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DHRUV SURI

Dhruv Suri

Partner

Email d.suri@psalegal.com

Phone +91-11-43500506

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Dhruv enrolled as an Advocate in 2009 and joined PSA immediately thereafter. He completed his Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Columbia Law School, New York in 2014 and re-joined the firm in 2015. He was promoted partnership in December 2017.

Dhruv heads PSA’s TMT/Start-up/Venture Capital practice group where he actively advices multiple technology companies, start-ups, venture funds, angel investors and family offices across a range of practice areas such as corporate/commercial, antitrust, compliance and regulatory, data protection and privacy, foreign exchange laws, intellectual property, labour and employment, M&A, etc. Some of the other sectors where Dhruv actively advices clients are apparel and accessories, automotive, deep-tech, energy, fintech (payment banks, NBFCs, payment gateways, etc.), FMCG, food, gaming and e-sports, healthcare (tele-medicine, e-pharmacies, hospitals, pharmaceutical manufacturers, etc.), hospitality (hotels and hostels), logistics, telecom, etc.

Additionally, Dhruv also heads the Dispute Resolution practice of the firm where he represents clients before multiple forums across India. He regularly appears in the District Courts, High Courts, Supreme Court, Competition Commission of India, National Company Law Tribunal, National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, etc. as well as represents clients in domestic and international arbitrations.

Dhruv was recently recognized as one of India’s Super 50 Lawyers 2023 by Asian Legal Business. Asian Legal Business has also listed him as Asia Super 50 TMT Lawyer in 2022 and Top TMT/Fintech Lawyer in India for three consecutive years since 2021. He was also recognised by India Business Law Journal as a “future legal leader 2024”.

Outside of work, Dhruv volunteers as an “ambassador” with GINSEP (German Indian Startup Exchange Program), an initiative of the German government and takes guest lectures on subjects such as “negotiations”, “cross border M&A” and “Legal 101 for start-ups” at leading Indian law schools. He is Vice-Chair of Young Lawyers Committee of ITechLaw Association and heads the Delhi chapter of Columbia University’s Alumni Association. He regularly speaks at conferences as well as conducts trainings for incubators and accelerators. 

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

  • Advised start-ups across sectors on a range of contractual queries. Drafted various contracts and assisted in procuring business licenses from different authorities
  • Represented startups in the healthcare, fin-tech, food-tech, artificial intelligence/machine learning, digital mapping, hospitality, agro-tech and fashion e-commerce space across multiple rounds of funding from financial and strategic investors, including angels and family offices
  • Advised companies on co-founder disputes and assisted in mediating pre-dispute differences amongst various stakeholders in a company
  • Represented a large US furniture manufacturer in the acquisition of an Indian furniture manufacturing company and  lead the due diligence process under direct supervision of the Partner
  • Advised a European telecom company in seeking permissions and approvals from the Department of Telecommunication and advised them on Indian foreign exchange regulations and compliance
  • Represented US and European clients in the conducting corporate, commercial, regulatory and intellectual property due diligence of Indian companies for acquisitions; both asset and stock purchase as well as in structuring entry and exit options in joint ventures
  • Advised a US social media company on Indian copyright regulations and data protection laws to create an online platform for artists and bands to partner and compete in musical and lyrical content
  • Advised a large US telecom equipment manufacturer on aspects of Indian custom laws and represented them before Special Valuation Branches of the Chennai and Bangalore custom authorities
  • Advised a US cosmetics company with labelling laws and represented them before the custom authorities in Delhi with respect to their Indian imports
 

DISPUTE RESOLUTION EXPERIENCE

  • A large French conglomerate in a SIAC arbitration against a PSU where the dispute revolved around refurbishment of a thermal power plant. Successfully defended a unanimous award under sections 34 and 37 of Arbitration & Conciliation Act. The collective claim and counterclaims value above INR 600 crores
  • A French conglomerate in proceedings initiated against it by a PSU of more than INR 100 crores. The issue pertained to contract breach in a case involving a thermal power plant
  • A German conglomerate in an ICA arbitration; then successfully defended the award. Dispute was on inability of the German company to complete commissioning of a mill in a steel plant. Collective claim and counterclaim value: over INR 50 crores
  • A large shipping and port infrastructure company in arbitration against a port trust with multiple issues around payment of electricity, classification of cranes for paying wharfage, etc. Collective claim and counterclaims values: over INR 20 crores
  • A French automotive components manufacturer in multiple litigations against its Indian JV partner. Favorable orders allowed French entity to complete a global sale of one of its businesses. The value of the transaction at stake was in excess of INR 400 crores
  • A US company engaged in manufacturing mining products in proceedings against an Indian importer on issues pertaining to ownership of goods when they are stocked in custom bonded warehouses and relationship with the exporter is terminated. Dispute value: over INR 30 crores
  • Multiple Indian companies in initiating and defending proceedings under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. The highest value of cheques in a single complaint was INR 16 crores
  • A venture capital funded company in trademark infringement proceedings where damages sought by the plaintiff were in excess of INR 7 crores
  • A US e-commerce portal in cyber-squatting proceedings in India and got their proprietary domain name transferred to them
  • Multiple proceedings under the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code
  • Multiple Indian and foreign companies before the Company Law Board/National Company Law Tribunal on issues ranging from oppression/mismanagement, compounding, etc.

PUBLICATIONS

  • “E-Pharmacies: Prescribed to Succeed” for the firm’s August 2017 edition of the newsletter
  • “Are you facing ransomware attack? Here are ways to deal with it” on Yourstory.com in May 2017
  • “Food Sector, be alert” on Yourstory.com in February 2017
  • “Convertible notes: are they finally a reality for Indian startups?” on Yourstory.com in January 2017
  • “Online pharmacies- a long term means to the ultimate goal” on Yourstory.com in July 2016
  • “Is the Startup India Action Plan really that startup-friendly?” on Yourstory.com in January 2016
  • “Do you understand your anti-dilution?” on Yourstory.com in January 2016
  • “Do you understand how your ESOPs work?” on Yourstory.com in September 2015
  • “Intellectual Property- how to protect what you create” on Yourstory.com in May 2015
  • “What is the best legal entity for your business” on Yourstory.com in March 2015
  • “What co-founders need to do to clear the air before collaborating” on Yourstory.com in February 2015
  • Co-authored “Competition Commission Takes Hold of M&A Activity”, for American Bar Association’s India Law News,  March 2012
  • “Resolving disputes in cross-border transactions” published in International Law Office’s corporate/finance segment,  May 2011
  • “Social networking sites and identity thefts” published in the India Business Law Journal, March 2010
  • “Impact of the latest FDI regime on M&A and the Bharti-MTN deal” published in International Law Office’s  corporate/finance segment, July 2009
  • “A tale of lights, camera, taxation” published by taxindiaonline.com, June 2009
  • “Valuation in a global downturn” published in International Law Office’s corporate/finance segment, June 2009
  • “Criminal liability of Companies” published in the Corporate Law Advisor (2007) 80 CLA (Mag.) 78
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