Associate Partner - Mergers & Acquisitions - Tax & Deal Advisory

The role demands a technically exceptional advisor who is equally adept at managing complex, multi-workstream deal mandates and at building trusted, long-term relationships with PE sponsors, strategic acquirers, founders, and investment banks. The successful candidate will lead tax due diligence, deal structuring, SPA advisory, and post-deal integration engagements while also playing a material role in business development, practice growth, and team leadership.
Chartered Accountant (ICAI) - mandatory qualification
- LLB from a reputed institution is a strong added advantage, given the legal-tax interface in M&A mandates (SPAs, scheme documents, regulatory filings)
- Additional qualifications such as CFA, MBA (Finance), or ADIT (International Tax) are positively regarded
- 10-15 years of post-qualification experience in M&A tax advisory, deal structuring, or transaction advisory with the substantive portion of the career spent at a Big 6 accounting firm (Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC, BDO, Grant Thornton), a Tier 1 Indian law firm (AZB & Partners, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, Trilegal, Khaitan & Co, JSA), or a specialist M&A / deals advisory practice
- Prior experience in a Big 6 firm or a reputed law firm is strongly preferred and will be a significant

differentiator in the selection process - Such candidates bring structured due diligence methodology, exposure to complex multi-jurisdictional deal structures, rigorous quality standards, and established networks within the PE, banking, and legal advisory communities
- Demonstrated track record of having led or co-led tax advisory on 20+ transactions, including buy-side and sell-side M&A, with clear evidence of increasing responsibility over the career arc
- Experience in PE-backed deal environments - Including an understanding of PE fund structures, investor return mechanics, management fee and carry considerations, and exit planning - is strongly preferred
Technical Skills & Domain Knowledge :
- M&A tax framework mastery - Deep technical command of Income Tax Act provisions relevant to transactions: Sections 2(47), 2(42A), 47, 50C, 56(2)(x), 72A, 79, 115BAA, and the capital gains tax regime including indexation, short-term vs. long-term characterization, and securities transaction tax
- Deal structuring expertise - Comprehensive experience with share deals, asset deals, slump sales, itemized transfers, demergers, NCLT mergers, and their respective tax, stamp duty, and regulatory implications
- Cross-border M&A knowledge - Strong grasp of inbound and outbound M&A structures, offshore holding company considerations, repatriation planning (dividend, royalty, interest, capital gains), and exit tax planning under the Income Tax Act and applicable DTAAs
- DTAA proficiency - Expert-level working knowledge of India's major tax treaties (Mauritius, Singapore, Netherlands, UAE, UK, USA, Luxembourg) including MLI modifications, Principal Purpose Test, Limitation of Benefits, and treaty sourcing rules relevant to M&A transactions
- SPA and transaction document advisory - Practical experience reviewing and advising on tax representations, warranties, indemnities, tax covenant structures, and W&I insurance in the context of domestic and cross-border transactions
- SEBI Takeover Code, Companies Act, FEMA / FDI regulations - Working knowledge of the regulatory framework surrounding M&A transactions, including open offer obligations, pricing guidelines, FDI conditions, downstream investment rules, and NCLT procedures
- Indirect tax in M&A - Awareness of GST implications of deal structures, stamp duty considerations across states, and the interface between deal structuring and indirect tax efficiency
- Litigation risk assessment - Ability to evaluate litigation exposure on novel or aggressive tax positions and to calibrate advice accordingly, with a view to managing client risk rather than maximizing theoretical tax efficiency