Sourav De Biswas is an experienced Corporate Services lawyer in India, combining Tier-1 law-firm experience with senior in-house roles and an entrepreneurial boutique practice. As founder of DB Legal, he advises domestic and international clients on complex corporate transactions, India-entry strategies and entity set-up, governance and securities matters, and the drafting, review and negotiation of commercial contracts. His profile is characterised by long-standing transactional experience, an in-house practitioner’s commercial outlook and a commitment to pragmatic, end-to-end legal support for corporates, founders and promoters. This combination makes him a compelling choice for organisations seeking experienced, business-focused corporate counsel in India.
Sourav read law at the prestigious National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), Kolkata, and began practising in 2005. Over the course of his career he has alternated between top-tier private practice and senior in-house legal roles, building deep domain knowledge in corporate and commercial law. His formal education at NUJS and subsequent professional trajectory provide a foundation for advising on complex corporate structures, regulatory compliance and securities matters. This blend of private practice and in-house experience informs his pragmatic, risk-aware approach to clients.
Before founding DB Legal in July 2022, Sourav spent more than 14 years with India’s leading law firms Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, serving as a Partner in the General Corporate and M&A practice for seven years. He has also held senior in-house positions with large corporates, including Reliance Communications, Avaya GlobalConnect and OYO, where he served as Deputy General Counsel / Vice‑President – Legal. This blended experience gives him an uncommon perspective on client needs, risk appetite and commercial negotiation dynamics. This breadth informs his ability to tailor pragmatic, deal-ready solutions for diverse clients.
As a Corporate Services lawyer in India, Sourav’s principal practice is General Corporate Advisory and M&A. He routinely advises on share sales and acquisitions, asset and business transfers, joint ventures, court-assisted mergers and demergers, due diligence exercises, and securities law compliance (including takeover and listing regulations). He also assists foreign companies and investors with India-entry strategy, foreign investment regulation, and the establishment of Indian subsidiaries, LLPs and other business entities. His commercial contracting practice includes drafting, reviewing and negotiating a wide range of business agreements. His practice also encompasses corporate governance, compliance programmes and data privacy issues, reflecting the multi-disciplinary demands of modern corporate work.
Sourav advises clients across multiple sectors, including manufacturing, services, information technology, retail, media & entertainment, hospitality and pharmaceuticals. His sectoral experience enables him to tailor transaction structures, commercial documentation and risk mitigation to industry-specific norms and operational realities. This supports efficient deal execution and practical ongoing corporate and contractual advice for clients.
Sourav’s distinguishing attributes are his blend of Tier-1 firm training, in-house commercial instincts and a boutique-style commitment to client service. Having worked inside large corporate legal teams, he understands board-level decision-making, procurement and contract life cycles, and the practical constraints of executing deals under tight timelines. At the same time, his tenure as a partner in top law firms means he brings rigorous transaction structuring, negotiation and documentation skills to each mandate. This combination translates into practical, value-driven advice and clear communication throughout an engagement.
DB Legal’s model of lean teams of experienced lawyers, supported where appropriate by targeted external specialists, allows Sourav to provide partner-led support, responsive turnarounds and cost-efficient delivery. The firm’s fees are commercially reasonable and proportionate to the scope of the mandate. Wherever practicable, the scope, deliverables and fee structure are agreed in advance, including fixed-fee or capped-fee arrangements for suitable matters, giving clients clarity and predictability over legal spend. Clients also benefit from continuity of counsel through a transaction and, where required, during post-closing compliance and implementation.
Sourav has acted as principal counsel for DB Legal on significant cross-border work. Examples include advising Kineco Group on its acquisitions of UK-based TRB Lightweight Structures and Denmark-based Semvac A/S, where DB Legal worked with UK and Danish counsel to support the buyer’s cross-border transaction strategy. These engagements demonstrate his ability to coordinate international legal workstreams and work effectively with overseas counsel for Indian buyers acquiring foreign businesses. Beyond cross-border deals, Sourav has handled numerous private M&A transactions, share transfers, due diligence mandates and governance advisory assignments for Indian and foreign clients.
His practice extends to multi-jurisdictional matters, day-to-day corporate advisory and commercial contracting, enabling start-ups, mid-market businesses and large conglomerates to scale legal support according to their needs. He translates complex deal mechanics and contractual issues into clear, practical terms, helping clients make informed commercial decisions. This versatility supports long-term client relationships across a broad range of mandates.
Corporate Law in India today sits at the intersection of evolving regulatory regimes, heightened enforcement activity and growing cross-border investment flows. Practitioners must navigate Companies Act compliance, securities regulations, foreign direct investment restrictions, taxation interfaces and sectoral approvals often within compressed commercial timetables. Specialist expertise matters because transactional success depends on anticipating regulatory friction points and designing robust contractual protections. Sourav’s holistic view combines transactional drafting with regulatory insight to reduce execution risk.
For inbound and outbound cross-border matters, particular challenges include foreign investment rules and approvals, selecting and establishing an appropriate India business entity, restructuring for regulatory and tax efficiency, harmonising employment and IP considerations across jurisdictions, and addressing post-closing integration and compliance. A lawyer who combines transactional drafting skills with hands-on regulatory experience and prior in-house exposure can materially reduce execution risk and post-deal friction. Sourav brings this combination to Indian and international clients, translating regulatory complexity into clear and practical advice.
Businesses and individuals seeking a Corporate Services lawyer in India will find Sourav well-suited for India-entry strategy and entity establishment, mid-to-large M&A, joint ventures, private equity transactions, corporate governance, commercial contracting and cross-border acquisitions. His background is particularly relevant to foreign companies and investors setting up or expanding operations in India, Indian corporates pursuing international expansion, and businesses requiring ongoing support with the drafting, review and negotiation of commercial contracts. He brings continuity of counsel, cross-border coordination experience and a practical approach that aligns legal risk with business outcomes.
Sourav De Biswas offers a blend of Tier-1 law-firm depth, in-house commercial appreciation and boutique agility, distinguishing him as an experienced Corporate Services lawyer in India for organisations requiring trusted, hands-on counsel. Through DB Legal, he delivers tailored corporate advisory, India-entry, transactional and commercial contracting support for Indian and international clients. His approach combines rigorous legal analysis with practical risk management, clear communication and, wherever practicable, predictable fee arrangements.
Sourav De Biswas is a Corporate Services lawyer in India, founder of DB Legal, recognised for combining Tier‑1 law firm experience with senior in‑house roles and a boutique practice to advise on high‑stakes corporate transactions, India entry strategies, governance, securities and cross‑border deals. He brings over 2 decades of experience.
His principal practice areas are General Corporate Advisory and M&A, including share sales and acquisitions, asset and business transfers, joint ventures, court‑assisted mergers and demergers, due diligence, foreign investments into and outside India, securities law compliance, bespoke commercial contracts, corporate governance, compliance programs and data privacy.
He studied law at the prestigious National University of Juridical Sciences (NUJS), began practising in 2005, spent over 14 years with Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (including seven years as a partner), held senior in‑house legal roles at Reliance Communications, Avaya GlobalConnect and OYO, and founded DB Legal in July 2022.
Sourav combines more than two decades of legal experience, including over 14 years at leading Indian law firms, senior in-house roles and a hands-on boutique practice. This enables him to combine rigorous transaction structuring and negotiation with a practical understanding of how businesses assess risk and implement legal advice. DB Legal works through lean, partner-led teams, supported by specialist external counsel where required, providing continuity of senior attention, responsive execution and commercially proportionate fees. Wherever practicable, the scope, deliverables and fee arrangements are agreed upfront, including fixed or capped fees for suitable mandates, giving clients clarity and predictability over legal spend.Foreign companies and investors should instruct Sourav when entering or expanding in India, including for India-entry strategy, foreign-investment structuring, entity establishment and ongoing corporate advisory. He is also well suited to Indian and overseas businesses, investors, founders and promoters undertaking acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, private equity or venture capital transactions, or requiring corporate governance advice. His commercial contracting experience is particularly useful where agreements must be drafted, reviewed or negotiated with a clear appreciation of operational and business risk. He is most valuable on matters requiring senior hands-on involvement, cross-border coordination, practical decision-making and clear, predictable legal support.
At DB Legal, Sourav advised Kineco Limited on its 100% acquisitions of TRB Lightweight Structures Limited in the United Kingdom and Semvac A/S in Denmark, including drafting and negotiating the transaction documents and assisting with closing. He also advised Cropcoin Technologies on raising venture capital investment from Unicorn India Ventures; lebua Hotels on its re-entry into India and its franchise, hotel management and brand services agreements; and India’s largest movie exhibitor on a range of technology and commercial agreements, including application development and maintenance, software licensing, source-code escrow and annual maintenance arrangements.
Foreign companies and investors should instruct Sourav when entering or expanding in India, including for India-entry strategy, foreign-investment structuring, entity establishment and ongoing corporate advisory. He is also well suited to Indian and overseas businesses, investors, founders and promoters undertaking acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, private equity or venture capital transactions, or requiring corporate governance advice. His commercial contracting experience is particularly useful where agreements must be drafted, reviewed or negotiated with a clear appreciation of operational and business risk. He is most valuable on matters requiring senior hands-on involvement, cross-border coordination, practical decision-making and clear, predictable legal support.
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