Associate Partner M&A (Tax & Deal Advisory) - Bangalore

Project & Engagement Management

• Scope and structure engagements rigorously from the outset defining the mandate, work plan, team
  
  

composition, deliverable schedule, and fee structure; ensure alignment with client expectations and firm

economics before engagement commencement

• Manage concurrent deal mandates often across multiple live transactions simultaneously with
  
  

disciplined prioritisation, clear delegation, and proactive risk management to ensure no engagement is

compromised

• Drive deal timelines actively maintaining pressure on internal teams and external advisors to meet deal
  
  

milestones, flagging delays early, and re-planning where required to protect deal outcomes

• Enforce quality control and risk management protocols across all deliverables conducting technical
  
  

reviews, stress-testing advice positions, and escalating novel or high-risk issues to firm leadership

appropriately

• Manage engagement economics proactively including fee discussions, scope creep management, WIP
  
  

tracking, billing, and client-level profitability ensuring the practice remains commercially healthy

• Maintain deal documentation discipline ensuring matter files, advice trails, conflict checks, and
  
  

engagement letters are current and in line with firm risk management protocols

• Coordinate cross-functional deal teams acting as the orchestrating senior advisor across internal
  
  

practice groups (TP, Indirect Tax, Regulatory, Employment Tax) and external advisors on integrated deal

mandates

Technical Advisory & Transaction Execution

• Lead buy-side and sell-side tax due diligence across domestic and cross-border transactions identifying,quantifying, and clearly communicating tax exposures, contingent liabilities, and structural risks to deal teams and investment committees
• Design and advise on optimal deal structures share vs. asset acquisitions, slump sales, itemised
  
  

transfers, demergers, NCLT merger schemes, and business transfers with a sharp focus on tax efficiency,regulatory compliance, and commercial workability

• Advise on purchase price mechanics and SPA provisions including tax representations and warranties,
  
  

indemnities, tax covenants, earn-out tax treatment, warranty and indemnity (W&I) insurance, and locked-box vs. completion accounts mechanisms

• Provide comprehensive cross-border M&A advisory structuring inbound acquisitions, outbound
  
  

investments, offshore holding structures, repatriation strategies, and exit tax planning across relevant

treaty and FEMA / FDI frameworks

• Advise PE sponsors and portfolio companies on exit structuring — IPO readiness from a tax perspective,secondary PE sales, drag-along and tag-along mechanics, management buyouts, and rollover structures
• Advise on indirect tax (GST / Stamp Duty) implications of deal structures, in coordination with the Indirect Tax practice; flag deal-critical indirect tax exposures in due diligence
• Support clients on NCLT-driven restructurings mergers, demergers, amalgamations, and capital
  
  

reductions including scheme drafting support, tax opinions, and regulatory filings strategy

• Advise on Section 79 (change in shareholding), GAAR, Sections 50C, 56(2)(x) and other anti-avoidance provisions relevant to M&A transactions; provide practical, risk-calibrated positions
• Provide technical opinions and memos on novel or complex M&A tax issues; oversee quality control
  
  

across all deal deliverables to ensure Tier 1 standards of accuracy, clarity, and commercial utility

Client Management

• Serve as the lead relationship partner for a portfolio of PE sponsors, strategic acquirers, and founder-led businesses owning client satisfaction, retention, and relationship expansion
• Maintain high-frequency, proactive client engagement providing regulatory updates, market intelligence,and advisory touchpoints beyond active deal mandates to cement the firm as a trusted advisor
• Anticipate client needs through a deep understanding of their portfolio, deal pipeline, and strategic
  
  

priorities positioning the firm's advisory capabilities ahead of deal events

• Manage complex, multi-party client situations including situations with conflicting stakeholder interests,
  
  

tight deal timelines, or significant tax exposure with composure, sound judgment, and a solutions

orientation

• Coordinate effectively across deal advisors working alongside M&A legal counsel, investment banks,
  
  

auditors, and regulatory advisors to ensure the firm's tax advice is integrated, actionable, and deal-

enabling

• Handle senior escalations and sensitive advisory issues with maturity including managing tax risk
  
  

communications to investment committees, boards, and LP advisory committees

Business Development & Client Origination

• Proactively identify and pursue BD opportunities including converting referrals from PE deal teams,
  
  

investment banks, legal counsel, and management consultants into active mandates; expanding scope

with existing deal clients into retainer or post-deal advisory

• Build and maintain a personal network of deal origination relationships with PE fund deal teams, corp dev teams at strategic acquirers, CFOs, founders, M&A legal counsel (domestic and international),
  
  

investment bankers, and boutique advisors

• Lead pitches and RFP responses for M&A tax mandates including preparing pitch books, capability
  
  

statements, deal credentials, and fee proposals that are commercially compelling and technically

differentiated

• Establish and grow the firm's brand in the Bengaluru M&A ecosystem through presence at PE/VC forums,M&A roundtables, sector-specific events, and university/campus engagements
• Track M&A market activity (announced deals, sector trends, regulatory changes) and proactively
  
  

communicate relevant insights to existing and prospective clients using market intelligence as a lever for

client conversations and mandate origination

• Collaborate with Partners across corporate tax, funds, indirect tax, and regulatory practices to originate
  
  

and deliver integrated, cross-practice mandates on complex transactions

• Contribute to firm-wide thought leadership authoring client alerts, deal commentary, sector-specific M&A tax guides, and speaking at industry forums to enhance the firm's deal advisory brand
  
  

Post-Deal & Restructuring Advisory

• Advise on post-acquisition tax integration — harmonisation of group tax positions, entity rationalisation,
  
  

simplification of holding structures, and integration of acquired tax functions

• Counsel clients on employee incentive structuring in M&A contexts — ESOPs, phantom stock,
  
  

Management Incentive Plans (MIPs), and their treatment in the context of acquisitions, exits, and

accelerated vesting provisions

• Support on transfer pricing implications of post-deal restructuring, intercompany arrangements, and
  
  

revised group structures, in coordination with the Transfer Pricing practice

• Advise on carved-out entity structuring, transition services agreements (TSAs), and regulatory filings
  
  

associated with post-deal separations and integrations

Knowledge Management

• Act as an internal domain authority, providing technical leadership on complex tax and regulatory matters.
• Lead the development of thought leadership, including articles, publications, and knowledge pieces that strengthen the firm's market presence.
• Mentor Principals and Managers, guiding them to build deep specializations and become trusted experts within their domains.
  
  

Brand Management

• Representing & endorsing expertise and scope of service at various external forums. Interacting with peers and building a high-quality network in industry.
• Publishing articles & research papers on regular basis. Sharing knowledge and learning at external forums to increase visibility and credibility.
  
  

People Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of managers, senior associates, and associates engaged in deal
  
  

mandates providing real-time deal supervision, structured technical feedback, and long-term career

development support

• Create a culture of technical rigour and commercial acumen within the deal team fostering curiosity,
  
  

thoroughness, and client-centricity as professional hallmarks

• Support talent acquisition for the M&A practice participating in lateral hiring, campus recruitment, and
  
  

team planning in consultation with firm leadership

• Conduct performance reviews and provide high-quality, specific, developmental assessments for team
  
  

members; actively support career progression of high-potential junior advisors Ideation/ Innovation

• Initiate and drive development of proprietary structuring models
• Design and implement forward-thinking litigation strategies, leveraging deep technical knowledge and
  
  

creative problem-solving.

• Foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement
• Promote knowledge sharing and cross-collaboration.
  
  

Skills: tax,merger,acquisitions,pe,m&a,m&a advisory services