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 recognised as one of the leading lawyers in his chosen fields of practice and has also been selected as one of India’s leading lawyers for M&A practice by Asia Law and Practice for four consecutive years in their publications “Asia law Leading Lawyers" from 2006 to 2010.

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 as well as indirect tax issues particularly service tax and VAT for various international and domestic clients. Aliff is also involved in advising on tax related litigation and dispute resolution proceedings before various tax authorities, tribunals and courts.

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 institutional investors ("FII") 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 clients on a range of employment law issues including structuring contracts, implementing terminations, establishing and advising on social security schemes and enforceability of post termination obligations.

Aliff has authored articles for international publications and been a panelist at various international tax and M&A conferences and seminars.

Recent experience

• Advising a leading international investment banking company on the most tax efficient manner of restructuring their Indian presence including regulatory issues and approvals required for terminating the agreements with their existing joint venture partner, consequent change in control guidelines to be complied with, etc.
• Advising leading software multinational in tax structuring of its product offering to retail customers in India including offering through the internet and considering issues such as PE, royalty, withholding requirements, service tax and VAT issues, etc.
• Advising a leading international investment banking company on Indian tax and regulatory issues and domestic compliance requirements in relation to its offshore acquisition of a percentage of another investment banking company having Indian subsidiaries.
• Advising a leading software multinational in litigating its disputes before the commissioner of appeals, Dispute Resolution Panel, Income Tax Tribunal and the High Court regarding transfer pricing on various services provided by the Indian subsidiary to its US parent and vice versa such as R&D, cost sharing, sales and marketing support, market surveys etc. Also advised on representations to be made before the India and US Competent authorities under the MAP provisions of the tax treaty.
• Advising a UK based hospitality and catering company on its acquisitions of Indian companies in different States, including structuring the acquisitions and advising on regulatory and tax aspects related thereto, undertaking detailed legal due diligence on the targets, etc.
• Advising several venture capital and private equity funds in their first and second round investments in various companies in the business of microfinance, IT solutions manufacturing and trading.
• Advised an Indian private equity fund on its exit from its investment in one of India’s leading power cable manufacturers, including negotiating the exit.
• Advised a large foreign bank in connection with the purchase by assignment of a multimillion dollar pre-shipment credit facility to an Indian exporter, including structuring the transfer to meet the regulations and issue of a legal opinion on the enforceability of the transaction documents.
• Advised and advising foreign banks on lending to Indian companies under the external commercial borrowing guidelines, including drafting of loan and security agreement, due diligence on the borrower, tax issues, issuing legal opinions, etc.
• Advising a large multinational on all aspects on an acquisition of selected assets and employees of an Indian company including direct and tax issues such as withholding tax, VAT, etc, issues surrounding transfer of employees, migration of social security benefits, etc.

Professional Appointments and Activities

• Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa, India (1988);
• Law Society of England and Wales (1992)
• One of India's representative authors for the International Bureau of Fiscal Documentation (IBFD)
• Member of the Indian Chapter of the International Fiscal association (IFA)

Qualifications

• B Com – 1985 University of Bombay
• LLB – 1988 University of Bombay (was awarded the gold medal for securing the first rank overall)
• Bombay Incorporated Law Society (Solicitor's exam) - 1990 (secured the first rank and highest marks in all 5 subjects)
• LLM - 1991 University of Cambridge, UK
• Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test - Law society of England and Wales - 1992