DSK Legal and Simmons & Simmons advised Australian Securities Exchange-listed IDP Education on its GBP130 million (USD179 million) acquisition of the British Council’s International English Language Testing System (IELTS) business in India. AZB & Partners and Hogan Lovells advised the British Council.
The deal, which was announced on 1 July, is expected to close at the end of August.
DSK Legal’s team was led by partners Aparajit Bhattacharya and Harvinder Singh.
Simmons & Simmons’ team was led by its London-based partner, Arthur Stewart, and counsel Shashwat Patel, and included supervising associate Callum Bailey. The firm’s disputes partner, Patrick Boylan, and IP partner Adrian Smith also advised.
AZB & Partners’ team comprised partners Darshika Kothari and Divya Mundra, and senior associate Vasudha Asher.
India is the largest market globally for IELTS. Following the deal, IDP Education will be the sole distributor of IELTS in the Indian market.
