Our profile

Background of the Firm Amita Desai & Co., Company Secretaries, Mumbai

Law is my passion and profession. Understanding the various legal nuances of laws and acts that govern workings of companies in our country has always fascinated me. They say most human beings are resistant to change but I feel that change, being the only constant, provides great opportunities. Providing correct legal advice at the right time is my forte.

Amita Desai & Company, a firm of Company Secretaries was set up in 1995, led by Amita Desai, with the objective of being a single point advisor for any legal and business solutions to corporates and business owners. The Firm is providing quality Secretarial Compliance and Legal Services under one roof. Amita Desai is also an Insolvency Professional recognised by IBBI under Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC 2016) and CSR Certified Professional Certified by Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI).

With 25 years of rich experience in handling compliances of many large Indian companies, MNCs SMEs and start-ups in the field of Corporate and allied Laws like Companies Act, Foreign Exchange Management Act, Insolvency and Bankruptcy, Securities Law and laws related to protection of Intellectual Property, the Firm claims being versatile and proactive in providing services and solutions in their legal and business requirements, which the clients of the Firm also gives testimonials for.

At Amita Desai & Co, our services are aimed at ensuring timely compliance under applicable laws thus saving our clients an enormous amount in potential penalties. Many major corporations look at their legal advisors as cost centres since they do not seem to generate any revenue and we work hard to ensure our clients do not feel this way. However with a judicious mix of personalized service and professional standards, we believe in adding value to the business of our clients. Our objective is to create value addition for our clients. We work as one unit, teaming up with our clients to deliver innovative business solutions that help achieve their goals.

Corporate Law including Securities Laws in India are some of the most complex legislations that require both expert interpretation and judicious application. These laws and compliances apply to companies throughout their life cycle – from WOMB to TOMB. Advising entrepreneurs in their journey of venture in business requires knowledge, expertise and experience. The partnership approach of our Firm is of great help as we stand by you, shoulder to shoulder as you focus on business growth.

We are headquartered in Mumbai and work at various places in India, at Hyderabad, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune, Kolhapur, Jaipur, Goa and Ahmedabad. We also have overseas associates at UK (London), UAE (Dubai) and Singapore.

Our working is deeply embedded in ethical practices and powered by our in- depth knowledge of law, legal conventions and understanding of business. While we act on behalf of our clients, we ensure that client organization adheres to the letter and spirit of the law which helps them to maintain mechanisms to report unethical conduct and fosters a culture of honesty and accountability.

The experience-rich background of the Firm has a strong footing in handling processes of companies of all sizes, be it a small company with a turnover of less than 1 crore or a 1000 crore giant. The Team is always in sync with the rapidly changing global business market and has gained expertise in handling various national and international assignments.

Our Mission – To Advocate, make Aware and Assist clients in legal compliances

To provide quality services and add value to our clients’ business
To deliver innovative business solutions that help clients achieve their goals.
To be one stop consultant who provides proactive services to business owners so they can concentrate on their business

Our Services

Company Law and Secretarial Services – Advisory and all kind of Secretarial compliances for Private / Public Companies, LLP and Partnership Firms, Foreign Company’s Branch or Establishments in India from Formation to dissolution of entity
M & A Transaction : Identifying, valuation, planning and designing the scheme, legal and regulatory compliances, appearance before judiciary or regulatory authorities for obtaining approvals and all post Merger compliance activities
Foreign Exchange Management Act – Advisory and Compliances – Inbound and Outbound ( FDI or ECB & ODI), Approval of sector specific Ministry for Inbound Investment, certification and compounding application for any violations under FEMA, 1999
Business Advisory – Setting up business entities in India or Abroad, restructuring of business , IPO including SME IPOs, ESOP Scheme and plan to retain the KMPs , ESOP , SAR etc
Legal Advisory – Vetting of documents, registration under STPL/ EOU, setting up trust, society or section 8 companies for NGO
Legal Due Diligence : Detailed legal DD for acquisition of business or for investment
Corporate Litigation : Litigation between corporate and shareholders/ vendors and under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016
Appearance – Before National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Registrar of Companies (RoC) and Regional Director (RD) and Official Liquidator (OL) under Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Stamp Office and Stock Exchanges and Charity Commissioner Office for NGO and Trust
Drafting – Commercial and legal documents, Agreements, Scheme, Petitions and Applications before any Tribunals and Regulatory Authorities
Audit & Certification – Secretarial Audit and Compliances under the Companies Act, 2013 , FEMA 1988 and SEBI Regulations
Fund Raising : Preparing Teaser/ Project Report for raising of funds (Equity or Debt), Right Issue or Private Placement .
Insolvency & Bankruptcy : Filing of Application/ Petition with Tribunal or Appellate Tribunal, advice to corporate for its stressed assets, act as Interim Resolution Professional (IRP) or Resolution Professional (RP) or Liquidator under IBC, 2016
Corporate Social Responsibilities: Legal aspect under CSR, Preparing CSR Policy, Assist in Constitution of CSR Committee, Operationalizing CSR, Stakeholders Engagement and Innovation in social impact, CSR Designing, Governance, Monitoring of CSR Activities, Due Diligence on CSR Funding, CSR Audit and CSR Rating, CSR Reporting and Communication

Our Past Achievements

Legal and Secretarial Advisors to more than 500 corporates including private, public listed and unlisted companies and NGOs. Services to clients in various sectors ranging from Manufacturing, Engineering, Chemical, Pharmaceutical, Travel and Tourism, Aviation, Logistics, Shipping, Insurance, Microfinance, NBFC, Software and ITES , BPO and KPO, Drone manufacturing, Water Filter manufacturing
Approval of FIPB and Sector Specific Ministry for Foreign Direct Investments
Compounding of offence under FEMA and Companies Act for large listed companies
Advised and handled Public Issue and Right Issues of listed companies
Successfully completing Joint Venture and Collaboration Agreements with the approval from Ministry of Finance
Setting up of wholly owned subsidiaries of Indian companies at UK, USA, Germany, Singapore, Kampala, Dubai (in different Free Zones), Malaysia and Nepal.
Assisted in setting up in India Wholly Owned Subsidiaries, Joint Venture, Branch, Project Office and Liaison Office for foreign companies
Advised and handled Issue of Global Depository Receipt (GDR) at Luxembourg Stock Exchange
Successful Mergers of companies and Acquisition of listed or unlisted companies
Drafting of Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP), SAR and other scheme for retention of employees and KMPs
Asist in implementing , monitoring and reporting Social Activities of NGO
Secretarial Audit and Compliances
Corporate Governance Audit
Drafting of all legal documents for media company, website developer companies and e-commerce companies for online sale through Internet
Drafting of various documents for setting up a school at Baroda
Drafting of Loan Documentation and other commercial agreements for silvassa based large manufacturing unit
Registration of Trade Mark and Copy Rights (IPR) for many start ups

Team

We are team of >20 people having total 75 years of combine experience and Amita Desai having 25 years’ experience lead the Team. Team is very focused and self motivated. Amita Desai is a regular speaker with various Chapters and Study Circles of Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) and Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). She is also motivational speaker and share her thoughts on spirituality and leadership on various Social and Religious platforms.

Mr. Vikas Varma , a Senior Executive is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) and a commerce graduate from Mumbai University.
He has experience of one decade in the Corporate Secretarial field. He is responsible for handling compliances under the Companies Act, 2013, Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 and SEBI Regulations.

Contact Us

Amita Desai & Co, Company Secretaries

1005, 10^th Floor, Hubtown Solaris Premises Co-op Soc Ltd,

Prof. N. S Phadke Marg, Andheri East, Mumbai 400 069

Tel : 91 22 -2684 5919/ 20/ 21

Email: amita@amitadesai.com

Website: www.amitadesai.com