Counsel.
Not just contracts.

01 · How we think about legal

The problem first.
The document after.

Run by qualified lawyers, backed by CAs. That combination is rarer than it sounds. Most law firms draft what you ask. Most CA firms don't draft at all. We do both — legal enforceability and commercial accuracy, in the same conversation, from the same team.

Every clause is reviewed for its legal, financial, and tax consequence — the accounting treatment of an indemnity, the capital gains hit on a share transfer clause, the GST trigger in a service agreement. The advice comes first. The document is the artefact.

How most legal mandates begin

"I need an NDA." "Can you draft an SHA?" The document is the brief. The underlying problem is rarely surfaced.

How we begin every mandate

"What are you trying to protect?" "What happens if this goes wrong?" "What's the commercial outcome?" The document comes after.

A typical disputes approach

File first, negotiate later. Strategy driven by procedure, not by the commercial cost of being right versus being done.

Our approach to disputes

Disputes are a business problem before they are a legal one. We advise on cost, risk, and outcome — then choose the instrument: notice, negotiation, arbitration, or NCLT.

What legal advisory usually means

An opinion on the legal position. In isolation from the financial, regulatory, and operational reality of the business.

What it means here

Strategy that accounts for tax consequence, accounting treatment, regulatory exposure, and commercial outcome. Management consulting. With lawyers.

02 · Our practices

Six practice
areas.

Advisory and consulting are how we think. Disputes, drafting, retainers, and IP are how the advice lands. In that order.

01 · Advisory

Legal Advisory

Specific question · One-off engagement

For specific questions — not "draft me a contract" but "what does this clause mean for us?" or "how do we structure this to minimise exposure?" Written opinions and structured guidance on commercial-legal questions sitting at the intersection of finance, tax, and law.

02 · Consulting

Legal Consulting

Project-based · Defined outcome

For ongoing projects — a transaction with a full document set, a policy build spanning months, a compliance programme across legal and regulatory work. We engage as the primary legal partner on the project, coordinating with specialist counsel where required.

03 · Disputes & Pre-litigation

Disputes & Pre-litigation

Notices · Arbitration · NCLT support

Most disputes are resolved — or should be resolved — before they reach a courtroom. We handle everything before the litigation stage: notices, demands, negotiation, arbitration, and shareholder disputes including oppression & mismanagement matters under Sections 241–242 of the Companies Act 2013.

04 · Retainer

Legal Retainer

Monthly · Ongoing access

For companies that need legal support as a standing function — continuous commercial-legal coverage, not one contract a quarter. A named advisor who knows your business, your existing agreements, and your commercial context before every conversation.

05 · Drafting

Contract Drafting

Supporting capability · Instruction-led

When the advice needs a document — which it often does — we draft it ourselves. The same lawyer who gave the advice writes the clause. Every draft passes through three lenses: legal enforceability, commercial accuracy, financial & tax consequence. Template-free.

06 · Intellectual Property

Intellectual Property

Registration · Assignment · Protection

Your brand, your software, your creative work, and your proprietary processes are assets. They need to be registered, assigned, and protected — before someone else does it first, or before a transaction exposes that they weren't.

03 · Process

One discipline.
Every mandate.

Whether the mandate ends in advice, a document, an arbitration claim, or a referral — the same four-step discipline applies.

Step 01

Brief

30-minute call or written brief. We learn the deal — parties, commercial outcome, what's been agreed, where the risk sits. We don't draft or advise without understanding the transaction.

Step 02

Position

A written legal position — the options, the trade-offs, the recommendation. Before any document is drafted. If advice is the deliverable, this is the deliverable. If a document is needed, this is the brief for it.

Step 03

Execute

Document drafted, notice sent, arbitration initiated, or filing made. Every artefact reviewed through legal, commercial, and tax lenses before delivery.

Step 04

Close

A closing note on residual risk, open questions, and what to watch for. We don't close a file without telling you what's still live.

04 · What we draft

Every document
your business needs.

From a bilateral NDA to a full Series B document set, trademark assignments, settlement agreements, NCLT petitions, and shareholder dispute notices. The complete catalogue lives on the Drafting page. A summary here.

Confidentiality & Non-disclosure

Bilateral, tri-party, unilateral NDAs · Non-circumvention · Information barriers

Transaction Documents

SHA · SPA · Term sheets · SAFE · Convertible notes · ROFR · Tag/Drag · Anti-dilution

Commercial Agreements

MSA · SLA · SoW · Vendor · Distributor · Reseller · Agency · JV · Franchise

Employment & Equity

ESOP plans & agreements · Employment · Non-compete · Contractor · IP assignment

Debt & Lending

Loan agreements · Guarantees · Pledge · Hypothecation · Promissory notes

Advisory & Engagement

Retainers · Advisory board · Engagement letters · LOIs · MOUs · Term sheets

Intellectual Property

Trademark assignments & licensing · Copyright assignment · Software licences · Trade secrets

Disputes & Resolution

Legal notices · Section 138 NI Act · O&M petitions (Sec 241–242) · Cease & desist · Settlement · Arbitration

If it isn't listed and you need it — ask.

See full catalogue →
05 · Indian Law

Drafted for
Indian reality.

Every jurisdiction has its own peculiarities. Indian commercial law is no different — and most template-based drafting misses them entirely. We draft and advise for Indian governing law, Indian courts, and Indian regulatory frameworks. Not adapted from English or US precedent.

Companies Act 2013
Corporate governance & shareholder disputes

Corporate governance, share transfers, board obligations, related-party transactions, NCLT/NCLAT procedures, and shareholder disputes under Sections 241–242 (oppression and mismanagement).

FEMA 1999
Cross-border & foreign investment

FDI structures, ECB, share transfers to non-residents, FC-GPR / FC-TRS, compounding, and RBI reporting obligations.

SEBI Regulations
Listed-company obligations

LODR, UPSI tracking, insider trading code, takeover regulations, and disclosure requirements for relevant entities.

Income Tax Act 1961
Tax structuring within deals

Capital gains structuring, Section 56(2) consequence, ESOP tax treatment, TDS on contracts, and treaty considerations.

DPDP Act 2023
Data protection & consent

Data fiduciary obligations, consent frameworks, cross-border data transfer, processor agreements, and breach notification.

Indian Contract Act 1872
Enforceability & remedy

Offer, acceptance, consideration, restraint-of-trade enforceability, limitation, and the doctrine around liquidated damages and specific performance.

06 · Brief a matter

Talk to us
about your matter.

Tell us what you need. One document, one opinion, a dispute, or an ongoing relationship — we'll come back within one working day with how we'd approach it.

Practice scope

Dissent Legal is run by qualified advocates and legal practitioners, working within applicable Bar Council and professional rules. Court appearances and formal litigation are conducted by our empanelled litigation counsel network in coordination with our team.

This page is informational and is published under Bar Council of India (Indian Council Education) rules. It is not an advertisement, a solicitation of work, or legal advice. Engagement begins only after a written letter of engagement is signed.

Response within 1 working day.
Every enquiry reviewed by a practitioner.

© 2026 Divinitus Advisors LLP. All rights reserved.

This publication (www.dissent.one) is made available by Divinitus Advisors LLP for informational purposes only and is intended, but not promised or guaranteed, to be correct, complete, and up-to-date. Divinitus Advisors LLP does not warrant that the information contained on this knowledge site is accurate or complete, and hereby disclaims any and all liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause. This knowledge site is not intended to be a source of advertising or solicitation and the contents of the knowledge site should not be construed as legal advice. Furthermore, the owner of this knowledge site does not wish to represent anyone desiring representation based solely upon viewing this knowledge site or in a country/state where this knowledge site fails to comply with all laws and ethical rules of that state. All rights reserved.