People
Meet the distinguished legal professionals who drive excellence at Aequitas Law Partners
Home of Inspired Performers
Sambhav Ranka
Founding Partner
Sambhav is the Founding Partner of Aequitas Law Partners, where he leads the firm's Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Private Equity and Venture Capital practices. He has played a pivotal role in numerous complex cross-border (inbound and outbound) acquisition and investment transactions, advising on deals involving both private and public (listed and unlisted) entities. His strategic legal counsel has been instrumental in navigating intricate deal structures and regulatory landscapes across jurisdictions. <br><br> With a deep specialization in structuring cross-border transactions, Sambhav has advised several conglomerates on their M&A strategies, supported financial and strategic investors through their investments and exits, and guided companies and promoters through capital raising initiatives. His work spans the full transaction lifecycle across a wide range of industry verticals and across stages of growth and control. <br><br> Sambhav has had the privilege of advising some of the largest private equity funds, investment banks, financial institutions, corporate houses and global multinational corporations and conglomerates. His expertise also extends to the setup, structuring and legal advisory of investment funds, including the documentation of several onshore and offshore India-centric funds.
Rowena De Sousa
Founding Partner
Rowena is the Founding Partner of Aequitas Law Partners and a trusted advisor with over a decade of experience in Private Equity, Venture Capital, M&A and General Corporate Advisory. Known for her commercial clarity, strategic insight and collaborative ethos, she is widely recognized for her leadership in high-stakes, time-sensitive transactions that demand precision and sound judgment. <br><br>She has advised leading investors, financial institutions and both domestic and offshore private equity and venture capital funds across the full investment lifecycle, from due diligence and structuring to regulatory compliance, documentation and post-transaction support. Her transactional expertise spans a broad spectrum of industries, including e-commerce, technology-enabled services, education, pharma, healthcare, telecommunications, financial services, consumer goods and FMCG. <br><br>Rowena has also led complex domestic and cross-border M&A deals, including joint ventures, business restructurings, slump sales and entity acquisitions. Her deep understanding of regulatory frameworks, including exchange control, corporate governance and disclosure norms, enables seamless and efficient execution of sophisticated transactions.<br><br> In her General Corporate Advisory practice, Rowena regularly counsels clients on corporate and commercial law, TMT regulations, FDI compliance and data protection laws. She is adept at evaluating regulatory impacts on innovative business models and is highly regarded for drafting pragmatic, commercially sound contracts covering business collaborations, technology transfers and licensing arrangements.<br><br> With a reputation built on insight, integrity and execution excellence, Rowena continues to be a valued strategic partner to businesses and investors navigating complex legal and regulatory landscapes.
Anita Jain
Founding Partner
Anita is the Founding Partner of Aequitas Law Partners and leads the Investment Funds, Asset Management and Regulatory Practice. She is a trusted advisor to fund managers, institutional investors and financial services intermediaries on the structuring, formation and operation of a broad range of domestic and offshore investment vehicles, including Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), Portfolio Management Services (PMS) and investment advisory platforms. <br><br> Anita has extensive experience advising across the entire lifecycle of fund structures from formation and capital raising to investor negotiations, governance, regulatory compliance and exit strategies. She regularly advises on the structuring of co-investment platforms, continuation funds and tailored carry and incentive arrangements. <br><br> A key focus of her practice is India's International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at GIFT City, where she assists both domestic and international sponsors in setting up fund structures, family offices and licensed financial entities. Her work includes regulatory licensing, IFSCA filings, cross-border structuring and operational setup for GIFT City-based vehicles. <br><br> Anita also advises on regulatory strategy and enforcement and regularly represents clients before SEBI and IFSCA, including in connection with inspections, show-cause proceedings and settlement negotiations. <br><br> Recognised for her strategic thinking and commercially grounded advice, Anita combines deep regulatory insight with practical execution. Prior to co-founding the firm, she was associated with leading Indian law firms in their financial services and funds practices.
Abhishek Pai
Partner
Abhishek Pai is a seasoned corporate counsel and qualified Company Secretary whose practice bridges strategic advisory and courtroom advocacy. He has guided listed companies and international investors on governance, regulatory compliance, and complex cross-border transactions. A former litigator before Mumbai’s trial courts and the appellate courts, Abhishek handled commercial disputes, from fraud and inter-promoter conflicts to succession and investor litigation, bringing those insights to his transactional work.<br><br> At Aequitas Law Partners, he structures and executes venture capital and private equity deals, scheme-based mergers (NCLT-sanctioned), joint ventures, demergers, asset and share acquisitions. He also advises on hotel management and ISDA agreements, and ensures robust SEBI, RBI and RoC compliance. <br><br> Abhishek’s sector-agnostic expertise spans mining, pharmaceuticals, fintech, IT, hospitality, real estate, infrastructure, power and manufacturing sectors, gaming, logistics, banking and payments, industrial procurement, human resource management, textile, industrial automation and beyond, making him a trusted advisor in high-stakes transactions.
Urvi Gala
Principal Associate
Urvi comes with an elaborate expertise and experience in General Corporate, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Mergers & Acquisitions and Joint Ventures. She regularly advises Indian and international clients, including companies, investment funds, banks and financial institutions. <br><br> Urvi supports clients throughout the entire transaction process from conducting due diligence and advising on deal structure, to ensuring regulatory compliance and drafting key legal documents. Urvi has worked with clients across a wide range of industries, including e-commerce, real estate, education, ed-tech, fintech, hospitality, pharmaceuticals, banking and finance, IT-enabled services, drones, FMCG and manufacturing.<br><br> Urvi also advises on company formation, structuring of corporate entities, FEMA compliance and preparing various commercial contracts such as technology licensing agreements, IP assignment agreements and service agreements.
Animesh Joshi
Principal Associate
Animesh is a member of the Investment Funds, Asset Management & Regulatory Practice Team, where he specializes in advising Indian clients on the establishment and operation of investment vehicles, including private equity funds, hedge funds, venture capital funds and debt funds. Animesh's role also involves end-to-end legal support from structuring and documentation to registration and ongoing compliance to portfolio managers, investment advisors, etc. with a focus on delivering tailored, strategic solutions aligned with regulatory expectations. His practice spans both domestic jurisdictions and the GIFT City International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).<br><br>Animesh’s core areas of expertise include fund documentation, regulatory registrations, and associated lifecycle activities. He provides strategic legal and regulatory guidance on fund raising and structuring, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulatory frameworks. <br><br> He is also actively engaged in advising fund managers on post approval legal and regulatory matters, following the receipt of requisite clearances from regulatory authorities such as SEBI and IFSCA. His contributions support clients in navigating complex regulatory landscapes with confidence and precision.