Nilang Desai

Senior Partner

What motivates me is the privilege and opportunity of having worked on and led many of the market firsts in this area, assisting in developing its laws and regulations with regulators and ministries, influencing thought leadership on key issues through seminars, speeches, discussions with the media, influencer groups and working with some of the best restructuring and structured finance lawyers in the country.

“Nilang is a leader in the restructuring and insolvency space, an excellent lawyer with a very proactive advisory approach. He is an excellent articulator of solutions and works to find implementable solutions.”

Chambers & Partners Asia–Pacific (2023)

With over 18 years of experience, Nilang Desai specialises in Restructuring & Insolvency as well as Structured Finance matters. His practice focuses on a comprehensive range of domestic and international business reorganisation and restructuring matters having acted on many market firsts in this space. Nilang also represents various banks, financial institutions, multilateral and bilateral institutions as well as borrowers in connection with Indian and offshore structured loan transactions. With extensive cross–border experience, Nilang and the market-leading team at AZB have led highly complex structuring deals in collaboration with international teams. He holds a Bachelors of Law from King’s College London, qualified as a Solicitor in England and Wales, is an Indian advocate and has qualified as a chartered accountant.

DIRECTORSHIPS, MEMBERSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS

  • Member of Working Group to propose the best practices for Insolvency Professional Entities registered as Insolvency Professionals, constituted by the Insolvency Law Academy (2023)
  • Invitee to the Manoharan Committee of the RBI on revitalizing the secondary debt trading market
  • Participant in the Insolvency Law Committee constituted by the Ministry of Corporate Affair (2018-2023)
  • Participant in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India Committee on Prepacks under IBC (2019)
  • Participant in various RBI roundtables on the IBC
  • Vice President (elect) and Executive Committee Member (elect) of Insol India
  • Member of the Technical Committee for Insol 2023
  • Law Society of England & Wales (2008)
  • Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa (2005)

WORK HIGHLIGHTS

RECENT RECOGNITION

2024

2023

2022

2021

Asialaw Profiles

‘Distinguished Practitioner’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

Chambers & Partners Asia-Pacific

‘Band 1’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

Legal 500 Asia Pacific

A ‘Leading Lawyer’ for Banking & Finance, Restructuring & Insolvency

Asialaw Profiles

‘Distinguished Practitioner’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

Chambers & Partners Asia-Pacific

‘Band 1’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

IFLR1000

‘Highly Regarded’ for Banking & Finance and Restructuring & Insolvency

India Business Law Journal

Featured in ‘A–List of India’s Top 100 Lawyers’

Legal 500 Asia Pacific

• A ‘Leading Lawyer’ for Banking & Finance
• Named a ‘Next Generation Partner’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

Legal Era

Named a Leading Lawyer Champion for Restructuring & Insolvency

Asialaw Profiles

‘Distinguished Practitioner’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

Chambers & Partners Asia-Pacific

‘Band 1’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

IFLR1000

‘Highly Regarded’ for Banking & Finance and Restructuring & Insolvency

India Business Law Journal

Featured in ‘A–List of India’s Top 100 Lawyers’

Legal 500 Asia Pacific

• A ‘Leading Lawyer’ for Banking & Finance
• Named a ‘Next Generation Partner’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

Legal Era

Named a Leading Lawyer Champion for Restructuring & Insolvency

Chambers & Partners Asia-Pacific

‘Band 1’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

IFLR1000

‘Highly Regarded’ for Banking & Finance and Restructuring & Insolvency

Legal 500 Asia Pacific

• A ‘Leading Lawyer’ for Banking & Finance
• Named a ‘Next Generation Partner’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

RECENT RECOGNITION

Asialaw Profiles

‘Distinguished Practitioner’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

Chambers & Partners Asia-Pacific

‘Band 1’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

Legal 500 Asia Pacific

A ‘Leading Lawyer’ for Banking & Finance, Restructuring & Insolvency

Asialaw Profiles

‘Distinguished Practitioner’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

Chambers & Partners Asia-Pacific

‘Band 1’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

IFLR1000

‘Highly Regarded’ for Banking & Finance and Restructuring & Insolvency

India Business Law Journal

Featured in ‘A–List of India’s Top 100 Lawyers’

Legal 500 Asia Pacific

• A ‘Leading Lawyer’ for Banking & Finance
• Named a ‘Next Generation Partner’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

Legal Era

Named a Leading Lawyer Champion for Restructuring & Insolvency

Asialaw Profiles

‘Distinguished Practitioner’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

Chambers & Partners Asia-Pacific

‘Band 1’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

IFLR1000

‘Highly Regarded’ for Banking & Finance and Restructuring & Insolvency

India Business Law Journal

Featured in ‘A–List of India’s Top 100 Lawyers’

Legal 500 Asia Pacific

• A ‘Leading Lawyer’ for Banking & Finance
• Named a ‘Next Generation Partner’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

Legal Era

Named a Leading Lawyer Champion for Restructuring & Insolvency

Chambers & Partners Asia-Pacific

‘Band 1’ for Restructuring & Insolvency

IFLR1000

‘Highly Regarded’ for Banking & Finance and Restructuring & Insolvency

Legal 500 Asia Pacific

• A ‘Leading Lawyer’ for Banking & Finance
• Named a ‘Next Generation Partner’ for Restructuring & Insolvency