Real estate moguls Abhishek Lodha and Abhinandan Lodha have resolved all outstanding disputes between them bringing an end to a high-profile trademark battle that had escalated to a ₹5,000 crore lawsuit before the Bombay High Court..As part of the settlement, the two brothers agreed upon the following:Macrotech Developers Ltd. (MDL), led by Abhishek Lodha, will be the sole owner and exclusive user of the brand names ‘Lodha’ and ‘Lodha Group’.Abhinandan Lodha will be the exclusive owner of the ‘House of Abhinandan Lodha’ (HoABL) brand.It has been mutually acknowledged that there is no connection whatsoever between ‘Lodha Group’ and ‘House of Abhinandan Lodha’, and both parties have agreed to communicate this widely to the public.The agreement also confirms that Abhinandan Lodha holds no rights or claims in Macrotech Developers Ltd. or any other businesses operated by Abhishek Lodha. Conversely, Abhishek Lodha has no rights or claims in HoABL or the businesses of Mr. Abhinandan Lodha..The roots of this high-profile corporate dispute goes back to 2015 when the Lodha brother decided to part ways professionally. This separation was formalized in March 2017 through a comprehensive family settlement agreement that meticulously outlined the terms of their business divorce. Under this arrangement, elder brother Abhishek retained control of the family's core real estate business under Macrotech Developers (formerly known as Lodha Developers) while Abhinandan was to pursue a new business unrelated to real estate.The 2017 agreement contained specific provisions regarding intellectual property rights, stipulating that all trademarks related to the real estate business would remain exclusively with Macrotech. Additionally, it included a non-compete clause that restricted Abhinandan from engaging in real estate activities in the Mumbai Metropolitan Area for five years and in Greater London for specified periods—markets where the Lodha Group had established significant presence..By December 2023, alleged non-compliance with the original agreement led to another significant arrangement between the brothers. This supplementary agreement reinforced the restrictions on Abhinandan using names similar to or leading with 'Lodha,' specifically including 'Lodha Ventures.' Industry observers note that this second agreement suggested ongoing tensions regarding brand usage had persisted despite the earlier settlement.The situation reached a boiling point in September 2024 when Macrotech formally demanded that Abhinandan's companies immediately cease using the 'Lodha' or 'Lodha Group' names and issue public disclaimers clarifying that there was no connection between their operations and Macrotech's business. According to court documents, Abhinandan's firm responded on October 25, 2024, acknowledging the use of 'Lodha Ventures' but allegedly failing to deactivate certain domain names that Macrotech had identified as infringing on their trademark rights..The trademark dispute escalated dramatically on January 22, 2025, when Macrotech Developers filed a ₹5,000 crore lawsuit against Abhinandan's companies before the Bombay High Court. The lawsuit sought several legal remedies, including a permanent injunction restraining Abhinandan's entities from using the 'Lodha' trademark or any similar marks likely to cause confusion with Macrotech's registered trademarks. It also demanded ₹5,000 crores in damages for alleged infringement and passing off, as well as disclosure of detailed accounts of the defendants' business operations to secure Macrotech's interests..The case was heard by Justice Arif Doctor who on January 31 referred it to mediation and appointed retired Supreme Court judge Justice RV Raveendran as the mediator. The matter has now been settled pursuant to the mediation. .Abhinandan Lodha and House of Abhinandan Lodha were represented by Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal, Mukul Rohatgi, Ravi Kadam, Veerendra Tulsapurkar, Aspi Chinoy, Karl Tamboly and Siddharth Luthra along with advocates Rashi Shah, S Bobde,C Rashmikant, Rohan Dakshini, Shweta Jayadev, Nikita Mishra, Anuja Bhansali, Urvi Gupte, Sailee Dhayalkar, Jai Sanyal, Raghav Dharmadhikari instructed by Kartikeya & Associates, Rashmikant & Partners and Karanjawala & Company.Abhishek Lodha and Macrotech Developers were represented Senior Advocates Janak Dwarkadas, Darius J Khambata and Sharan Jagtiani assisted by advocates Hiren Kamod, Rahul Dwarkadas,Prachi Dhanani, Nutash Kotwal and Shireen Mistri, Kunal Dwarkadas, Suraj lyer, Mani Thvar and Anuj Singh instructed by Veritas Legal and Ganesh & Co..Senior Advocate Venkatesh Dhond and advocates Ameet Naik, Pravin Anand, Rohan Kadam, Madhu Gadodia, Sandhya Singh, Ashutosh Upadhayay, Tarini Kulkarni and Lokesh Kansal instructed Anand and Naik appeared for Lodha companies and directors before the Bombay High Court.Advocate Chaitra Rao appeared for Lodha Advisory Services and Lodha Trusteeship before the Bombay High Court..Read Press Release
