Avinash “Avi” Ganatra, a corporate lawyer with extensive experience in US and cross-border capital markets, securities and leveraged finance, has joined the global legal practice Squire, Sanders & Dempsey as a partner in its New York office.
Ganatra has 17 years of experience representing global banks and other financial institutions as well as major multinational corporations.
“Avi has the high-caliber ability and global scope in corporate, capital markets and leveraged finance matters to advise clients that are poised to move on potential opportunities in the United States and across the world,” said William N. Downs, head of Squire Sanders corporate and corporate finance practice.
Ganatra advises clients on a wide variety of equity and debt capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings, 144A high-yield debt offerings, shelf offerings, private investment in public equity and debt tender offers and consent solicitations. Ganatra has extensive experience in leveraged finance transactions and represents lenders and borrowers in secured and unsecured lending transactions.
He advises banks on corporate issues relating to complex restructuring matters and multinational companies on cross-border mergers and acquisitions and securities law matters. For example, Ganatra currently advises the US subsidiary of an India-based global education company and recently advised an India-based petrochemical company on its international Global Depository Receipts offering.
Ganatra was a founding member and first president of the South Asian Bar Association of New York and continues to be very active in building bridges with the South Asian business communities in New York and India.
He joins Squire Sanders from New York-based Hahn & Hessen LLP. Before that, he was a partner with Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP and a counsel at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP Arps in New York. He said Squire Sanders’ ongoing global growth is a key factor for his move. This year alone, Squire Sanders substantially increased its presence in the UK and Western Europe, and has established an office in Western Australia.
“I am very pleased to become a part of Squire Sanders at the time of its strategic international expansion and growth in the important New York market,” Ganatra said. “My clients require the solid global platform and deep corporate transactional expertise that Squire Sanders has established and continues to build.”
Ganatra is admitted to practice in New York and India. He received his LL.M in 1994 from New York University School of Law and his LL.B. in 1993 from the University of Mumbai Government Law College in Mumbai, India, where he was chief sub-editor of the annual law magazine. He received a B.Com. degree in 1991 from the University of Mumbai – Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics.
