MC Insider| Windfall legal fees, Malabari M&A, and new star on IPO Street

Ever since SEBI dropped its bombshell order against a trading firm accused of market manipulation, law firms have remained conspicuously silent. Word on the street is that this Wall Street firm is shopping for legal representation, and every big law firm wants to be the one to land the case. The catch? To even stand a chance, you’ve got to stay very quiet. No public statements, no opinions, just radio silence. With massive advisory fees on the table and international eyes watching closely, who wouldn’t want in?

Move over, picturesque backwaters, Malabar cuisine and mist-wrapped hills--God’s Own Country is gradually emerging as a top hunting ground for healthcare assets. Two bulge-bracket private equity funds have already swooped in to set up shop in the state with buyouts. And a little birdie tells us that a prominent business group is now looking to unlock value and sell its hospital assets. That’s not all. Rumour has it that a third target firm, connected to a household name in the Middle East, is also on the block.

Deal Street can’t stop gushing over this pharma and healthcare executive and IIT alumnus, who once helped build a well-known Bengaluru-based peer, and now one of its rivals. The gentleman, along with his co-founders and A-team, has built a widely admired, IPO-bound firm. Bankers refer to him as a “star,” and the word is that he was a smash hit during the investor roadshows. The PE fund on board would be hoping the good buzz translates into a stellar debut on Dalal Street!