Aliff, who was a founding partner in another law firm in Mumbai, merged his practice with ALMT Legal in 2003 to enhance the Firm's tax and M&A practice. Aliff is listed among the “Top 100 Private Practice Lawyers in India” by India Business Law Journal in 2018-19, 2020-21 and 2021-22. Aliff is featured in Asian Legal Business magazine’s 'A-List of India's Super 50 Lawyers in 2020’.Asia Law Profiles 2022 Edition has recognised Aliff as ‘Distinguished Practitioner’ for Corporate M&A and Labour and Employment. Aliff is featured in the prestigious Forbes India Legal Powerlist 2020 (Individual Lawyer) for Labour and Employment. Asia Pacific Legal 500 2022 Edition has featured Aliff in ‘Hall of Fame’ for his Tax practice and has recognised Aliff as ‘Leading Lawyer’ for Labour and Employment and also recommended him for his Corporate M&A practice. 2021 Global Law Experts Handbook has ‘Highly Recommended’ Aliff for Corporate Tax Law. 2021 Corporate Intl Magazine Global Award has awarded Aliff Fazelbhoy as ‘International M&A Lawyer of the Year in India - 2021’. IFLR 1000 31st Edition recognises Aliff as ‘Highly Regarded Lawyer’ for M&A and Private Equity. Legal 100 Asia 2021 awards has recognised Aliff for Employment Law in India. Aliff has been recognized as Employment Lawyer of the Year in India – 2019 by Global Law Experts Annual Awards. Aliff has been consistently recognized as one of India’s leading lawyers by global legal publications like Legal 500, Asialaw Profiles and IFLR 1000 and Chambers & Partners, who has specifically recommended Aliff for his corporate/M&A, employment, private equity and tax practice.
Aliff’s tax experience includes advising on cross border tax structuring and issues such as creation of permanent establishment, obligations in relation to withholding tax, transfer pricing, characterization of software payments etc as well as some indirect tax issues particularly GST for various international and domestic clients. Aliff has also been actively involved in various high stakes direct tax litigation matters handled by the firm involving international tax issues such as indirect transfers, transfer pricing disputes and mutual agreement procedures.
Aliff’s M&A and corporate practice is mainly focused on transactional work for domestic and international private equity funds and multinational companies. Aliff also advises several clients in relation to certain capital markets transactions including registration of and investments by foreign portfolio investors as well as primary and secondary investments by a range of investors in publically listed companies.
Besides his tax and M&A practice, Aliff has helped develop a thriving employment law practice for the Firm and assists several multinational clients on a wide spectrum of employment law issues. In addition to structuring contracts, drafting employmnet policies and procedures for clients, including issues relating to sexual harassment and anti-sexual harassment policies, and advising on social security schemes, Aliff has also advised on implementing terminations, both as a reduction in workforce as well as termination for misconduct, the enforceability of post termination obligations as well as dispute resolutions. Aliff has also conducted training workshops in companies in relation to effectively dealing with sexual harrasment complaints, anti bribery, data privacy and workplace ethics.
The Tax Directors Handbook 2015 and 2016 highly recommends Aliff for his tax practice. Aliff has authored articles for international publications including for the IBFD and been a panelist at various international tax and M&A conferences and seminars.
Professional Appointments and Activities
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Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa, India (1988);
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Law Society of England and Wales (1992)
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One of India's representative authors for the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation (IBFD)
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Member of the Indian Chapter of the International Fiscal association (IFA)
Qualifications
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Bachelor of Laws – 1988 University of Bombay (was awarded the gold medal for securing the first rank overall)
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Bombay Incorporated Law Society (Solicitor's exam) - 1990 (secured the first rank and highest marks in all 5 subjects)
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LLM - 1991 University of Cambridge, UK
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Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test - Law society of England and Wales - 1992