NISHA KAUR UBEROI is a Partner and Co-Head of the competition law practice at AZB & Partners. Nisha’s practice encompasses the full spectrum of competition law, including cartel enforcement, abuse of dominance, merger control and competition audit and compliance. She regularly represents Indian and multinational clients on behavioural and merger control matters before the Competition Commission of India (CCI), Competition Appellate Tribunal (COMPAT) and other courts in India.
Nisha has been internationally recognized as a competition law expert and has received multiple accolades, including being one of the 100 Women in Antitrust in the world by Global Competition Review 2016. She has also featured in the A-List of India’s Top 100 lawyers by India Business Law Journal and the Indian Corporate Counsel Association.
Nisha has obtained a very significant number of merger control clearances in India (over 195 of the 420 odd merger notifications) and has acted on 10 of the 16 Form II (long form) merger notifications filed with the CCI. Her significant merger control clearances include the Etihad/Jet transaction, the Kotak Mahindra/ING USD 2.4 billion merger and UltraTech/Jaypee USD 2.4 billion acquisition of cement assets across India. She has also advised on Phase II investigations in India, including Sun Pharmaceuticals/Ranbaxy and the USD 4 billion merger and Lafarge/Holcim Euro 41 billion merger that included imposition of divestitures.
Nisha is currently representing Ambuja Cements Limited and Lafarge India Limited in relation to the penalty imposed by the CCI in the alleged cement cartel case before the COMPAT. She is also currently representing UltraTech Cement Limited in relation to the penalty imposed by the CCI in the alleged bid-rigging case before the COMPAT. She has successfully represented several high-profile clients in complex, precedent-setting behavioural matters, including, the International Spirits and Wines Association of India, Board of Control for Cricket in India, International Air Transport Association, Adani Gas Limited, Gujarat Gas Company Limited, Prestige Estates Projects Limited, etc. Nisha is representing clients on several leniency matters as well.
Nisha has been selected for recognition in the 2017 edition of Who’s Who Legal: Competition and is a Member of the Unilateral Conduct Working Group for the International Bar Association, 2017. She was recognized as a competition expert by ALB Asia’s ‘40 under 40’ in 2015, International Law Office-Client Choice Awards in 2015, Chambers and Partners in 2014, 2015 and 2016, Asialaw Leading Lawyers 2013 and 2014, Competition & Antitrust Expert Guides – India 2014, Euromoney BRIC 2013 – Expert on Competition Law and the 2013 RSG India Report as ‘one of the most excellent Competition lawyers in India’ for her work in competition law.
Nisha has significantly contributed to the evolution and development of the nascent competition law jurisprudence in India and has been involved in drafting the merger control regulations in India. Nisha is a member of the Permanent Working Group on Non-Cartel Behavioural Issues of the IBA Antitrust Committee and a member of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Merger Control of the IBA Antitrust Committee.
Nisha is a graduate of the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, and National University of Singapore. Prior to joining AZB & Partners, Nisha was the national head of the competition practice of a leading Indian law firm.