Abhilash Pillai

With over two decades of experience, Abhilash has guided clients through a diverse range of complex and marquee real estate deals.  He is often the trusted advisor to whom clients turn for strategic and business-aligned legal counsel.  His client base includes private equity firms, global and domestic institutional investors, lenders, REITs, sponsors, and operating partners involved in intricate transactions.

His pan-India experience equips him to grasp core commercial objectives and deliver solutions tailored to the legal and operational aspects of real estate transactions across various asset categories.  He is recognised for delivering pragmatic and commercially astute advice, consistently helping clients align competing interests and drive transactions to successful outcomes.

A strong collaborator and inventive problem-solver, Abhilash routinely advises on matters involving:

• Advised Blackstone on the real estate aspects in its acquisition of commercials assets pan India from Prestige Group – one of the largest real estate transactions in India.
• Advised Blackstone on the real estate aspects in relation to its REIT portfolios and recent acquisitions of data centres, commercial and warehousing assets in India.
• Acting for a Canadian sovereign fund on its multiple investments into real estate developers in India.
• Advising Asia Pragati Strategic Investment Fund on debt transactions.
• Advised Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) in relation to the real estate aspects of its strategic disinvestment of Air India Limited.
• Advising Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) on the real estate aspects of its non-aeronautical business.
• Advised Indian subsidiary of Vicat S. A. (world’s 2nd largest cement manufacturer) in relation to acquisition of 2,900 acres (12,63,24,000 square feet) of land in Gulbarga District of Karnataka for setting-up of a cement plant having a production capacity of 5.5 million tones (approx.) per annum.

• Bar Council of Delhi, India
• Supreme Court Bar Association

• Recognised by Chambers & Partners
• Recognized for his work in the space of Real Estate by Legal 500 Asia Pacific India Guide to Law Firms
• Recognised amongst Asia Legal Business’ (ALB) India list of Super 50 Lawyers 2023