Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM) has significantly underbid competitors Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas (SAM) and Luthra & Luthra to win the final rounds of blind bidding for the mammoth strategic Air India disinvestment, quoting Rs 29.9 lakh ($46,100) in fees for what is expected to be a complex series of corporate M&A deals, said sources with knowledge of the bid.

Luthra & Luthra and Perkins Coie acted for the Government of India in the first-of-its-kind central public sector enterprise (CPSE) exchange traded fund (ETF), which offered stakes in 10 public sector undertakings (PSUs) through a mutual fund structure.

Luthra & Luthra and DLA Piper have bagged the 12,500 crore ($2.75bn) follow-on share sale of ONGC, beating five other law firms in a competitive tender, with Amarchand Mangaldas Delhi winning the mandate for the bankers.

Five law firms including Amarchand & Mangaldas, Luthra & Luthra, S & R Associates, Crawford Bayley & Co and Fox Mandal have been selected to pitch for the SAIL (Steel Authority of India) first phase 10 per cent share disinvestment, expecting to enrich the Exchequer by Rs 8,000 crores, reported the Economic Times.

Amarchand Mangaldas and Dorsey & Whitney have won the government’s mandate on the $1.8bn follow-on public offer (FPO) by Power Grid Corporation of India.

FoxMandal Little and French international firm Gide Loyrette Nouel won the government’s mandate to take Manganese Ore (India) Ltd (MOIL) to its initial public offering (IPO) by putting in the lowest bid-price yet compared to recent disinvestments.

Amarchand Mangaldas’ Delhi office and Dorsey & Whitney have won the bid on the Hindustan Copper divestment while Khaitan & Co bagged the underwriter’s mandate.

Amarchand also won the role for the underwriters on the mammoth Coal India stake sale with Ashurst as international counsel while Luthra had won the tender to advise the company.

Less than one month ago a financial daily caused a stir in the cozy Delhi capital markets world after reporting that the selection of law firms in the disinvestment of Coal India Limited and Engineers India Limited (EIL) had been discriminatory, alleging political nepotism. But as so often there is more than meets the eye.

Amarchand Mangaldas, Crawford Bayley and Luthra & Luthra, and young firms Axon Partners LLP, Link Legal and S&R Associates, are bidding for the role of legal advisor to the government in the disinvestment of state-owned Engineers India Limited (EIL) which is set to happen through a follow-on public offer in July.