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Kunal Vajani is a distinguished dispute resolution practitioner leading Fox & Mandal as its Joint Managing Partner and also a Director of Fox and Mandal Consultancy Solutions Private Limited. Kunal also holds the distinction of being the Court Member [India] – ICC International Court of Arbitration, Paris.
Armed with a law degree [LLB] from Government Law College, Mumbai, India and masters [LLM] from Harvard Law School, USA. Kunal is also qualified as a Solicitor, Supreme Court of England & Wales and registered practitioner holding Rights of Audience before the DIFC Courts, Dubai.
Kunal specialises in litigation and arbitration with his practice ranging across a wide spectrum of civil, criminal and company matters. Though a foremost dispute resolution attorney, Kunal is also widely acknowledged for advising on many first-of-its-kind investments, restructurings transactions [domestic and international] in India.
Kunal has represented clients [private & sovereign] in various leading matters relating to anti-corruption laws, banking laws, cable and telecom disputes, challenges to central / state government policies, company laws, competition law, constitutional laws, corporate crimes, derivative actions, direct and indirect tax, documentary credits, electricity laws, enemy property laws, environment law, foreign exchange laws, infrastructure disputes, insolvency laws, intellectual property laws, money laundering laws, municipal laws, oil / gas / petroleum disputes, partnership disputes, private equity disputes, public and private trusts, real estate disputes, recovery of debts including ECBs / FCCBs / NCDs / OCBs, shareholder disputes and testamentary matters.
The versatile advisory practice of Kunal has no sectorial barriers, and his expertise ranges from banking, capital markets, foreign exchange, foreign inward investment, infrastructure, insurance, real estate, taxation [direct and indirect] and wealth planning. Kunal often advises corporations, financial institutions, private equity sponsors, sovereign wealth funds, and HNIs in various matters. He is also a confidant for several industrial families with their family constitutions and settlements, trusts, wills, and succession planning. Kunal has also often advised government authorities and corporations in highly classified matters.
Kunal regularly appears before all fora including the Supreme Court of India, various High Courts, City Civil Courts, District Courts, Sessions Courts and Magistrates’ Courts, Arbitral Tribunals [Domestic / International Commercial / International Treaty], Appellate Tribunal for Electricity, Appellate Tribunal for Forfeited Property [PMLA, SAFEMA & NDPSA], Competition Commission, Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions, Electricity Regulatory Commissions, National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, National Company Law Tribunal, National Green Tribunal and quasi-judicial authorities. Internationally, Kunal also appears before the DIFC Courts, Dubai.
Kunal was the Standing Counsel for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi [erstwhile North DMC and South DMC] from August, 2018 to August, 2023.
Kunal has also been appointed as an arbitrator [sole and 3 (three) member tribunals] in institutional / ad-hoc domestic as well as international commercial arbitrations. Kunal has vast experience in many landmark ad-hoc as well as institutional arbitrations in field of business / partnership disputes, banking & finance, family disputes, infrastructure projects, mining, natural resources, private equity & debt and real estate.
Kunal has been reported as a Recognised Practitioner by Chambers and Partner Asia Pacific for the years 2012 to 2023 and Global for the year 2019 to 2023.
Kunal has also been bestowed and honoured with the prestigious accolades such as ‘ALB Asia Super 50 Disputes Lawyer 2023’ & ‘ALB India Top Disputes Lawyer 2022’ recognised by Asian Legal Business, ‘India’s Most Trusted Corporate Lawyers’ presented by Indian Corporate Counsel Association through the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India and Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law & Justice, Government of India and ‘Shining Star of Indian Legal Fraternity’ presented by the Corporate Counsel Association of India.
Kunal is also the Chair – Corporate & Legal Affairs, Indian Chamber of Commerce, Northern Region, member of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, member of the Law & Justice Committee of PHD Chambers of Commerce & Industry and Ex-Officio Member of the Executive Committee of ICC, India.
Kunal was a partner of M/s. Wadia Ghandy & Co., Mumbai from April, 2011 to March, 2016 and thereafter Kunal migrated to New Delhi to head M/s. Wadia Ghandy & Co. [Delhi] from April, 2015 to March, 2018. After an illustrious career spanning over 17 [seventeen] years with the same law firm and leaving a trail of glory in its wake, Kunal retired from and demitted office as a Partner of M/s. Wadia Ghandy & Co. [Delhi] to establish the BlackRobe Chambers, the first and only modern and dynamic chamber of independent dispute resolution practitioners, who advise and appear as Counsel in courts and tribunals around the world. From May 2022, Kunal spearheaded the integrated practices of BlackRobe Chambers and Fox & Mandal, till their merger in April 2023, when Kunal was also named as the Joint Managing Partner being the youngest & first lateral managing partner in any century old iconic law firm.
Kunal is a lawyer neither by chance nor because of lack of options, he practices law because he loves what he does. His words jump out from the paper on which they appear, to make real his passion and honest excitement. Kunal is one of the few lawyers in India who have perfected the art of excelling in their work whilst maintaining a vibrant personal life. Kunal strives to nurture outstanding young talents and supports their growth, professionally and personally and simultaneously instils an effusive zest for access to justice, professionalism and excellence as the driving force behind everyone at Fox & Mandal.
Recognising the essence of community service and social responsibility, Kunal follows a non-accretion of wealth policy and consequently donates his entire income sans personal expenses towards education philanthropy. Kunal is the President of Adhya Shankaracharya Shikshan Sansthan, Uttarkashi. Kunal also holds the honour of leading all the lawyers of the Lohana Community in India and Worldwide as the President – Legal Wing, Lohana Mahaparishad [apex and mother body of the Lohana Community globally] and a community of over 4,000 families based at Mumbai and its bordering cities / towns as the Chairman – Trustee of Shree Ghoghari Lohana Mahajan, Mumbai.