Ashwath Rau, a Senior Partner in the Mumbai office, specializes in M&A, investment funds and asset management, private equity, joint ventures, financial regulatory, corporate governance and general corporate advisory. Chambers Global, 2019, describes Ashwath as “fantastic and highly knowledgeable,” a practitioner who is “well regarded for his expertise in handling big–ticket M&A transactions and private equity investments.” Additionally, Chambers Asia–Pacific, 2016, describes Ashwath as a “fantastic lawyer” who is extremely highly rated for his capabilities in private equity, particularly in connection with fund structuring.
Ashwath is and has been on various committees, including as (i) a Member of the Regulatory Affairs Committee of the Indian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (2018 – Present); (ii) an Invitee to the SEBI Working Group on redrafting the SEBI (Foreign Portfolio Investors) Regulations, 2014, under the Chairmanship of Shri Harun R. Khan (2018); (iii) an Invitee to the SEBI Working Group to reconcile the SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 1996 with the Companies Act, 2013 and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (2018 – Present); and (iv) a Member of the International Bar Association’s Investment Funds Committee (2014 – 2018).
Ashwath has earned several accolades for his expertise. He is ranked a ‘Band 1’ lawyer for Corporate / M&A by Chambers Global (2017 – 2020); and a ‘Band 1’ lawyer for Corporate / M&A and Private Equity by Chambers Asia–Pacific (2017 –2020). He is recommended in the RSG India Report (2017 & 2019) and recognized as a ‘Distinguished Practitioner’ for Corporate and M&A, Investment Funds and Private Equity by Asialaw Profiles (2020). IFLR1000 recommends Ashwath as ‘Highly Regarded’ for Investment Funds (2020), M&A and Private Equity (2018 – 2019). He has also been recognized as one of the ‘Best Practitioners in India’ by IFLR 1000 Asia Best Lawyers (2019).
Additionally, Ashwath was named a ‘Leading Practitioner’ for M&A and Governance (2018 – 2019), Corporate (2019) and Private Equity (2019) by the International Who’s Who Legal. The Legal 500 Asia Pacific also names Ashwath a ‘Leading Lawyer’ for Investment Funds (2015 – 2018 & 2020). Ashwath has also featured on the ‘Forty Under 40 Business Leaders Lawyers’ lists in India and Asia (ex–China), published by the Economic Times and Asian Legal Business (Thomson Reuters) (2016).
