Firm overview

Varners has its roots in the professional practice founded in the early 1950s by the late Sivasubramaniam Ambalavarner, a well-acclaimed legal professional in Sri Lanka at the time.

Mr. Ambalavarner was renowned as a tax consultant and commercial lawyer par excellence in South Asia.

After the untimely demise of Mr. Ambalavarner, a group of young lawyers who had devilled under him formed Varners Lanka Law Office in the late 1980s.

In 2004, the Firm was rebranded as Varners, and underwent extensive restructuring with the aim of positioning itself to meet the challenges and demands of the time.

With restructuring came expansion, recruitment, and modernisation of equipment and technology to enhance the timely and efficient provision of services to meet client demands.

Experienced lawyers, specialising in different practice areas joined the Firm as Partners.

Firm overview

Advice and documents
Our lawyers have broad experience in documenting commercial relationships. They use the practical skills and legal disciplines required to negotiate, draft and explain the documents which commercial clients routinely need. Typical work of this kind includes:

• agency, distribution and supply agreements
• partnership terms
• conditions of trading
• computer and IT contracts
• sponsorship and franchising agreements
• technology-sharing arrangements
• Corporate transactions

Solicitors here advise commercial concerns of all sizes on their corporate or partnership structure, on start-ups and re-organizations, on acquisitions, disposals and closure. The firm handles:

• company law and director compliance
• shareholder arrangements and agreements
• new ventures and joint ventures
• buy-ins and buy-outs
• share and asset sales and purchases
• finance documents

Firm overview

D.L. & F. De Saram is one of the oldest law firms in Sri Lanka, founded in 1898 by Richard Francis De Saram, and carried on in partnership by his sons, Douglas and Fred De Saram. This tradition endured successively into the 20th century when Fred De Saram’s sons, Colonel F.C. De Saram, F.J. “Coo” De Saram, Robert De Saram and Maurice De Saram, and nephew, Clifford Trevor De Saram, guided the fortunes of the Firm. Interestingly, the tradition is sustained by the present partners, Michael Sproule, Dijen De Saram, grandsons of Fred De Saram, and Savantha De Saram and Prabash De Saram, his great-grandsons. The firm takes great pride in its rich heritage, and is one of the largest full-service law firms in Sri Lanka.

Firm overview

Founded in 1920 by the late Senator John Wilson, the firm is an established legal practice in Sri Lanka, providing legal advice and service in the areas of corporate/commercial law, M&A, restructuring and insolvency, banking, finance and trade, project funding and private equity, FDI, securities legislation and regulation, PPP and procurement, civil litigation, and notarial practice to corporations, financial institutions and individuals. Further details can be obtained from our website: www.srilankalaw.com.