Neela Badami is a distinguished legal professional with nearly two decades of experience, both in India and abroad. As co-head of the Venture Capital practice at Samvad Partners, she has established herself as a key advisor in private equity, venture capital, and mergers & acquisitions, while also maintaining significant expertise in corporate advisory, commercial contracts including in technology law and intellectual property, and in the fintech space.
Her PE/VC practice spans the complete investment lifecycle, from early-stage funding to exits, serving both global and Indian funds as well as portfolio companies of all stages. Her experience covers complex cross-border transactions across diverse sectors including healthcare, hospitality, technology, media, and entertainment. She brings particular value to deal-making through her balanced perspective, having advised extensively on both the investment and portfolio company side of transactions.
She also extensively advises clients on matters relating to information technology law, cybersecurity and intellectual property issues. She assists clients in drafting and negotiating agreements in the areas of software development and licensing, services, IT outsourcing, business partnership & alliance, reseller, distribution and websites/e-commerce related documentation.
Beyond deal-making, Neela has established herself as a thought leader in PE/VC, fintech, technology and international data privacy regulation, and frequently shares her insights at industry events and academic institutions. She regularly hosts webinars on topics of importance to the funds and startup ecosystem, on occasion in conjunction with the Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Neela is also a regular panelist at the Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru’s monthly ‘Start-up Saturdays.’
When she’s not crafting deals or advising clients, she channels her energy into promoting wellness within the legal community through her LinkedIn newsletter “Joy at Work.” Her practical deal-making experience, and focus on holistic professional development makes her a unique voice in India’s legal and startup ecosystem.
Samvād: Partners is a full-service Indian law firm with offices in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. We strive to maintain lasting relationships with our clients by understanding their business needs and offering simple and effective solutions to complex legal and regulatory challenges in India. We are committed to maintaining the highest levels of professional integrity and nurturing our lawyers in a work environment that motivates them to achieve and maintain the highest standards.
In Sanskrit, ‘Samvad’ connotes “discussion, dialogue, debate, engagement”. Samvad underpins the core philosophy of the partnership, comprising a collegiate of partners with a rich mix of domestic and international experience – having worked in top-tier national firms and several international legal and financial centres outside India, including London, New York, Singapore and the Hague.
Samvad coalesced from a merger of regional practices in Bengaluru, Chennai and Mumbai and expanded to a full-service corporate law firm, with offices in New Delhi and Hyderabad. The Firm has grown steadily over the years to more than 100 lawyers and staff.
India
