Nitin Potdar, formerly a Corporate Partner at J. Sagar Associates (2005 to 2024), continues to practise as a Corporate & M&A lawyer independently with a focused team of young lawyers. He combines deep legal expertise with strategic foresight and business acumen to meet the unique needs of each client across a cross-section of industries.
Professional Background & Expertise
Specialising in mergers & acquisitions, corporate restructuring, joint ventures, foreign collaborations and private equity deals, Nitin has a proven track record of guiding multinational corporations into the Indian market and assisting family businesses with succession planning. He has vast experience with transactions related to foreign direct investment and exchange-control regulations, with a focus on investors from the US, UK, Germany and Japan.
Recognition & Thought Leadership
The Asia Pacific Legal 500 recognised Nitin Potdar as a “most influential & significant lawyer” in 2019. Chambers & Partners observed that “Nitin Potdar maintains a busy M&A and foreign direct investment practice, as well as handling a steady stream of joint venture and private equity matters. He is also highlighted for his considerable expertise advising inbound foreign clients.” He is a frequent speaker on the Takeover Code, M&A and the structuring of joint ventures.
Mentorship & Education
Nitin plays a pivotal role in mentoring emerging legal professionals through his initiative Conversations with Nitin Potdar. His book Companion Handbook for Law Students: What They Don’t Teach at Law Schools in India offers young lawyers essential insights into the complexities of legal practice.
He began his career with Crawford Bayley & Co (1991), became a Partner at Amarchand Mangaldas (1999), and joined J. Sagar Associates (2005–2024).
Select Deal Experience
- Advised and participated with Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan in drafting, negotiating and executing their Distribution Agreement with HAL and dealership agreements with multiple dealers across India.
- Advised Lohr India Automotive Private Limited and its promoter on internal restructuring and acquisition of a majority stake in the Indian entity.
- Advised the Anchor Group in a part sale and the formation of a joint venture with Matsushita Electric Works, Japan — a transaction valued at about US$500 million, one of the largest M&A deals by a Japanese company in India.
- Advised Procter & Gamble and Gillette (through their Indian subsidiaries) on the re-alignment of their shareholding in India following the global merger of Gillette into Procter & Gamble.
- Advised Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan on its restructuring arrangement with Ashok Leyland Ltd, including the sale of Nissan’s shares in three Indian joint-venture companies.
- Advised TOTAL S.A on the amalgamation of its Indian group entities — Total Lubricants India and Total Petroleum India — with Total LPG India Limited.
- Advised Petronas Lubricants International and its Indian subsidiary on setting up its first oil-blending manufacturing facility in India.
- Advised Camlin Limited on the formation of a joint venture, including a part sale of business, with Kokuyo S&T Co of Japan.
Publications
- The Companion Handbook for Law Students (2024) — what they don’t teach you at law schools in India.
- The GPS Paradigm (2021) — a definitive inorganic growth playbook for mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures.
- India’s best bet is knowledge digitisation & democratisation — Fortune India (June 2020).
- Digital education: creating a legally tenable ecosystem — Fortune India (July 2020).
- Why entrepreneurship education must be a five-year plan to make NEP a success — Education Times (Aug 2019).
- Trusted advisors: true custodians of corporate governance — Fortune India (Oct 2019).
- Foreign Investments in India (2007 & 2008) — entry options & regulatory regime.