Over the years, GLA has been working extensively with some of India’s most exciting impact investors and social enterprises who are catalyzing India’s education, healthcare, financial services and agriculture sectors. These investors and enterprises are engaged in solving problems that can potentially transform the lives of the poor in India. As we enter the 2020s, we believe that the world will need to actively confront the challenge of Climate Change. Consequently, we have begun the process of building our knowledge, experience and credentials of working with investors and enterprises who are working in the broader Climate Action space.

Amongst others, we have been privileged to be the trusted legal counsel for a leading UK-headquarted impact-first investment fund that has made investments in early stage agritech and edtech startups in India, one of India’s pioneering social business incubators and one of India’s foremost impact consulting and implementation firms.

Over the years, we have also partnered with several world-leading impact organizations such as the Global Alliance of Impact Lawyers (GAIL), Yunus Social Business Fund Bengaluru, AVPN, ANDE, NSRCEL, Arthan and Villgro Innovations Foundation to deliver numerous workshops/speaking engagements on contemporary issues concerning India’s social impact sector.

We at GLA are proud to play the role of enablers to these enterprises, their investors and founders, by helping them attain their business objectives in a legally compliant manner.

Our Social Enterprises practice group is comprised of lawyers who have expertise in diverse practice areas that affect social entrepreneurs.

How Do We Help Impact Investors and Social Enterprises?

• Incorporation of different forms of social enterprises (Trusts, Section 8 Companies, Hybrid Vehicles)
• Advising them on different compliance requirements mandated by applicable central and state laws of India that govern their organization
• Structuring various forms of social finance agreements (grant agreements, loan agreements, equity-based venture capital transactions, crowdfunding etc.)
• Structuring various forms of collaborations/partnerships between various social sector participants
• Advising for-profits and non-profits on the corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework prescribed by the Companies Act, 2013.

Representative Experience

• For the last 8 years, we have represented India’s leading impact consulting firm and advised them on all their legal requirements, including advising them on structuring their shareholder agreements, advising them on their internal employee relations processes and policies, assisting them in structuring various commercial agreements with their clients and vendors, and advising them on the corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework prescribed by the Companies Act, 2013.
• Represented a leading UK-headquarted impact-first investment fund that supports early stage impact-focused enterprises operating in India on its investments in an edtech startup and an agritech startup in India- Our support spanned the entire lifecysle of the transactions from due diligence to drafting of documentation and negotiation, and closing assistance.
• For the last 4 years,we have served as retained legal counsel to a group of five organizations working in  the healthcare sector, focused on making healthcare accessible to the marginalized sections of society in India. We have helped them  in reviewing multiple commercial and grant agreements, advised them on various laws applicable to healthcare organizations, and advised them on various intellectual property and corporate governance assignments.

We have built a deep- engaging relationship in Social Enterprises and Impact Investing globally through our partnerships with:

(1) Asian Venture Philanthropy Network

(2) Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs

(3) The Global Alliance of Impact Lawyers