and subsequently the first preferential issue of units, by an infrastructure investment trust, India Grid Trust, that was sponsored by Sterlite Power Grid Ventures Limited*.

Advised the issuer or the underwriters in public offerings and private placements of securities by S.P. Apparels, Cairn India, Punj Lloyd, Man Infraconstruction and Lanco Infratech*.

Advised Barbeque-Nation Hospitality on its proposed IPO.

Advised Cairn Energy PLC:

In investor-state arbitration proceedings under a bilateral investment treaty in relation to claims.

Against the Government of India pursuant to a retrospective tax amendment.

In various corporate matters, including its sale of a controlling interest in Cairn India to Vedanta Resources plc and bulk deal sales of shares*.

Advised Barbeque-Nation Hospitality in the acquisition of the India franchisee for “Johnny Rockets” restaurants and “Toscano” restaurants.

Advised Imperativ Hospitality in various M&A and general corporate matters, including operating and lease arrangements in relation to bloomrooms.com

Advised NDTV in various M&A, financing and corporate matters.

Advised Sapphire Trade Associates in its exit from its joint venture in India with Delsey S.A.*

Advised Punj Lloyd in various M&A, financing and corporate matters, including:

Sale of shares of the owner of “Medanta” hospital facilities to Temasek Holdings.

Sale of shares in Reliance Naval and Engineering investments in its subsidiary PL Engineering*.

Advised various global clients in matters relating to data protection law.

Advised Ericsson in its acquisition of Telcordia Technologies*.

Advised the Valspar Corporation in its acquisition of the can coatings business of DIC India*.

Advised the brokers in bulk deal sales of shares of Yes Bank and Tech Mahindra and in offers for sale through the stock exchange of shares of Wipro, Styrolution ABS (India) and D.B. Corp*.

Private Equity & Venture Capital:

Advised GEF Capital Partners on its investment in Hero Motors Limited, an unlisted company engaged in the manufacture of auto-components, for its growth capital.

Advised GEF Capital Partners on its acquisition of a minority stake in Syrma Technology Private Limited, a company in the electronic manufacturing services sector.

Advised CX Partners in investments in Monnet Ispat & Energy and Barbeque-Nation Hospitality*.

Advised Jacob Ballas Capital in investments in Religare Finvest, PNC Infratech and Vivimed Labs*.

Advised Baer Capital Partners in investments in A2Z Infra Engineering, Vatika and Bhayana Builders*.

Advised Eight Roads, Standard Chartered Private Equity, D. E. Shaw & Co., Jardine Rothschild Asia Capital and The Wellcome Trust on investments in India*.

Advised Global Environment Fund on investments in India.

Finance Experience:

Advised Standard Chartered Bank in various restructuring and financing matters, including:

Restructuring of multi-billion dollar facilities.

Initiation of the insolvency resolution process against an Indian company.

Asset sales, purchases and restructuring*.