Adani lawyers reach out after US moves to serve summons via email
Lawyers seek time until 30 January to update US court on talks with SEC
Lawyers representing Gautam Adani and Sagar Adani initiated contact with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after learning that the regulator had moved a US court for permission to serve summons through email, reports Indian Express.
On 22 January, a day after the SEC filed a motion in a New York court seeking authorisation for alternative service methods, the New York-based law firm Sullivan & Cromwell LLP contacted the SEC on behalf of the Adanis to discuss the issue.
The following day, Adani's lawyers requested the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York to defer ruling on the SEC's motion while discussions with the regulator were under way.
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According to the Indian Express report, the court directed both sides to provide an update on their talks by 26 January. In response, Adani's lawyers filed a status report on 26 January, seeking additional time until 30 January to finalise their position.
In their filing, Sullivan & Cromwell said counsel for both parties had exchanged comments on a proposed stipulation and that discussions were continuing with their clients, both of whom are based in India. Citing the time difference, the lawyers said the stipulation would be filed by the morning of 30 January.
The New York court accepted the request.
Earlier, on 21 January, the SEC sought court permission to serve notices on Gautam and Sagar Adani via email after its attempts to serve them under the Hague Convention proved unsuccessful.
According to a report by The Indian Express, India's Ministry of Law and Justice twice declined to formally serve summons issued by the SEC, citing technical and legal objections.
In April 2025, the ministry rejected the request, saying the authenticity of the documents could not be verified as the forwarding letter and model form lacked the required seals and signatures. After the SEC argued that the Hague Convention does not mandate such formalities and resubmitted the papers, the ministry again refused service last December, this time citing US law.
In November 2024, the SEC filed civil charges, accusing Gautam and Sagar Adani of engaging in a bribery scheme during a September 2021 note offering by Adani Green that raised $750 million, including approximately $175 million from US investors.
The Adani Group has repeatedly dismissed the SEC's allegations as baseless, adding that it will seek all possible legal recourse.
