Hon’ble Mr. Justice SG Shah

Hon’ble Mr. Justice S G Shah is a former Judge of the High Court of Gujarat. His career as an Advocate began in 1981 at Mehsana, Gujarat, and he continued his practice until February, 1997. During this period, he practiced almost on all sides like Civil, Constitutional, Revenue, etc. in various Courts, Tribunals, and Commissions. Prior to his elevation to the High Court, Justice Shah served as a Registrar at the Supreme Court of India. His deep knowledge and vast experience contributed a lot in implementing computerization projects in so many Courts like Supreme Court of India, Madras High Court, Gujarat High Court, and all District Courts of Gujarat.

Since his retirement in 2019, he has been actively practicing as an arbitrator and consultant.

Dr. Lalit Bhasin

Dr. Lalit Bhasin started his law practice in 1962 and has developed Bhasin & Co. as one of the largest law Firms in North India. His areas of specialisation include Employment & Labour Laws, Corporate Law, Laws relating to Information Technology, Contract and Conveyancing, Constitutional Law, Banking and Finance, Consumer Protection Laws, Disputes relating to Foreign Investment e.g. Shareholders Agreements, Collaboration Agreements, Agency and Distribution Agreements, Technology Transfer Agreements and Dispute Resolution Practice.

He was awarded Honorary Membership of the IBA in Melbourne in 1994 for outstanding service to the legal profession. He was awarded the Plaque of Honour by the Prime Minister of India in 2002 for outstanding contribution to the Rule of Law. In 2007, the President of India presented the National Law Day Award to Lalit Bhasin for "Outstanding Contribution to the Development of the Legal Profession in India and for his deep involvement and engagement in the maintenance of the highest standards at the Bar".

Recently he has been conferred the Degree of Doctor of Laws (LL.D) Honoris Causa by University of Rajasthan.

PROF. (Dr.) S. SHANTHAKUMAR

He is the Director, Gujarat National Law University with about 30 years of teaching experience at prestigious universities including Hidayatullah National Law University. Prof. Shanthakumar is holding in charge as the Director of Gujarat Maritime University and also appointed as the President of Gujarat International Maritime Arbitration Centre.

He is an alumnus of Madras University, Chennai, where he earned his graduation, post-graduation and doctorate degree in law. Before joining the legal academia, he had practiced at the Madras High Court for seven years.

His areas of specialization are Environmental Law, Human Rights Law, International Law and Constitutional Law. He has authored 3 books on Environmental Law and 2 books on Human Rights Law published by LexisNexis, National Law School of India University (CEERA), Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University, etc. He has published a number of research articles on contemporary legal issues in various national and international journals and edited volumes. He has presented papers and delivered key note addresses in many national and international conferences in India and abroad.

Prof (Dr.) Shashikala Gurpur

Prof (Dr.) Shashikala Gurpur is the Director, Symbiosis Law School, Pune and Dean, Faculty of Law, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune (SIU). She is a distinguished academician and orator having presented more than 325 invited lectures, workshops and seminars across India, Thailand, US, UK, Ireland, Germany, Australia, Canada and UAE.

She has an outstanding career with a wide range of experience in teaching, research and industry and is continuing with Symbiosis Law School since 2007. She is a pioneer of EU Legal Studies in India.

PROF. (Dr.) PURVI POKHARIYAL

She is the Campus Director at the National Forensic Science University (NFSU), Gandhinagar Campus. She is also the Director of the Academics, Research and Consultancy at NFSU, Gandhinagar, founding Dean of the School of Law, Forensic Justice and Policy Studies and the Dean of the School of Forensic Psychology at the National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar.

Prof. Pokhariyal was the first ever female chairperson of the Indian Society of Criminology. She was conferred with Senior Social Scientist Award by the Indian Society of Criminology for her significant contribution to the field of Criminology. She was also selected for best Law Professor Award by the Business School Affairs & Dewang Mehta National Education Awards. Prof. Pokhariyal is a visiting faculty at HOF University, Germany and a resource person at various training programs, workshops and National and International conferences.

Prof. Pokhariyal has conducted various FDPs for Law teachers on Innovation Pedagogy for Law Teaching, Outcome Based Education for Law Schools, Clinical Legal Education, Justice Education, etc.

Dr. Akhil Prasad

Dr. Akhil Prasad is Board Member, Group General Counsel and Company Secretary, Boeing India. He joined Boeing in India in September 2013, and is primarily responsible for the legal advice and counsel to other Boeing subsidiaries and JV (advisor to Boeing) in India.

Prior to Boeing, he has held offices as Head of Legal and Company Secretary with Fidelity Worldwide Investment (2007 to 2013); Director India Legal Affairs & Company Secretary of The Walt Disney Company India (2005 to 2007); as Senior Attorney & Company Secretary of General Motors India (2003 to 2005); as Assistant General Manager Legal with Electrolux Kelvinator (2000 to 2002); and with the legal teams in Modicorp Group (including Modi Xerox and Graphtech India from 1995 to 2000). Akhil has about over 28 years’ experience as an In-house Counsel in India and has worked with legal teams spread across different countries.

Akhil holds a Bachelor (LL.B), Master (LL.M) and Doctor (LL.D) of Law from Meerut University, India; Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degrees from Meerut University, India; Master of Laws (LL.M) from Northwestern University, USA; is a non-practicing Solicitor of England & Wales; Wharton Advanced Management Program; and various business administration and company secretarial qualifications (from India and UK); took leadership training under the program “Leaders Shaping Our Future”, conducted by Boeing Leadership Center.

Akhil is a Citizen of India and has been recently granted a Global Talent (subclass 858) Visa by the Government of Australia.

Dr. S. Sundar Manoharan

Dr. S. Sundar Manoharan is a distinguished figure in education, science, and administration. He earned his doctoral degree from the Indian Institute of Science in 1991 and later served as a Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur for nearly two decades. In 2012, he was appointed as the Founder Director of a groundbreaking UGC-funded project, establishing the National Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at the University of Mumbai. He is known for his significant contributions to material science and nanotechnology, with over 30 years of experience. He has held administrative roles as Vice-Chancellor at multiple universities and served as a visiting professor at prestigious international institutions. His exemplary work has been recognized with awards such as the Innovation Gold Medal and the Global Indus Techno-Innovators Award. Dr. Manoharan is also an accomplished entrepreneur, holding numerous patents and leading innovative startup projects.

He is renowned for his mentorship and leadership, inspiring young researchers and educators. His dedication to advancing scientific research and education has left an indelible mark, making him a respected figure in the academic and scientific community.

Dr. Mehul Shah

Dr. Mehul Shah, Executive Committee Member, Gujarat Medical Council and State Secretary, IMA – Gujarat State Branch

Ami Parikh

Ami Parikh is the General Counsel at Asian Paints. Prior to joining Asian Paints, she worked as Head Of Legal and Compliance at Experian India. Since her graduation in law from GLC Mumbai, Ami has had a career spanning 23 years. She has worked with leading law firms like AZB & Partners, DSK Legal and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. She is skilled in corporate law, foreign investment, due diligence, cross-border transactions and more.

Manjaree Chowdhary

Manjaree Chowdhary is Senior Executive Officer and General Counsel of Maruti Suzuki India. Leading a team of 40+ professionals, Manjaree works closely with the Board, the CEO and the Leadership Team to provide legal and compliance support in a dynamic regulatory and risk environment. Additionally, Manjaree is also responsible for management of the Realty and Infrastructure business of the Company.

A masters in Law from the University of London with distinction, Manjaree made a mid-career shift from academics to law. She began her legal career at a leading Indian law firm, moving in-house to General Electric before joining Maruti Suzuki as its first woman General Counsel. She is an experienced General Counsel with 25 + yrs. of successful history of working across South Asia, US, ANZ and Japan in diverse industries like Industrial, Manufacturing, Auto, Healthcare, Power and Services. Skilled in strategic advisory, Board and listed entity management, complex transactions including JVs/M&A, litigation, regulatory and public policy, enterprise risk, compliance and change management, she brings a global and innovative mindset with strong local execution to help grow businesses in challenging regulatory and business environment.

Manjaree is a nominated member of the Confederation of Indian Industry National Committee on Regulatory Affairs and the National Committee on Legal Services and on the Board of the UK India Legal Partnership. Winner of the prestigious Forbes India ‘Top General Counsel’ 2022, the Business World Top 100 GCs in India for three consecutive years, she has also featured in the ‘Women in Manufacturing’ book released by Mobility India. A visiting speaker at top business and law schools in India, she enjoys strong credibility in the industry and legal fraternity.

Ms. Swathi Kamath

A student of ILS Law College, Pune, Swathi feels indebted to her law school and professors for providing her the environment to shape her thoughts, encourage her curious mind and be amongst a very intellectual group of people. This has laid the bedrock for her professional life.

As the Legal Head - South Asia and Lead Counsel APAC Procurement at DuPont, she leads and manages the legal and compliance function for one of the world's largest science and innovation companies. With over 13 years of experience as an in-house counsel and company secretary, a typical day in her life would include negotiating high-value contracts, working on M&A, litigations, intellectual property matters, advise on transaction structuring and corporate governance etc. Her brand protection efforts have immediately shown a 30% spike in sales for the company and the 30 plus acquisitions successfully closed by her have increased the company’s turnover by more than 1000 crores. She is primarily a commercial lawyer, but has become a generalist in the course of her career journey. She is also trained and certified as a Specialist Mediator by Singapore International Mediation Centre. She has the distinct pleasure of having worked in 200-year old legacy corporations as well as start-ups.

Dr. Nidhi Buch

Dr. Nidhi Buch is Associate Professor of law at Gujarat National Law University. She gained wide experience as a Consultant on Intellectual Property Rights with National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India during the years 2001- 2004. She is associated with various Law schools and Management institutes in the capacity of a Visiting Faculty.

She is also associated with Gujarat State Judicial Academy as Visiting Faculty, imparting training to newly recruited Judicial Magistrates for the State of Gujarat. Moreover, in the capacity of Head, Centre for excellence on Intellectual Property Rights at GNLU, she is actively involved in teaching, research and extension activities organized by the Centre. She also worked with the Education Department, Gujarat in making IPR policy for universities in Gujarat to support innovation & start-ups in academia.

She was awarded the ‘IP Academician of the Year’ Award in 2017 as well as in 2018 by the Intellectual Property Protection Organisation (IPPO). She is recently recognized and awarded as one of the ‘100 Powerful IP Women in India 2021’ by the World IP Forum. Her recent book titled “Geographical Indications of Indian Handloom- between legal right and real right” is published on 31 December 2021 by the Routledge-Taylor and Francis, UK.

Dr. RUCHI TEWARI

She is an Associate Professor at Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad. She is a committed professional oriented towards learning and academic enhancement in the areas of corporate social responsibility and applied communication.

With more than 20 years of teaching experience, Dr. Tewari’s professional focus is in the applied areas of Communication where she specializes in Strategic CSR – its design; implementation and reporting. She has also researched and published in the domain of ‘technology aided human communication’. Dr. Tewari has to her credit over 40 publications including research articles, chapters in edited books and newspaper articles. She has presented papers in reputed international conferences like the Academy of Management (AOM); International Sustainable Development Research Society (ISDRS); International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) and has been a chosen fellow by ICSSR and ERC – UK to attend their round table discussion on social media in London.

She has conducted over 1000 hours of corporate training to mid-level managers of national and international organizations.

Ms. NUPUR SINHA

Nupur Sinha, the Executive Director of the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has experimented with pedagogy for teaching law to different constituencies including students, lawyers, paralegals, police, teachers . She comes with field experience of using the justice system to fight for the rights of marginalised people, through a network of grassroots lawyers and paralegals.

Nupur and her team have nurtured a network to provide legal support in several communities, through riots, natural disasters, and even the pandemic, and also to make systemic interventions through the justice system in relation many problems such as securing the rights and entitlements of adivasis and stopping violence against women.

Farhan Zia (They / Them)

Farhan is a Legal Empowerment Facilitator at Centre For Social Justice, India. They have done their LLM from Central European University, Vienna and BA LLB (Hons.) from Jindal Global Law School, Haryana. They are really passionate about constitutional democracy and human rights. In the past, they have been associated with organisations like Nazariya and Parichay.

They also have 3 publications to their name- ‘Ain't Women Religious?'- Critiquing the Muslim Personal Law from an Intersectional Feminist Perspective, In Defence of Implicit Unamendability in India: Analyzing Codification of Basic Structure Doctrine and "Smells Like Teen Spirit": A Critique of Indian Anti-Sexting Laws and the Misrecognition of Teen-Sexuality.

Dr. Kiran Rai

Dr. Kiran Rai is an Associate Professor of Law and Coordinator of NAAC Steering Committee at MNLU Mumbai. A university gold medalist in LL.B. & LL.M., she specializes in the area of Business Laws. She has a rich experience of teaching graduate & post-graduate students, as well as guiding them in their research projects. She also has wide experience in handling diverse administrative responsibilities.

Before joining MNLU Mumbai, she has worked as Dean at School of Law, Galgotias University, Greater Noida. She has many awards & recognition to her credit. Besides having authored numerous research papers & a few books, she has done extensive research in the areas of Corporate Governance, Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code, & Law for Surrogacy. She has mobilized funds & collaborated with prestigious Government organizations - NCW, NHRC, Competition Commission of India (CCI) & IBBI - for organizing workshops & seminars.

She is a member of "Network of Indian Competition Experts" formed by CCI. She is the Director of the Centre of Training and Research in Corporate Regulations & Faculty advisor of the student run Journal on Corporate Law & Commercial Regulations .

Dr. KALPESHKUMAR L. GUPTA

He is a law teacher and researcher. He is a Ph.D. in Law from Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), Gandhinagar, Gujarat and a former Academic Associate at Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA).

His areas of interest are Corporate Laws, Right to Information Act, Court Management, Entrepreneurship, General Management, Public Policy and other allied subjects. He has been delivering guest lecturers at Law, Management and Commerce colleges and various institutions in Gujarat and other states. He has participated in 60 plus conferences, seminars, workshops and presented 30 plus papers in various National, International Conferences and Seminars. He has been actively involved in campaign of awareness on Right to Information Act and has conducted many workshops/seminars at state and national levels.

He worked as an Academic Associate in Business Policy Area at IIM, Ahmedabad from 2010 to 2015 where he was associated with courses on Law and Management. He worked as an Assistant Professor - Research and Faculty Coordinator of Gujarat National Law University Legal Incubation Council.