Crawford Bayley & Co. is one of the oldest and largest law firms in India, having been established in the year 1830 is presently having a team of 200 members, including 20 Partners, over 125 Associates and 25 Paralegal Personnel and a supporting staff of over 75 individuals.

Crawford Bayley is a full-service firm committed to providing the best legal services to its clients by understanding and analyzing any problem or situation and finding effective and practical legal and commercial solutions. Its strength lies in its team of experienced and trained advocates and solicitors who believe in our core values of providing legal services of the highest technical and professional standard with a creative and innovative approach, responsive to our clients’ requirements.

History

The present firm and business of Crawford Bayley & Co. is the outcome of the amalgamation in the past of three separate firms. The earliest firm was founded by Mr Henry Collins in 1830 and was conducted under various styles until 1898. Mr Richard Sneade Brown joined this firm in 1880, and in 1898 was the sole surviving partner, the business then being conducted under the style of R.S. Brown & Co. On 1st June 1898, the firm of R.S. Brown & Co. amalgamated with the firm of Crawford Burder& Co. The latter firm was itself the result of an amalgamation in 1890 of the firms of Crawford and Buckland, and Burder and Bayley. After the amalgamation on the 1st of June 1898, the style of the firm became Crawford Brown & Co., which continued until the 1st July 1916, when the present style, Crawford Bayley & Co. was adopted. In 1943, the firm occupied its present premises in State Bank Buildings. In 1963, additional accommodation for the office was arranged in the adjoining Turner Morrison Building.

Areas of Practice

Our individual partners specialise in the following practice areas and provide a comprehensive range of services across a broad spectrum of transactions:

CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL PRACTICE, including corporate advisory, regulatory and compliance, commercial transactions, share and business acquisitions and disposals, corporate reorganization and restructuring, joint ventures, foreign technical and financial collaboration, disinvestments and privatisations, mergers and acquisitions, buyouts, schemes of arrangement, amalgamation and reconstruction, corporate administration, capital restructuring, private placements, anti-trust regulations and commercial contracts, insurance and exchange control regulations.

Our Partners have considerable experience and expertise in infrastructure projects relating to power and energy, telecommunications, roads and highways, water and environment.

CAPITAL MARKETS, BANKING AND CORPORATE FINANCE, including debt, equity and equity-linked offerings of securities, domestic offerings such as initial public offerings (IPOs), international offerings such as global depository receipts (GDRs) and American depository receipts (ADRs), securities law, securitizations, debt restructuring, project and asset financing, domestic and cross border syndicated loans, structured and acquisition financing, investment funds, trade and private equity financing, structured products and financial institutions regulation, futures, derivatives and ISDA agreements, mergers and acquisitions, takeovers, securities transactions and regulatory issues.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW, such as copyrights, designs, patents and trademarks, franchising and licensing agreements, protection of intellectual property. We prosecute and defend our clients’ intellectual property rights in India, make urgent court applications for injunction as well as search and seizure. Our non-contentious work includes registration of designs, patents, copyrights and trademarks and drafting and negotiation of documentation relating to intellectual property. 

LITIGATION AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION, including litigation relating to banking, commercial contracts, shareholders’ disputes, other commercial and corporate matters, media and entertainment, insolvency, probate, public and administrative, property, securities, trusts and debt recovery. We also advise on settlement negotiation and alternative forms of dispute resolution. 

REAL ESTATE AND PROPERTY LAW,  including large scale development projects, regional real estate investments, property and project financing, commercial and residential leasing, purchase and sale of immovable property and drafting of related documentation. We have considerable experience in providing comprehensive and innovative advice on regulatory requirements, including payment of stamp duty and registration of documents. 

INDIRECT TAXATION, including customs and excise matters.

LABOURLABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT, including regulatory requirements and litigation, relating to employment and employee unions.

ADMIRALTY AND SHIPPING MATTERS, such as shipping litigation, arrest and release of vessels.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, e-BANKING AND e-COMMERCE , including the law relating to internet and cyberspace, electronic banking, cross-border electronic commerce, security and encryption including digital signatures, trusted third parties, certification authorities and public key infrastructure, convergence technology, semi-conductors and hardware design, software services and private equity and venture capital investments in information technology enabled companies and information exchange in diverse fields like biotechnology, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, computers, telecommunications, banking, media and entertainment, on-line contracts and agreements with service providers.