PARTNERS

Dr Saif Mahmood

Founder & Managing Partner

Dr Saif Mahmood is an Advocate of the Supreme Court of India and an International lawyer and strategy advisor with more than two decades of a rich and diverse experience in Indian and international laws. Holding a doctorate in law with specialization in South Asian legal systems and a United Nations Certification in Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR), he frequently appears before various Indian Courts and international and domestic arbitral tribunals. He has handled cases, alongside barristers, solicitors and local counsel, in the Royal Courts of Justice in London and the Dubai courts. A Visiting Scholar in Law at the University of Oxford and a well-known author and public speaker, he has had the rare honour of being cited by the Supreme Court of India.

Dr Mahmood has successfully handled a wide variety of legal issues, rendering cutting-edge legal advice to clients for the quickest possible resolution of their disputes. His expertise includes Corporate and Commercial disputes, International Commercial Contracts, Aviation, Infrastructure, Real Estate & Property, Media & Entertainment, Constitutional and Public Law, and litigation involving complex issues of interpretation of statutes and contracts – subjects on which he has handled a wide variety of cases, advised major clients and spoken at numerous conferences and seminars. He has also been consulted on important issues of family laws and high-profile succession and estate matters.

A niche area that he consults in is Technology Innovation, Investments and Business Development in the India-UK-UAE corridor. He has a deep understanding of not just law and business but also of the Indo-UK-UAE cultural landscape, that helps him assist clients across these countries and build ecosystems for those who are motivated to enter any of these markets.

Akshay Sapra

Partner

Akshay Sapra is a lawyer with more than a decade of experience in Corporate Advisory & Dispute Resolution. Holding a Master's degree in Law, he has advised clients on investments, corporate governance and statutory compliances. He has worked extensively on international trade laws and issues related to Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) norms and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) in export of agricultural products from India. He regularly handles legal work for some of the most successful startups in the country.

Akshay’s interests also lie in expansion of foreign businesses into India and dispute avoidance in running those businesses. He regularly participates in international events showcasing India as the favoured destination for foreign clients.

CORE TEAM

Farhat Ali Khan

Dubai Affiliate Head

Farhat Ali Khan heads our UAE affiliate, Century Maxim International. With a Master’s degree in International Business Law from the Middlesex University, UK, Farhat is a seasoned legal professional with more than 15 years of diverse experience in handling a wide array of issues in the UAE and India.

He has worked in Legal Advisor with leading organizations such as Airtel, Hindustan Coca-Cola, Landmark Group and Jumbo Group and has a rich experience of setting up foreign businesses in the UAE and handling their legal issues with exceptional success.

Dr Harsh Pathak

Our Senior Consultant, Dr Harsh Pathak is an Advocate of the Supreme Court of India holding a PhD in law from the University of Singapore. For the last more than two decades, he has been working as an international business compliance counsel for bilateral and multilateral business organisations in different geographical locations and jurisdictions the world over.

Dr Pathak specialises in natural resources allocation and statutory compliances, infrastructure, mining, power, public policy and heritage conservation laws and is widely recognized as a forerunner in these fields.

Sarah Haque

Sarah Haque is an expert in Technology, Intellectual Property Rights and Privacy Laws. She has successfully served a large clientele of Indian and multinational companies and tech startups.

Sarah holds a Bachelor's degree in Technology and another degree in law. Prior to joining the bar, she worked in Business Development, B2B Marketing, Market Research & Analysis and Strategy Marketing. She works alongside the founder of the Firm, Dr Saif Mahmood in our Technology Innovation and Investment practice across the India-UK-UAE corridor.

Vrinda Kapoor Dev

Our Consultant, Vrinda Kapoor Dev specialises in the law relating to real estate and property. Having successfully handled a vast clientele of Indian and global clients, she leads the Firm's real estate advisory vertical, working closely with the founder, Dr Saif Mahmood.

Vrinda holds a Master's degree in law and has been practising since 2009. Her interests also lie in family and matrimonial disputes, subjects on which she has appeared in many a contentious dispute.

Vivek Agarwal

Vivek Agarwal holds a Master's degree in Law with specialization in Business Law and has been practising since 2008. He also holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Constitutional Law and Diploma in Parliamentary Institution and Procedures from the Institute of Constitutional Law and Parliamentary Studies, New Delhi. He has completed Professional Development Training on Administration of Justice for Public Security organized by the IBA Chair on Continuing Legal Education at the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru and Menon Institute of Legal Advocacy Training, Trivandrum in association with National Law University, Jodhpur.

Vivek has extensive experience in real estate due diligence, specialised legal documentation relating to real estate and property and civil dispute resolution. He has also handled a large number of criminal, matrimonial and labour disputes.

SENIOR CONSULTANTS

Anil Sapra

Mr. Anil Sapra is a well-known designated Senior Advocate with 40 years of experience in Dispute Resolution. One of the most sought-after counsel in the field of commercial and civil laws, he is a senior advisor to the Firm and available for consultation on complex and contentious legal issues.

Af Malhotra

Our business and go-to-market advisor in the UK, Af Malhotra is a tech-founder, active investor and dedicated philanthropist. He has had an illustrious career in technology, having held leadership roles in global companies including Gartner, Amstrad and Fujitsu. He has been featured as a ‘technology entrepreneur and visionary’ on the BBC News, CNBC Live, Huffpost, Financial Express Magazine, The Times, Bloomberg and the International Finance Magazine. Educated at the Universities of London and Harvard, Af lectutres at he London Business School and Queen Mary’s in London and runs a much sought-after talk show called Straight Talk. Af is Founder/co-founder of Zone Capital Advisors, Tech India Advocates and Diversity Economics Institute.

Dr Pratishtha Singh

Dr Pratishtha Singh has worked extensively in the rural community across India, especially with women and farmers, for over a decade. With her finger on the pulse of real India, she advises various institutions on public policy and political communication. She is an expert in India-Italy relations and, for her outstanding contribution, has been knighted by the Italian Government: the youngest Indian to have ever received this honour. As a senior advisor to the Firm, Pratishtha renders guidance on public policy advocacy.

Hasan Mahmood

Immigration Head

Hasan's experience in the realms of International trade, business negotiation, trade finance, and an innately entrepreneurial streak lends to him an uncanny ability to take an expansive view of the immigration strategies countries adopt to plug gaps in their economic trajectory and potential.

Having travelled extensively with a keen eye on demographic trends, he has a knack to discern existing and forthcoming iterations in immigration regimes. He has successfully handled numerous applications with clients now happily settled in their dream countries.

Hasan was the founder of Greener Pasturez and New Heights Business Development, both boutique immigration consultancies based in New Delhi and Toronto respectively.