Weighing the future

India’s future legal leaders show what it takes to stand out to clients and industry peers. Katherine Abraham reports

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At a time when robust leadership potential has become imperative for success in the legal industry, India Business Law Journal is committed to celebrating the rising stars in India.

The dynamic lawyers among this year’s Future Legal Leaders have worked their way up the corporate-legal ladder, earning recognition for their unwavering dedication, decisiveness, client-centric approaches and more.

These lawyers have shown their prowess at established firms or their own practices, and they’ve impressed their clients by taking on pivotal roles and providing innovative solutions.

Thorough and decisive

Many of the clients who nominated rising stars cite diligence and quick thinking as essential attributes of their preferred counsel.

Parag Parekh, partner at JP Parekh & Son, Architects, praises Murtuza Federal, partner at Federal & Company, a boutique law firm based in Mumbai, for leaving “no stone unturned” while dealing with a case.

“He got me to get a successful award and judgment in a case of wrongful termination without the need to invoke expensive and long-drawn arbitration,” says Parekh.

Priyamvada Ramkumar, partner at Lok Advisory Services in Gurugram, sees Pratyush Singh, a partner at Trilegal also in Gurugram, as “one of the most promising lawyers in the investment space”.

Ramkumar says Singh is “detailed and thorough in his approach to advisory, documentation and legal due diligence” and uses his “ability to think on his feet to steward multiple parties towards a resolution”.

Pranjal Kumar, CFO and head of corporate at Emeritus, says his firm relies on Singh as its “default” attorney for any transaction or fundraising.

Aditya Periwal, partner at AZB & Partners, was nominated by Harjeet Lall, partner at Pinsent Masons in London, for being “a key adviser for all Indian clients looking to make the net zero carbon transition”.

Canada-based, Aaron Bains, capital markets partner at Aird & Berlis who is currently working with Periwal, adds, “I have referred work to him and am presently working with him on a multi-step investment, debt financing and M&A transaction in India by a Canadian investor.”

Ellen Fitzgibbon, director of compliance – capital markets at Softbank Investment Advisors in the UK, highlights Devi Prasad Patel, partner at Khaitan & Co, as incredibly knowledgeable and one who works with utmost discretion. “He gave our team an exhaustive overview of considerations for IPO, implications of public company directors, and an overview of the Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations, (PIT) requirements. He quickly provides seamless advice on any ad hoc or transaction matters with ease and specificity,” she says.

Sachin Singh, senior associate vice president (business strategy) at Tracxn Technologies, says, “Devi and Khaitan & Co were the company’s counsel during our IPO process. They had really guided us during the IPO period.” He adds, “Devi personally was always available and very patiently listened to all our queries. He had been instrumental in the entire transaction, leading the transaction as the company counsel representative.”

Milan Sharma, CEO of Intello Private Labs in Bengaluru, is all praise for the legal expertise and unwavering dedication of founding partner Shweta Dubey of SD Partners. “Shweta’s ability to navigate complex legal matters and provide clear, strategic guidance has been invaluable,” says Sharma.

Another client, Sumant Agarwal, director for restructuring and turnaround at Ernst & Young, is impressed with Dubey’s “clear communication, attention to detail, and dedication towards assignments”.

Youthful dynamism

Among the Future Legal Leaders are several lawyers who have moved up the ranks quickly in their practices.

Sushant Shetty has risen from group head to practice head and now partner for real estate and infrastructure during six years at Fox Mandal & Associates in Mumbai.

Pooja Baheti, vice president at Rx Propellant, based in Hyderabad, says, “What sets Sushant apart is not just his extensive knowledge but his unwavering dedication to his clients. He treats each case with equal care and commitment. He has a commendable ability to connect with clients, addressing their queries, and guiding them through the complexities and regulations.”

Biplab Lenin started off eight years ago with Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas as a consultant, and has moved up to senior associate and now partner.

Mansi Birla, senior associate counsel from CoinSwitch, applauds Lenin, saying, “During our time working together at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, I had the privilege of witnessing Biplab’s exceptional dedication, legal acumen and unwavering commitment to excellence.”

And as they rise in the ranks, the Future Legal Leaders are bringing great volumes of knowledge and experience to the table regardless of their age.

Shalini Chawla, senior consultant at Indioz Consultant in New Delhi, says of KPS Kohli, partner at Seraphic Advisors, “At his young age at under 40, he amazes us with his intellect and depth of experience. He is one of the best lawyers to work with.”

Another client of Kohli’s, Canada-based Manish Lamba, legal manager at Connate Global Electronics, echoes the sentiment: “I’m surprised he’s under 40!”

Anushree Rauta, equity partner at ANM Global, is praised by a counsel at a media conglomerate, as a lawyer for tomorrow. “[Anushree] is absolutely updated on the legal pronouncements and positions and keeps up with the digital evolution in India and outside India,” she says.

Another client, Alap Yadav, senior lead counsel at Sony Pictures Networks India, views Rauta as a “thorough professional with a solution-driven approach”.

Hari Veluri, counsel at Providence Law Asia in Singapore, describes Zoeb Cutlerywala from Phoenix Legal as “an incredibly sharp lawyer”.

Senior associate Khushaal Ved at Hogan Lovells in Singapore adds, “A recent partner and a testament to his outside-the-box thinking and responsiveness, Zoeb will be a future star of the Indian legal market, in Mumbai and beyond.”

Speaking on Burgeon Law’s founder Roma Priya, Manoj Dawane, founder and CEO of Vidhi Techinnovation Opportunities Network in Gurgaon, says, “She is quite young and will definitely beep on the big-names radar in the future.”

Vikram Sharma, CEO at Wify Technology in Mumbai, says, “Her commitment to excellence shines in all aspects of her work. Roma has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Indian startup ecosystem.”

Sharma notes that Priya’s “insightful counsel and strategic acumen have played a vital role in resolving intricate legal matters at Wify”.

Mohit Rohatgi, partner at Trilegal, has earned praise from Kunal Shah, CFO at Horizon Industrial Parks. “Mohit assisted us with litigation and his sheer depth of knowledge and commitment to the matter and guidance to resolve the same was unparalleled,” says Shah.

Client-centric talents

When proceedings spiral into ever more technical challenges, a lawyer’s ability to simplify tricky concepts and show understanding is essential to clients.

Anubhab Sarkar, a partner at Triumvir Law who has represented clients in complex and high-stakes disputes in India and further afield, impressed US-based policy manager Ambika Khanna with his empathetic approach to clients. Khanna cites Sarkar’s ability to distil complex legal jargon into simple, implementable solutions and outcomes.

“He works with the intention to resolve an issue within the realms of the law without unnecessary delays or pushing for litigation,” she stresses.

Kumar Kartikeya Prakash, partner at Khaitan & Co, impresses with his excellent “deal awareness”, according to Rishiv Rathore, associate at Clifford Chance in Sydney.

“His consistent availability throughout the deal and ability to brainstorm solutions and offer a commercial perspective on risks were immensely valuable,” says Rathore.

Another client, Sherazad Boomla, data protection officer at Gentrack in Pune, says, “What sets Kartikeya apart as a future legal leader is his adeptness at simplifying these intricate legal frameworks, translating them into easy to understand, accessible and digestible insights for business teams.”

Divyam Agarwal, partner at JSA, is “client-focused and cost-effective, and his thinking syncs with the thinking of a general counsel,” says Amar Sundaram, general counsel at NEC Corporation India in Gurgaon.

Sundaram adds that Agarwal, a seasoned dual-qualified Indian advocate and English solicitor advocate, offers “amazing” advice on practical solutions to complex legal problems.

Rohini Verma, partner at Wadia Ghandy & Co in Mumbai, is a lawyer “who stands out for their unmatched expertise and skill, consistently achieving remarkable outcomes in all deals,” says Meghna Sharma, business and legal head at CIF Advisors.

“Their commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards distinguishes them as a paragon of integrity in the legal field,” Sharma says.

Abhishek Gemawat, vice president legal and compliance at Building Zepto in Mumbai, applauds Dhruv Suri, partner at PSA, for being “instrumental in providing client-oriented solutions in solving critical areas such as IP, strategising and brand positioning”.

Also emphasising Suri’s client-focused approach as well as his proactive follow-up is Paula Mazzei, legal counsel for Crystal Lagoons in the Netherlands.

“I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with Dhruv on two separate occasions and, in both instances, he consistently showcased his unwavering commitment and exceptional legal skills and expertise in the required matters (intellectual property and technology transfer in India), making notable contributions to our company,” Mazzei says.

Ketan Mukhija, partner at Dentons Link Legal in New Delhi, is commended for remarkable dedication to his clients by Varun Khandelwal, director at Bullero Capital, a firm based in the same city.

Khandelwal says Mukhija is “consistently delivering innovative solutions tailored to their unique needs and objectives”.