Amar Gupta & Vivek Chandy to be new Joint Managing Partners of JSA Advocates & Solicitors
Lalit Kumar, Varghese Thomas, and Vikram Raghani also elected to the JSA Executive Committee
Delhi, Mumbai, March 3, 2025: The Partnership of JSA Advocates & Solicitors (JSA), one of India’s leading law firms, elected its new Joint Managing Partners and Executive Committee (ExComm). The new five-member ExComm will comprise Amar Gupta and Vivek Chandy, elected as the Joint Managing Partners (JMPs), along with Lalit Kumar, Varghese Thomas and Vikram Raghani. The new ExComm will take charge with effect from 1 April 2025.
The ExComm has a mix of old and new members, ensuring due continuity. Vivek first assumed the office of Joint Managing Partner in January 2019, and this will be his third term as the Joint Managing Partner of JSA.
Varghese is also a part of the outgoing ExComm, and was re-elected.
Amar is a veteran Disputes practitioner with over 30 years of experience. He has held management and practice leadership positions, during his 27-year tenure with JSA.
Vikram, who presently is the Co-Chair of the Corporate Practice of the Firm has spent more than 22 years with the Firm.
Lalit is a new entrant to the Executive Committee who has been with the Firm for over 20 years.
The new ExComm also endorses JSA’s focus on strong representation for all its key locations across India, with Vivek being based out of JSA’s Bengaluru Office, Amar out of New Delhi, Vikram and Varghese out of Mumbai, and Lalit out of Gurugram.
Commenting on being re-elected as JMP, Vivek Chandy, Joint Managing Partner, JSA Advocates & Solicitors said, “I am humbled by the trust and confidence reposed in me by the Partnership. Reflecting over the last 6 years of leading the Firm with Amit, it’s satisfying how JSA has been able to achieve a sustained growth trajectory, with support from the Partnership. We have seen the emergence of a new generation of JSA stars while our unique model and great work culture continues to attract the best talent. I express my heartfelt gratitude to Amit for his immense contribution in helping JSA reach this pedestal.”
Vivek further added, “I congratulate Amar on being elected as the JMPs. I welcome Varghese, along with Vikram Raghani and Lalit Kumar, on board the Firm’s leadership as ExComm members. Working with Amar and the new ExComm, which will comprise some of our finest young lawyers, my focus will be to ensure continued growth, build strategic capabilities, and empower the excellent next generation of our partners, in line with our broader vision to make JSA the finest law Firm in India.”
On being elected as the JMP, Amar Gupta, Joint Managing Partner (Elect), JSA Advocates & Solicitors said, “I am grateful for the trust and confidence my partners have placed in me. It will be my endeavour to help steer the firm to greater success in this challenging environment while remaining committed to our core values and the vision of our founders. There are exciting new areas of law that the firm needs to focus on while continuing to grow. I believe JSA has the talent and potential to emerge as a market leader in these and other areas of legal practice. It is recognized for its leadership in multiple Practices and for delivering exceptional legal services and forward-thinking solutions. Our Firm will continue prioritizing excellence, collaboration, and client satisfaction.”
JSA is recognized for its pioneering participative management structure. The Partnership elects the Executive Committee, comprising 5 members with a three-year term. The ExComm forms the senior leadership team of the Firm with responsibility for the overall management, developing and implementing the Firm’s growth strategy, and managing the Firm’s operations across its seven offices.
JSA is amongst the top 5 law firms in India and is also among the fastest growing. Over the last 6 years, under the leadership of Amit and Vivek, JSA has grown organically and inorganically to cross over 600 attorneys in FY2025. The Firm has established strong & internationally regarded service lines in each of its primary practice areas – Corporate, Disputes, and Finance. Alongside, JSA has moved to state-of-the-art larger offices in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and is in the process of transitioning to new modern facilities in Gurugram, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai. JSA is recognised as a great place to work, having a diverse workforce that includes 43% women attorneys.
Amit Kapur, outgoing Joint Managing Partner, JSA Advocates & Solicitors, said, “I am delighted to see the institutional tradition strengthened with the election of the new ExComm, and congratulate Vivek and Varghese for being re-elected, and Amar, Lalit, and Vikram for being entrusted with this responsibility. They make a competent and future-ready leadership team to build on JSA’s strengths for our next phase of growth with our recognized deep domain expertise, strong client relationships, a distinguished brand and world-class infrastructure. Now in my last phase at JSA, I chose to step out of the management role after a fulfilling stint of serving the firm for 1.5 years as Senior Partner and 6 years as JMP working alongside Vivek with the support of all colleagues at JSA and will remain grateful for this opportunity.
About JSA’s new Executive Committee [ExComm]
Vivek Chandy: Vivek has over 30 years of experience in areas of private equity, mergers and acquisitions, corporate commercial work and real estate advisory in India. Vivek is also qualified to advise on international commercial arbitrations and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb). Vivek is consistently recognised as a leading lawyer for Corporate/M&A, Private Equity, Real Estate, and Investment Funds.
Amar Gupta: Amar is amongst the founding members of JSA’s Disputes Practice. He has in past served as the Practice Chair and a member of the Firm’s ExComm. He has extensive experience in commercial litigation and arbitration, and he regularly appears and argues at various Courts and Tribunals. Amar has conducted high profile litigations before the Supreme Court of India, High Courts, National Company Law Tribunals and other Tribunals. He is also a member of ICC Court of Arbitration and its Executive Committee in India. He often sits as an Arbitrator.
Varghese Thomas: With an extensive experience in commercial dispute resolution, Varghese has advised several clients in arbitrations and court cases related to shareholder disputes, commercial contracts, concession agreements supply, sale contracts and engineering contracts. His practice also includes extensive experience in insolvency and debt recovery cases. Varghese also extensively advised on private trusts and estate planning matters and advises several promoters in this regard.
Vikram Raghani: Vikram is currently the Co-Chair of the Corporate Practice at JSA and leads the Securities practice at JSA. His areas of practice include mergers & acquisitions with focus on public market transactions, private equity and securities laws. He advises domestic majors and international clients on the full gamut of M&A and private equity transactions. He has led some of Asia’s largest and most complex deals for private equity, strategic and digital economy players.
Lalit Kumar: Lalit is a corporate commercial, M&A and private equity lawyer with a vast experience of twenty years. He has successfully led large and complex transactions for Indian and global corporations. His experience involves structuring and execution of corporate commercial transactions – public & private M&A, private equity (has acted as both investors’ counsel and company’s and promoter’s counsel), strategic investment/joint ventures (inbound and outbound), corporate restructuring including mergers, spinoffs, acquisitions through open offers and control, share and assets sale, buyouts, advisory on foreign direct investment, offshore investment, corporate governance, ESG matters, and company law and securities laws.
