Our people

Abhishek advises clients on a wide range of laws, such as energy and power sector laws, insolvency laws, real estate laws, companies’ law, foreign exchange laws, securities regulations, insurance laws and telecom laws. A keen observer of politics and regulatory environments, he routinely interacts with governmental and regulatory authorities in India, such as Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, Reserve Bank of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority, Department of Telecommunication and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on several matters. He is also a registered insolvency resolution professional.

Abhishek has been involved in advising clients in several cross border transactions, including in setting up of power projects, in Nepal, Senegal, Bhutan, Maldives and Myanmar.

Abhishek enmeshes his passion for the practice of law with his penchant for mentoring and engaging with young minds. To that end, his career has been punctuated with various teaching stints, including at the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, Amity Law School at New Delhi and Jindal Global Law School, Sonepat. He regularly contributes to various blogs, online magazines and has written several articles in leading national dailies and journals.

Mani heads the Firm’s litigation practice. She also heads the Firm’s insolvency litigation practice. Prior to helming the Firm’s dispute resolution practice, Mani was a corporate transactional lawyer. Her background as a transactions’ lawyer brings to the table a unique perspective on understanding of commercial contracts and commercial risk-allocations.

She is advising several clients in their corporate/ commercial disputes before various courts, tribunals and in arbitrations. Mani has been extensively involved in advising clients in financial distress in managing their litigation, and in advising on the Corporate Debt Restructuring and Strategic Debt Restructuring process of the Reserve Bank of India. Mani also has an expertise in handling commercial arbitrations in construction contracts, and power and infrastructure projects.

Mani has been involved in advising the Government of India in developing legal documentation for public-private partnership projects in the education space. She has advised the Government of Delhi on review of its school education laws and was invited by the Parliament’s Standing Committees for expert depositions on bills like Registration (Amendment) Bill, National Academic Depository Bill, 2011, the Higher Education and Research Bill, 2011, and the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2011.

Mani has been a key pillar of setting the Firm’s culture. She believes that all lawyers have an obligation to give back to the community in whatever way they can. To this end, Mani has co-founded a platform – Samvedna – for discussing issues around wellness in law. She is also a prolific writer, having contributed articles on legal issues in newspapers, legal journals and legal blogs.
Mani is an alumnus of the National Law School of India University, Bangalore and had worked with Luthra & Luthra Law Offices, New Delhi before joining Sarthak.

Recent Recognitions: Notable Practitioner for Dispute Resolution by Asialaw Leading Lawyers 2022; Top 100 women in Litigation by Benchmark Litigation Asia- Pacific’s Top 100 Women in Litigation 2021 and 2020.

Siddarth has advised various levels of government departments and public officials across the country, and has extensive expertise in resolving regulatory and legal policy challenges. He has assisted in drafting Private Member Bills for MPs, and also provides litigation and dispute resolution services. He has been involved in advising clients on investments in India and cross border transactions. He has also been a legal advisor to the Climate Policy Initiative and is empanelled with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, and Convergence Energy Services Ltd.

During his tenure at International Finance Corporation (IFC) at the World Bank Group (WBG), Siddarth provided legal advisory services to GoI on state level Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) rankings, and global EoDB rankings. He co-authored the section on ‘Enforcing Contracts’ in “Doing Business in India: Reform Memorandum”, submitted to GoI to improve the enforcement of contracts in India. He also represented WBG at consultations with the Bankruptcy Law Reforms Committee (BLRC), constituted by GoI to draft the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016.

Siddarth has provided transactional advice on Concession Agreements including, on the Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas, a PPP scheme under the Ministry of Rural Development. While at WBG, he also drafted the Model Concession Agreement for NITI Aayog to facilitate PPPs in the health care sector across districts in rural India.

He is an alumnus of the National Law School of India University, Bangalore and holds an LL.M. from the George Washington University Law School, as a Thomas Buergenthal Scholar.

Payal brings close to 2 decades of robust experience in advising domestic and international clients on diverse areas, including General Corporate, Mergers and Acquisitions, Private Equity, Venture Capital, and Foreign Direct Investment. Known for her strategic counsel, sharp negotiation skills, and a meticulous approach to crafting bespoke agreements, Payal is a trusted advisor for complex and high-value transactions. She is highly regarded by clients for her hands-on approach, technical knowledge, and negotiating skills. Payal has a stronghold in drafting agreements and tailor-making such agreements to cater to the specific needs of the clients.

Payal is also representing various investment funds, public sector undertakings, and guiding businesses through debt funding strategies to align with their growth objectives. She has comprehensive experience in handling cross-border investments, working closely with stakeholders to navigate multifaceted legal and regulatory landscapes. Beyond transactional work, she has represented clients in regulatory proceedings before various judicial and quasi-judicial institutions.

Payal has opined on the legalese in several matters including labour, industrial and welfare legislations, Environmental Laws, Competition Law, Real Estate Matters including matters pertaining to land ceiling legislations and queries relating to revenue and stamp laws. Payal has also represented clients before the Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai and New Delhi for compounding matters and other related advisory.

Payal has conducted several corporate as well as land due diligences. The Corporate Due Diligences undertaken by her covered the proposed transaction, the general corporate data and structure of the target company, its best practices, policies and guidelines, indebtedness and guarantees, RBI compliances, statutory approvals/ licenses for business operations and compliances, subsisting business contracts, properties (movable, immovable and intellectual property), labour and employment matters, environment related issues, litigation and insurance policies. The corporate due diligences were undertaken at the behest of clients being Maharatna company, foreign companies, private companies and public companies spanning over sectors including Education, Pharmaceutical, Logistics, Engineering, E-Commerce, E-Security.

Payal has also undertaken Land Due Diligences for both commercial as well as residential properties detailing the project land, title verification report, record of rights (Jamabandis and Mutation records) ownership chain, licenses and approvals granted by the Office of the Director, Town and Country Planning and verifying sale deeds, agreement to sell and other such documentation.

Payal’s sector expertise inter-alia lies in manufacturing, refractories, pharmaceuticals, aviation, e-commerce, e-security, hospitality, education, warehousing and logistics, engineering, real estate, F&B industry, renewable energy and Information Technology.

Payal is a graduate of Amity Law School, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, and a member of the Bar Council of Delhi, Supreme Court Bar Association, and Delhi High Court Bar Association.

She has been recognized in various prestigious rankings, including Legal 500 and Asia Legal Business, for her leadership in corporate and M&A practice. She was also recognized as BW Legal 40 under 40, 2023 and was felicitated with Woman Icon of the Year 2024 by Fortune Leadership Awards.

Anubhav is a part of the corporate transactions of the Firm. Anubhav advises clients on a wide range of laws, such as energy and power sector related laws, real estate laws, companies’ law, foreign exchange laws, securities regulations, and education laws. Anubhav is involved in several M&A, private equity and venture capital transactions. Anubhav also specializes in EPC contracts and project finance.

Some of Anubhav’s notable clients include Africa Energy S.A. (a Senegal based power producer), Sterlite Group, Hindustan Power Group, Moser Baer Group, Coastal Projects Limited, Jal Power Corporation Limited, Manav Rachna Group of Institutions and Indus World Schools. Anubhav is involved in advising clients in several cross border transactions, including in setting up of power projects, in Nepal, Senegal, Bhutan, and Maldives.

Anubhav is a graduate of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University at Lucknow.

Santosh’s career in law has been preceded by a long-career in FMCG companies Bata India Limited and Hindustan Unilever Limited. Before joining the legal profession, Santosh did consulting with MSMEs to compete globally and helped four such factories to scale up 10x in eight years, delivering reliability to global clients and earning their trust.

Santosh has a great passion for learning and to this end, he has pursued and successfully completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Cyber Law from Indian Law Institute, New Delhi; Master of Business Law from National Law School of India University, Bangalore; LLB from University of Delhi; and Chemistry Honours from Bhagalpur University.

Santosh is enrolled with Bar Council of Delhi with Certificate of Practice from Bar Council of India. His practice areas include legal advisory, consumer protection, real estate, and dispute resolution.

Avantika is a seasoned lawyer and company secretary with a robust track record in the legal services industry. With extensive expertise spanning corporate law, regulatory compliance, and insolvency law, she guides clients through complex corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity investments, and banking and financing. Her proficiency extends to advising on securities laws, foreign exchange regulations, and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.

Avantika specializes in drafting meticulous transaction documents, commercial agreements, and policies, conducting thorough due diligence, and providing strategic corporate advisory services. She is adept at managing company secretarial work and navigating clients through insolvency proceedings. Her clientele includes multinational corporations, startups, social enterprises, funds, and other organizations, whom she advises on a broad spectrum of legal and governance matters.

With a proactive approach to regulatory compliance, Avantika collaborates closely with regulatory bodies such as the Registrar of Companies, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, the National Company Law Tribunal, and other governmental authorities. Her dedication to delivering comprehensive, tailored legal solutions ensures that her clients’ day-to-day operations comply with evolving regulatory requirements.

Avantika is passionate about fostering long-term client relationships built on trust, professionalism, and a deep understanding of her clients’ business objectives.