“The foundations of RMA are knowledge, faith, integrity and trust.”
Meenakshi Acharya (Founder Partner,RMA Legal)

Meenakshi is the proud Founding Partner in RMA Legal- a full services law firm offering end-to-end solutions to businesses, corporates as well as individuals. Acharya completed her Law from Kishinchand Chellaram Law school, Bombay in 2008. In the initial course of her education, she was advised by her family to take up Chartered Accountancy. She excelled at it with flying colours. She started working in an esteemed law firm “Thakker and Thakker” as an Internal Auditor in the initial years of her career where she got in touch with many paralegals, lawyers and got inspired to study law. While completing her law, Acharya applied and worked in a paralegal position in AZB & Partners and later got absorbed as an Associate position.

She has versatile expertise in mergers & acquisitions, private equity investments, debt funding, foreign investments policies (FEMA), company & business transactions; capital market, e-commerce, land, infrastructure, employment & labour matters.

“I got the opportunity to work with prime law companies of India just like the AZB & Partners, Thakker & Thakker, ARA Law, and Singhania & Co. This helped me to guide RMA Legal to its current position within the market,” asserted Meenakshi.

Today she holds the milestone of fourteen years of experience and expertise in the legal business. Her experience includes:

Structuring of foreign investment in light of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA). Conducting due diligence on potential investment targets, Conducting Due Diligences & preparing DD Reports including advising clients in relation to transactional documentation, pre and post-investment restructuring as well as statutory compliances.
Drafting and negotiating transaction documents including share subscription agreements, share purchase agreements, shareholder’s agreements, investment agreements and other ancillary agreements including charter documents related to the corporate transaction.
Setting up an e-commerce business platform, preparing structures for B2B and B2C business model (with FDI Investment), preparing documentation in this respect.
Liaison for approvals from various regulators such as the Reserve Bank of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), where the transactions required such approvals.
Advising Foreign-owned Indian companies in the IT sector, Aviation, Designing & Engineering sector and Indian companies in the Education sector, AWS service industry, infrastructure on employment and labour related queries.
Advice on entry strategies into India and on various Indian laws and Regulations.
Drafting various EPC contracts such as supply contract, erection contract, works contract, conducting due diligence with respect to IPO transaction, preparing documentation, reviewing and drafting of certain chapters under DRHP, compliances with SEBI, FEMA, listing agreement/LODR, Company Law.
Advisory work on issues arising out of the Companies Act, company-related documentation, corporate compliances such as notices of general meetings, resolutions at the board and general meetings, filings with Registrar of Companies, etc.
Real estate advisory work, residential and commercial leases, include Title search, property due-diligence, vetting and negotiating documents such as sale agreements, agreement to sale, leave & license agreements and lease deeds.

She is a proud member of the Bar Association of India and Mumbai & Goa High Court Bar Association. Meenakshi’s interest resides in versatile experience in mergers & acquisitions, private equity and investments, foreign investments policies (FEMA), corporate & commercial transactions; capital market, eCommerce, real estate, infrastructure, employment & labour matters.

HURDLES ENCOUNTERED

Meenakshi describes her entrepreneurial journey as full of ups and downs. While establishing her firm, she had to start from scratch since she was a first-generation lawyer with no back support or readily available clients.

“We started with all of our existing contacts, met new people, collaborated with them, and rented an office to start our operations. Any new beginning brings with itself many new challenges. However, with the support of my family, especially my mother, I worked hard and never gave up,” said Meenakshi.

RMA LEGAL & CORE OFFERINGS

RMA is established by a team of dedicated professionals coming back from varied streams of law. Meenakshi is one of the Founding Partners, always working diligently to take her Law firm to infinite heights. The company stands strong and firm on the foundations like information, faith, integrity and trust. RMA Legal’s spectrum of experience encompasses setting up of businesses, commercial contracts, M&A, Private Equity and investments, debt capital, capital market, corporate advisory, eCommerce, real estate, maritime & air law, Intellectual property rights, statutory and regulatory compliance, advising on foreign banks setting up in India and Indian Banks opening branches or subsidiaries overseas and assisting in obtaining approval from RBI; International and domestic arbitration; litigation, mediation, telecommunication and media, infrastructure and other related services.

“I do a lot of paperwork myself to ensure everything is on point. Client trust and delivering the best solutions are always on my mind. It keeps me motivated, on my toes and is a big reason behind RMA’s success today,” said Acharya.

The company has been on a growth curve since the inauguration day and today they have diversified in many fields.

Some Services provided by RMA legal are:

Cross border & Domestic M&A
Asset & Business Purchase Transactions
Joint Ventures, Strategic Partnerships, Schemes of arrangements
Restructuring & Re-Organization
Fundraising through IPOs, Rights Issues, Private Placements, QIPs, FCCB
Advice on draft Red Herring Prospectus; Drafting and advising on certain chapters of DRHP, etc.
Conducting Legal Due Diligence
Structuring of Transactions
Drafting, review & negotiation of all transactional documentation including JVs, Tenders, Concession Agreements, EPC, PPP, PPA, Financing Agreements, and so on.
Obtaining all approvals under Environmental Laws
Advice on All Regulatory and Compliance Laws
Litigation support across India

RMA’s corporate practice is centred around transactional and legal advisory services concerning day-to-day business, regulatory issues, corporate and governance affairs of public and private companies. RMA provides end-to-end support to entities, both Indian and foreign, in setting up their business in India and helping them in their operations guiding them through the gamut of Indian rules and regulations.

The company also handles civil matters, criminal matters, educational litigation, affiliate vendor service agreements, and franchisee agreements.

Through their network of associates, the company is able to offer a wide spectrum of solutions in varied practice areas on a Pan India basis which enables them to provide comprehensive legal solutions.

CLIENTELE AND COMPANY’S USP

“Our goal is to be the firm of choice for clients with regards to all their legal needs irrespective of the nature, complexities or dimensions of the matter. We understand the trust reposed on us by our clients. The focus for RMA is on providing commercially sound legal advice and solutions in an expeditious manner while ensuring regulatory and statutory compliances. This shall be augmented through optimal use of technology and other innovative means to ensure cost-efficient services,” explained Meenakshi.

RMA advises on all laws for the successful completion of the projects involved, they have also extended the hand-holding of their clients with respect to any litigation arising out of the projects both during the transaction and afterwards. Acharya has serviced a wide range of clientele including companies in the infrastructure sector, power sector, real estate, investment companies, IT companies and foreign investors from various jurisdictions.

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Since the company’s inception, Meenakshi Acharya is devising innumerable strategies to take her company to sky-high heights. RMA Legal has won many highly prestigious awards and achievements so far. Some of them are:

Felicitated as one of the Top 50 legal Falcons at LexTalk World Conference, U.A.E. 2021 and again selected for the year 2022.
Awarded The Indian Achievers Award 2021 by the Indian Achiever’s Forum for Emerging Company and also received the title of Entrepreneur of the year 2021 in recognition of outstanding Professional Achievement & Contribution in Nation Building.
Meenakshi Acharya has been awarded by Women Entrepreneur Magazine for ‘Top 10 Best Women in IP Copyright and Trademark in India 2021’

HER WORDS OF WISDOM

For all the women who aspire to lead a successful law firm, Meenakshi shares a great piece of advice for them. She says, “When you work in a law firm, you get clients, but when you set up a law firm you have to build your own clientele. It’s not an easy process. Don’t give up. Keep working. Things will work out. Fly high, the sky is all yours.”