Utpal is the founding member and Managing Partner of Sequitur Advocates & Legal Consultants. Driven by a steadfast growth mindset, he is deeply passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation. Under his visionary leadership, Sequitur has emerged as one of the fastest growing law firms in India that is adept in providing growth-oriented legal services tailored for startups, founders and investors.
Prior to establishing Sequitur, Utpal had a successful five year stint with AZB and Partners, New Delhi. He was a member of their Direct Taxation and Corporate Advisory Teams and practiced in the areas of general corporate advisory, direct taxation, and international taxation, including assessments and representation in matters at the ITAT, High Courts, and the Supreme Court of India.
Utpal specialises in advising startups, venture capital funds, high net-worth individuals (HNls), and angel networks on legal issues, particularly pertaining to investment related transactions involving seed funding, bridge round, series A, series B, among others. His work involves providing assistance in negotiations, reviewing and drafting transaction documents, advising clients on general corporate law including acquisition strategies, compliance, and employment issues, and conducting due diligence for domestic as well as cross-border transactions.
With over 15 years of extensive work experience, Utpal has been an advisor to several domestic and international clients on a range of direct and international tax issues including tax planning, tax structuring, strategic foreign investment in India, outbound investments from India, and matters involving international tax treaties such as foreign tax credits and other tax issues. Utpal has also represented a British multinational engineering company in direct tax litigation before the ITAT and Delhi High Court on the issue of its liaison office’s exposure to PE.
He is an active member of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Delhi High Court Bar Association and Income Tax Appellate Tribunal Bar Association. He has also authored articles in various national publications.