India group retains ‘Key Player’ status in the India Business Law Journal’s list of top foreign law firms

Penningtons Manches Cooper’s India group, led by partners Phillip D’Costa and Pat Saini, has once again been named as a ‘Key Player’ in the India Business Law Journal’s (IBLJ) report into the top foreign law firms for India-related work in 2026.

The survey has now been running for two decades, a period which has seen India’s position in the global legal and economic landscape change dramatically, alongside the evolution of the Indian legal market itself. It draws on analysis of over 600 firms from across the globe, including consultations with in-house counsel and Indian legal practitioners, to rank the top international law firms for their expertise and impact on India-related mandates.

As a ‘Key Player’ since 2024, Penningtons Manches Cooper is one of the top 30 firms, demonstrating ‘commitment, dedication and engagement with the Indian market’. The India group itself assists many of India’s best known corporates with their international ventures, offering a full range of services including, corporate, dispute resolution, commercial, technology, finance and banking, real estate, immigration, data protection, and intellectual property. Aside from the mainstream corporate offering, this range also includes one of the largest UK teams providing private wealth advice and services to family offices, families and UHNWIs.

In the report, one matter in particular was highlighted as showcasing the group’s capability with India-related matters: the drafting and negotiation of a memorandum of association for the Shipping Corporation of India’s acquisition of two very large gas carriers (VLGC) procured from Qatari shipping major Milaha, a landmark transaction which tripled India’s national VLGC fleet. The matter was advised by Akshay Misra.

Read the IBLJ’s Top Foreign Law Firms report for 2026 in full here.