Meet The Team

"Ms. Akanksha Mathur is a Senior Associate at Krishnamurthy & Co., Bangalore as a part of the Intellectual property team. She has previously worked with IP boutique firms ZeusIP Advocates and Chadha & Chadha Advocates. Ms. Mathur completed her B.Com (Honours) and LL. B from Campus Law Centre, University of Delhi and has over 6 years of experience."

"This article was developed in-house by Ms. Amoolya Jain, in collaboration with our team of lawyers and editors. Apprentice Insights works with experts in the field of law to develop and publish articles which are theoretically and practically relevant to legal professionals."

"Ananda Chakraverty is currently working as an Associate (Banking and Finance) with Khaitan & Co., Mumbai. Previously he has worked as a Senior Legal Manager with ICICI Bank, Kolkata. Mr. Chakraverty completed his B.A. LL.B (Honours) from Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur."

"Ann Alexander works as an In-house Counsel for a company in the Aerospace and Defense sector. She excels in advisory services to companies on key aspects of contract management, statutory compliance, industrial relations, labour disputes, US export and anti-corruption laws. She has also been extensively involved in ensuring compliance to CSR requirements for various companies. Ann Alexander has completed her LL.M in corporate law and governance from the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR) and LL.B from SDM Law College."

Apprentice News Bulletin brings you important news that is succinctly captured and is designed to make it relevant to you. For more legal articles that are theoretically and practically relevant to legal professionals and are written by experts, check out Apprentice Insights Blog.

"Aravind Athithian currently practices at Madras High Court as an Advocate. He started his career in Litigation at Supreme Court as a Junior Advocate to Standing Council for the State of Tamil Nadu. Mr. Athithian completed his Bachelor in Law from Dr. Ambedkar Govt. Law College, Chennai. He interned under Senior Standing Council for Income Tax Department and went on to pursue his Masters in Taxation from Amity Law School."

Chinthan Japhet is a Patent Attorney and a registered Patent Agent working as a Senior Associate at K Law, Bangalore. His areas of expertise include patent analysis, patent prosecution, patent litigation, patent licensing and patent portfolio management. Prior to joining K Law, he worked with AMD Law Group, U.S.A. and Krishna and Saurastri Associates. Mr. Japhet completed his Bachelor of Engineering in Telecommunications from B.M.S. College of Engineering, Bangalore, LL.B from University of Mumbai and LL.M in IPR from University of Illinois College of Law, U.S.A.

This article was developed in-house by Feba Nisha in collaboration with our team of lawyers and editors. Apprentice Insights works with experts in the field of law to develop and publish articles which are theoretically and practically relevant to legal professionals.

"This article was developed in-house by Ms. Geethanjali, in collaboration with our team of lawyers and editors. Apprentice Insights works with experts in the field of law to develop and publish articles which are theoretically and practically relevant to legal professionals."

Mr. Harish is currently employed as a Legal Consultant at Central Information Commission, New Delhi. Prior to this, he practiced as an advocate before the High Court of Karnataka, High Court of Delhi, several civil and criminal courts, tribunals and commissions. Mr. Harish is currently pursuing his Ph.D. from Amity University and has an LL.M in Constitutional law from the same University.

Jasmine Latkar is an IP, Entertainment and Technology law practitioner working with Naik Naik and Co., Mumbai. Her areas of practice include trademark prosecution, copyright license and assignment agreements, drafting and negotiating transactions in media and entertainment law, drafting software licenses, terms of services and privacy policies for websites and mobile applications, and general advisory. She previously worked with Krishnamurthy & Co. (K Law). Ms. Latkar graduated from ILS Law College with a B.S.L., LL.B degree in 2014. She completed LL.M, with a specialization certificate in Law and Technology, from the University of California, Berkeley, in the year 2015.

"Brief about the author: Karthik Anand is an Assistant Professor of Law at SDM Law College Mangalore. He previously practiced at the Kasargod (Kerala) Bar and Mangalore (Karnataka) Bar in the areas of Criminal, Consumer and Family matters. Karthik Anand holds a B.A.(Law), LL.M, and KSET degree from SDM Law College Mangalore."

Kashyap N. Naik is a partner at Agraa Legal, a law firm headquartered at Bangalore. Kashyap deals extensively in dispute resolution, real estate, corporate and advisory services. He has handled various civil, contractual, constitutional, commercial, intellectual property rights, investment, corporate, revenue and consumer disputes. Kashyap has appeared before various courts, arbitration, tribunals and other fora and has assisted clients in forming dispute resolution strategies and in identifying and assessing litigation risks. He advises and has provided legal opinions to various companies, firms, societies, associations, trusts and individuals, apart from governmental corporations and non – statutory bodies. He is a standing counsel for Karnataka Power Corporation Limited and for News Broadcasters Association and its Standards Authority in Bangalore. Kashyap has written several articles and has co-authored a few books. Apart from law, he has an abiding interest in Indian classical and western classical literature, history, philosophy, aesthetics, classical music and dance, dharmashastras and arthashastra, amongst other subjects. Kashyap has delivered several lectures at public forum in several places and is also a performing artist.

This article was developed in-house by Ms. Kriti Kumar in collaboration with our team of lawyers and editors. Apprentice Insights works with experts in the field of law to develop and publish articles which are theoretically and practically relevant to legal professionals.

Mahesh Chowdhary is the Founding Partner at Precinct Legal. He has been practicing in High Court of Karnataka mainly on Writ Jurisdiction, Civil and Criminal Appeals. He also has experience in Intellectual Property Law practice, appearing before the Trademark Registry in Chennai and conducting trademark, copyright and patent litigations. He filed a Writ Petition seeking to include divorcee under the ambit of Compassionate Appointment, where the High Court directed the Government to consider the divorcee as unmarried daughter. Further, he challenged the constitutionality of KOCOA, 2000 and was successful in filing the first anticipatory bail under the provisions of law. Mr. Chowdhary completed his Bachelor in Law from University Law College, Bangalore and his Masters in Business Laws in National Law School of India University and LL.M in IP (Trademarks and Medical Patents) from Queen Mary University, London.

"Ms. Manjushree is a Human Rights advocate currently working at an anti-human trafficking NGO. Her fields of expertise mainly include Corporate Law and Criminal Laws. Ms. Manjushree has completed her B.A., LL.B from SDM Law College, Mangalore and her MBA from an open university."

Meghana Ballal is based in Mangalore and has 3 years of work experience in both civil and criminal litigation. She is also a visiting faculty at SDM Law College. She previously interned with Chief Justice of India Hon'ble H.L Dattu and senior counsel Harish Salve.Meghana Ballal did her honours programme at SDM Law College Mangalore and LL.M in Corporate and Banking law from Symbiosis Law College, Pune. She is also an avid reader and progressive toastmaster.

Milani Pandey is working as an in-house counsel at Toyota Tsusho India Private Limited, Bangalore. Her areas of practice include commercial contracts, legal compliance, licensing and corporate restructuring matters. Ms. Pandey graduated (B.A., LL.B) from Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies and obtained her Post-Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Laws (DED) from National Law School of India University.

"1. Poornachandra Pattar: Mr. Pattar is a Partner at Spectrum Legal, Bangalore, heading the real estate practice. Apart from real estate law, his areas of practice are family law, civil litigation, consumer protection, IP litigation and corporate and commercial dispute resolution. Mr. Pattar completed his Bachelor of Law from Bangalore University in 2010 and obtained his Masters in International Business Laws from National University of Singapore. 2. Raghavendra Sanjeevarao: Mr. Sanjeevarao has 17 years of extensive practice in litigation including civil, criminal, cyber and IPR laws. He currently works at Law Nest, a law firm in Bangalore, in the capacity of a Senior Partner. Mr. Rao is an LL.M graduate and currently pursuing Ph.D. in IP & Cyber law. 3. Arun Sri Kumar: Mr. Sri Kumar is a Founder-Partner at Keystone Partners, a law firm with offices in Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi. His areas of practice are civil litigation including trial, appellate and writ matters; company law; real estate law; IPR; and consumer protection law. He is a graduate of National Law School of India University and has been practicing in the various civil courts of Bangalore since 2009."

"Nitya Kalyani began independent practice around April 2018. Her area of practice includes civil and commercial litigation, corporate advisory and family law related matters. She finished her B.A., LL.B from Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies and has about 8 years of experience, practicing in Bangalore.

Pallavi is currently working as an in-house counsel at an IT services company in Bangalore. She has over 10 years of experience in IPR, cross-border transactions, contract drafting and management, dispute management, employment issues and corporate laws and advisory. She worked with law firms in Bangalore as an IPR attorney prior to moving to an in-house counsel position.

Poornachandra Pattar is a Partner at Spectrum Legal, Bangalore, heading the real estate practice. Apart from real estate law, his areas of practice cover family law, civil litigation, consumer protection, IP litigation and corporate and commercial dispute resolution. Mr. Pattar completed his Bachelor of Law from Bangalore University in 2010 and obtained his Masters in International Business Laws from National University of Singapore.

Pranjali is a Media & IP lawyer as well as a company secretary. She is currently working as an In House lawyer with Shemaroo Entertainment Limited. She has previously worked with the In House Company Secretary and legal team of Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited. She has also collaborated with IL&FS (Education) and the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) as a subject matter expert for the creation of interactive learning material for the Syllabus of the Company Secretary Course as prescribed by the ICSI. Pranjali completed her B.L.S.L.L.B from Pravin Gandhi College of Law, Mumbai University and her Company Secretary Course from Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI).

"Prateek works as a legal counsel at a law chamber under a Senior Advocate at Mumbai. His areas of practice include civil litigation and arbitration disputes. He has earlier worked at various law firms in Mumbai. Mr. Pai completed his B.A., LL.B from Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies and has 5 years of experience. Senior Advocate at Mumbai."

Richa Saraf is a Legal Advisor at Vinod Kothari Consultants Pvt. Ltd., where she is involved in rendering opinions and advisory services in the area of corporate and banking laws, drafting and vetting of different agreements and making representations/appearances before the National Company Law Tribunal with respect to various matters including corporate insolvency resolution proceedings, liquidation and voluntary liquidation. Ms. Saraf is also a keen writer who has authored several articles which are published in various law magazines and legal blogs.

"Ritu Meena is working as a Copyright Examiner in Copyright Office, New Delhi. Ms. Meena pursued her LL.B from Delhi University and LL.M, with specialization in IPR, from NLU Jodhpur. She is currently pursuing Ph.D in IPR from Jaipur National University."

"Mr Rupendra Singh is working at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar as a research scholar and pursuing PhD in the field of Competition Law. He previously practiced law at the Supreme Court and other subordinate courts and forums in Delhi. Mr Singh completed his Bachelor in Law from Bharti Vidyapeeth Deemed University, Pune and Masters from National Law University, Jodhpur in the field of Corporate Law."

Samartha founded J.K. Legal, a law firm located in Bangalore. Apart from medico-legal cases, his areas of practice include dispute resolution and commercial law, family laws, real estate, anti-corruption, criminal laws and property litigation. He is designated as the Assistant Registrar for Bangalore International Mediation Arbitration and Conciliation Centre (BIMACC), a Dispute Resolution Centre recognized by the United Nations. Samartha received his LL.M in International Trade Law from University of Essex, UK and has 8 years of practice.

Santhosh S. Rao is a US Immigration Attorney at Gokare LPO Private Limited, Bangalore, the India Affiliate of Gokare Law Firm. He has 3 years of US Immigration experience with specialization in Non-Immigrant visas such as H-1Bs (Work Visas), L-1s (Intra company Visas), R-1s (Religious visas), P-3s (Performers Visa), TN/TDs (Mexico and Canadian Nationals) and E-3s (Australian Citizens) visas. He independently provides the US Visa and consular assistance and robust counselling for various candidates attending visa interviews at US Consulates in India. Santhosh completed his B.A., LLB degree from SDM Law College, Mangalore in the year 2015 and his LL.M in Corporate & Commercial Laws from Alliance University, Bangalore, India in 2016. He has also completed Certifications in Cyber Law, Human Resource Management, Mediation, Environmental Law and is also currently pursuing a Post Graduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Rights (PGDIPR) from IGNOU

Ms. Sashmeeta Mulmi has 11 years of experience in human trafficking related cases and is currently working as the Director of Strategic Engagements at International Justice Mission. She completed her Bachelor in Law from Bangalore University. International Justice Mission is a global organization that works against human trafficking for sex and labour. They have worked with the government and NGOs across India to combat human trafficking through strenghtening and implementing relevant legislation.

"Shahbaaz Hussain leads the corporate practice of the firm Precinct Legal. He worked in a leading law firm at Bangalore for a period of two years, before he co-founded Precinct Legal. Shahbaaz is experienced in the field of private equity, investment banking, corporate restructuring and M&A. Mr. Hussain graduated from Symbiosis Law School, Pune in B.B.A., LL.B and also holds a diploma in ‘Mergers and Acquisitions’. He completed one extra semester at Leibniz University, Germany, where he penned his thesis on ‘Anti-predatory Pricing Laws: A comparison between India and Europe’."

This article was developed in-house by Shantanu Rawat in collaboration with our team of lawyers and editors. Apprentice Insights works with experts in the field of law to develop and publish articles which are theoretically and practically relevant to legal professionals.

"Apprentice Colloquium is an attempt to bring to its readers the stories of people who have achieved success in the legal field. With insights on what made someone a champion in what they did, Colloquium aims to guide and aid people looking for a direction in their legal career or have started their journey towards that direction. Siddhant lives in Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh. Born and raised in a family of bureaucrats, he decided to pursue law and finished his BA LLB (Hons.) from Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur before venturing into the tough task of preparing for the civil services. Within two years of his mother securing the first rank in the same exam, Siddhant secured Rank 7 in the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission Examination - 2017 which was his first attempt. Despite securing a rank which qualifies for the position of the Deputy Collector, Siddhant has chosen the police services and is set to become a Deputy Superintendent of Police."

"Sudha, an IP lawyer is currently working at Shemaroo Entertainment Limited and specializes in Media and Entertainment Laws. Prior to this, she has also worked with the Trademark teams at boutique IP firms like BananaIP and Intellcopia IP Services. She completed her graduation in law from Bangalore Institute of Legal Studies and her Post Graduation from National Law Institute University, Bhopal ( NLIU) with a specialization in Intellectual Property and Business Laws."

Mr. Sushant Pai is a Founder Partner at Iyengar & Pai Advocates since 2016. He earlier worked at Crest Law Partners as a Senior Associate. His areas of practice include civil, consumer, corporate, commercial, criminal, tax and IPR litigation, in the High Court, lower courts and tribunals.Mr. Pai completed his Bachelor in Law from University Law College, Bangalore in the year 2012.

"Upama Battachargee works as a Senior Associate in Enviro Legal Defence Firm which is one of the leading environmental law firms in India. Before joining her current office space , she was a law researcher to Mr. Justice Swatanter Kumar (former Chairperson National Green Tribunal). She mostly deals with cases pertaining to Infrastructure, Water & Watershed, Air & Noise Pollution and Environment Protection. Upama Battachargee graduated from National Law University, Delhi and has completed her Masters from NUJS, Kolkata. The case Society for Protection of Environment & amp; Biodiversity v. Union of India & Ors O.A. No 677 of 2016 found in the article was filed by her firm Enviro Legal Defence and she has been involved in the matter since its inception."

"Utkarsh Joshi is an advocate working in Delhi. He is involved in drafting and filing lawsuits in the areas of trademarks, copyrights, and patents. He is further involved in dealing with the Customs authorities to prevent the import of counterfeit products. He has previously practiced in the Bombay High Court and worked as an Associate with the Fidus Law Chambers, an IP boutique firm. Mr. Joshi graduated from National Law University, Delhi. He mentors students preparing for entrance exams to Tier 1 law schools in India. He also enjoys playing the tabla, theatre and traveling."

"Vaishnavi Naik deals with civil litigation & commercial arbitration cases as a Senior Associate at Agraa Legal. Her areas of expertise include Hindu Law, Law of Contracts & Specific Reliefs, Negotiable Instruments Act, Arbitration, Consumer Protection Act, Partnership Act and Civil Procedure Code. Ms. Naik graduated from University Law College, Bangalore in the year 2011. Agraa Legal was established in the year 2011, at Bangalore and also has a branch in Jaipur. The firm provides services pertaining to civil litigation; real estate; corporate & commercial services; labour, employment and service laws; IPR laws; succession, inheritance, Trusts and estate planning; and has a diverse clientele."

Vivek Balakrishnan is working at an MNC as a Legal Counsel. His core areas of practice are Corporate Law, Technology laws and Intellectual Property laws. He has previous experience of working in law firms, MNCs and also as a freelancer.