At Nishith Desai Associates, we’ve earned a reputation as Asia’s most innovative law practice—and the go-to firm for companies around the world that want to conduct business in India. Known for handling complex and high-value cases, we conduct ongoing research into emerging areas of the law, positioning us to anticipate legal obstacles, mitigate potential risks and identify new opportunities for our clients. Almost 85% of our clients are repeat clients.
Our team has advised the Indian government, helping shape the nation’s regulatory environment. This experience has given us exceptional insight into the Indian business and compliance climate—a vision and awareness we bring to every engagement.
Today, our role is evolving from transaction and litigation lawyers to strategic and ethical advisors that create value for enterprise clients. As trusted advisors, we put the client’s interest ahead of our own while maintaining our independence as professionals.
We specialise in fund formation, PE/M&A transactions, international tax, intellectual property, cross-border litigation and dispute resolution. In addition, we deliver a wide range of business, regulatory and tax services. We are a selective firm, choosing to work with clients that we believe will benefit from our specialised expertise. Our clientele come from every corner of India and the globe and include leaders in technology, media, telecom, financial services, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and many other industries.
From 1985 to 1989, Nishith Desai — a globally renowned tax and corporate lawyer, author, lecturer, researcher and thought leader — made a careful study of law firm management, interviewing over 100 professional services firm partners and senior leaders. He then set up Nishith Desai Associates (NDA) in 1990 as an India-centric global law firm specialising in international tax and international business strategies. At the time, India was a closed country, so he expanded his practice to the US with a special focus on India.
Soon thereafter, India introduced its first dose of liberalisation in 1991. NDA was in the right place at the right time and brought fresh ideas from its global experience to India. It pioneered the Asset Management (i.e., Fund Formation) practice and brought the first five funds to India, which were sponsored by Barclays de zotte wedd management, Alliance Capital, GeorgeSoros and Chase Capital, AIG/ILFS and Walden. Soon, the practice expanded to corporate, IP and cross-border litigation and dispute resolution. NDA quickly became one of the top law firms working in the international arena.
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Soon thereafter, India introduced its first dose of liberalisation in 1991. NDA was in the right place at the right time and brought fresh ideas from its global experience to India. It pioneered the Asset Management (i.e., Fund Formation) practice and brought the first five funds to India, which were sponsored by Barclays de zotte wedd management, Alliance Capital, GeorgeSoros and Chase Capital, AIG/ILFS and Walden. Soon, the practice expanded to corporate, IP and cross-border litigation and dispute resolution. NDA quickly became one of the top law firms working in the international arena.
In 2000, the firm was named Indian Law Firm of the Year; in 2001, Asian Law Firm of the Year (Pro bono); and later, a series of accolades followed. At the same time, NDA’s interest in social responsibility and impact started intensifying. In 2010, Nishith Desai and his son Suril Desai were awarded the Nobel Laureate Prof. Mohd Yunus Social Business Pioneer Award. More recently, NDA has been nominated for the Thomson Reuters TrustLaw Award for the firm’s contribution to developing the regulatory regime for Impact Investing in India.
As time progressed, NDA’s focus steered towards Innovation, using a concerted program of original research to find solutions to complex problems. In 2014, Financial Times announced The Most Innovative Law Firm Awards in Asia for the first time. NDA was right there. For the first six years in a row until 2019, NDA won the most innovative law firm title every year.
In 2020, the firm stopped participating in the award as it paused to reinvent itself as the most technologically advanced virtual law firm.
When NDA won The Most Innovative Law firm in Asia Award, Financial Times wrote: “Ahead of the curve, Nishith Desai Associates, an Indian law firm, adopted its industry focus, or “vertical” approach to sectors, in the mid-1990s, well before many UK firms. With only 75 professionals, NDA tops the FT’s ranking of firms headquartered in the Asia-Pacific region this year. One reason it punches above its weight is because it invests half its annual profits in research and development. Their competitors tend to use their profit pools to pay partners.”
As a result of this willingness to reinvest in the firm, innovation has become the DNA of NDA. The firm has assiduously built a culture of creativity and problem solving.
NDA’s practice has since been expanded into various areas while it continues to stay focused on financial services, TMT and Pharma Healthcare and their sub segments.
The exceptional value we deliver to clients is a direct reflection of the way we nurture our team and run our organization. Here are a few of the ways we’re building a culture unique in the legal industry.
Each of our professionals invests an hour every day to study emerging legal and regulatory issues, making us one of the most knowledgeable and insightful firms in the world.
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Everyone is a leader, and everyone is a follower. Everyone is a teacher and a student.
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Every employee is free to set their schedules. In return when they accept accountability to their clients and their team members.
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We encourage our people to speak openly about any issue. We ask, however, that they do so with sensitivity and courtesy.
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We believe that doing good work for good clients produces rewards, both financial and personal.
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We respect seniors for their experience and wisdom, and we respect the young for their ideas, agility and support.
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We regularly appreciate and reward team members who help our firm deliver great value and grow.
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We believe in our employees. The trust we place in them drives our firm’s success.
read moreFind joy in everything you do.
To experience the joy of changing the world for the better – together. Our purpose binds us together and gives a distinct identity.
As a team of specialists who work without silos, we assure our clients the highest quality of service in shortest possible time – every time.
To experience the joy of changing the world for the better –together. Our purpose binds us together and gives a distinct identity.