Mumbai-based Khaitan & Co is set to open a new office in Singapore this month, its first outside India.

The key focus areas of the office will be to advise and assist its clients on matters concerning Indian laws, the firm said in a statement. It will focus on delivering legal services on various cross-border M&A transactions, private and public investments; advising high net worth Indian families where the service areas will include international tax and succession planning; and leading and participating in international arbitrations involving Indian law.

Khaitan & Co will operate as a licensed foreign law practice in Singapore offering Indian law expertise, including international commercial arbitration, as specifically permitted by its licence. The Singapore office will operate as an extension of Khaitan & Co’s India offices.

Anuj Shah, a partner at the firm, and Jean Muller, the firm’s director of strategy, will serve as the firm’s resident representatives in Singapore.

Shah has more than 15 years of experience in advising corporations, financial institutions, private equity sponsors and sovereign wealth funds in a broad range of corporate matters and M&A transactions and also acts as an advisor to several Indian promoters on a wide range of personal and corporate matters.

Muller has over 12 years of experience as a strategy professional in Europe, the UK and India. He oversees the firm’s international coverage and business development function, while supporting many other long-term strategic initiatives.

The opening of the Singapore office is also a part of the firm’s broader strategic view of Singapore as a hub for increasing and significant inbound and outbound opportunities for its domestic and international clientele, the statement noted.

“We have been exploring international expansion for a while and Singapore seemed the logical choice for our first foray, based on feedback and encouragement received from both our domestic and international clients,” said senior partner Haigreve Khaitan. “We look forward to strengthening our support to our clients on the ground in Singapore. We are extremely enthusiastic about bringing our expertise and in-depth knowledge of Indian law to Singapore and to provide exceptional service to all our clients. Our full-service capabilities will now be available locally in Singapore, virtually supported by key subject matter experts from India.”