Nishith Desai is the founder of the research-based strategy driven international law firm, Nishith Desai Associates (www.nishithdesai.com) with offices in Mumbai, Silicon Valley, Bangalore, Singapore, Mumbai – BKC, New Delhi and Munich.

Nishith himself is a renowned international tax, corporate, IP lawyer researcher, published author and lecturer in leading academic institutions around the world. Soon after India opened up its economy to the outside world in 1991, he established the first five India Focused funds and pioneered the roots of asset management industry and the firm has now worked for over 900 funds across all classes of asset.

The Firm recently won an award for being the 'Most Innovative Indian Law Firm' and the '2nd Most Innovative Law firm in Asia and Australia'. Financial Times quoted "Nishith Desai...a constructively contrarian, created his law firm in 1990 using a model and approach radically different from that of the most international premium law firms".

Besides being a well-known transactional lawyer he is also a litigator and has personally argued some of the most famous complex tax cases. Nishith Desai sits on the Board of Singapore International Arbitration Centre. His practice encompasses an extensive range of tax, corporate and technology matters. His other areas of practice include corporate M&A, globalization, international listings, international IPO and corporate governance.

Legal Era, a prestigious Legal Media Group has recognized Nishith Desai as the Best Tax Lawyer of the Year (2013). He is listed in the Lex Witness ‘Hall of fame: Top 50’ individuals who have helped shape the legal landscape of modern India.

He is also the recipient of Prof. Yunus ‘Social Business Pioneer of India’ – 2010 award. He has been voted ‘External Counsel of the Year 2009’ by Asian Counsel and Pacific Business Press and the ‘Most In Demand Practitioners’ by Chambers Asia 2009. He has been ranked No. 28 in a global Top 50 "Gold List" by Tax Business, a UK-based journal for the international tax community.

Nishith Desai is a practicing advocate in India and also holds a special license from the State Bar of California and Singapore to practice Indian law. His vast understanding of international comparative law along with lateral thinking helps him be solution oriented and very innovative lawyer.