NLU Jodhpur 2007 alum quits SEBI to start up Suvan Law Advisors

Thursday, 30 June 2016 By Prachi Shrivastava Law firms

NLU Jodhpur 2007 alumnus Sumit Agrawal left his role as assistant legal advisor to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to start up Suvan Law Advisors with his wife Vaneesa Agrawal, as first reported by Bar & Bench and The Hindu.

Suvan will focus on regulatory and corporate advice and regulatory litigation. Agrawal told Legally India that the firm currently operates from Ballard Estate in Mumbai, with a team of five including the founders. Clients of Suvan currently are those that instructed Vaneesa’s independent practice until now.

He commented: “We see a lot of potential in the regulatory field and a handful of available experts in this sector. One can see the growing trend of new regulators such as Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) being formed, on the lines of successful experiment of securities regulator SEBI Hence, the issues in future are also likely to be similar and equally challenging.”

Agrawal joined SEBI straight after graduation and, according to his Linkedin profile, examined emerging international trends in securities regulation, recommending and carrying out changes to SEBI regulations, drafting regulatory policy and legal opinions and handling contentious work within SEBI and before appellate forums.

He is experienced in handing preliminary investigation of market irregularities, surveillance of stock exchanges and other market intermediaries, drafting of regulatory debarment and penalty orders, and has also been a part of the investigation team for IPO Scam Roopalben Panchal Scam and in preliminary inquiries of the Satyam Scam investigation.

Comments

NLUJ 30 Jun 2016, 08:38

+14 -7

Looks like he has no legal experience. More of an investigator or compliance kind of portfolio. Anyways, being stuck in SEBI does not make any sense. Right decision though.

Scott Hall 30 Jun 2016, 09:21

+16 -5

Kian,tere itne bure din aagaye that you are publishing such irrelevant stuff. Or was this published by default because Bar & Bench has published the same?

kianganz 30 Jun 2016, 09:44

+10 -11

1. We love start-up law firms.

2. If a law firm start-up story is good enough for The Hindu, then it's usually good enough for us too :) http://www.thehindu.com/business/another-sebi-law-officer-quits-to-start-his-own-law-firm/article8787981.ece

RA 30 Jun 2016, 11:40

+36 -5

If your father in law is one of the most powerful babus, you can get whatever newspaper coverage you want.

Biased Kian 1 Jul 2016, 07:42

+2 -1

These comments not being moderated?? Really??

kianganz 1 Jul 2016, 07:52

+1 -5

Don't think it's a personal attack per se.

If someone has a well-connected father, that inevitably does open some doors though (including mainstream newspaper reporters knowing who you are if they otherwise wouldn't - though literally in this case there's no evidence to suggest that he was covered by The Hindu because of that...)

another anonymous 1 Jul 2016, 13:08

+0 -0

Not father but father in law.

Paid news 30 Jun 2016, 12:24

+17 -3

It seems like the husband and wife are starting an office. Hardly a "firm" whatever they might want to call it. The Hindu article also seems like a plug. But you should know that.

Grammar Nazi 30 Jun 2016, 09:57

+9 -2

Sumit + Vaneesa = SUVAN

T&C 2 Jul 2016, 06:33

+4 -0

Do we start calling you Granni?

Cool down 30 Jun 2016, 10:17

+18 -0

IMHO there should be a cooling off period for someone who leaves the government or a regulator. For too long have law firms taken persons from the government and taken advantage of their influence on their department.

Hey 30 Jun 2016, 13:27

+25 -0

Why not Vamit?

Bengali 30 Jun 2016, 13:48

+14 -1

Ore baba...Vomit

Agram Bagram 30 Jun 2016, 11:17

+7 -0

But its just bias for you to not carry better interesting stories, on account of what really?

kianganz 30 Jun 2016, 11:53

At this point, your repetitively hostile comments are certainly one reason this story isn't getting the top top priority in our newslist... ;)

Guest 30 Jun 2016, 14:19

+3 -0

If that is how you want to rationalize your bias, then by all means.

Guest 1 Jul 2016, 06:37

+4 -2

You being petty wasnt a secret, but being immature. Wow, thats a new low, even for someone like you, who makes this constant contrived effort to masquerade as a journalist!

kianganz 1 Jul 2016, 06:43

Seriously guys, why so angry all the time? You come off sounding like trolls in the employ of BJP, AAP or Congi?

Like I said in a previous thread, we spoke to both parties involved, who have told us that yes, something is going on but no one has exited yet.

On the other side there are anonymous commenters calling me names and using all sorts of hyperbole or insinuation.

Frankly, I don't see the tearing hurry right this very minute to publish something.

Can you see why one side's version seems more credible right now and the other just comes off sounding like trolling?

I do invite you to send me an email directly, or to leave a comment (marked not for publication if you like), soberly setting out the facts as you understand them. If the story is important to you, then that would be more helpful than accusing me of bias incessantly...

Thanks
Kian

kianganz 1 Jul 2016, 07:59

+1 -4

FYI, am closing this thread, no need to comment with vitriol under different usernames. Like I said, more than happy for you to share facts here anonymously re the story rather than insinuation, which you haven't done so far, but this is off topic and apprently of interest to only a small number of people.

And please keep it civil, rather than commenting on people's skill as a lawyer, etc.

NR 30 Jun 2016, 14:03

When is your date of joining?

Sabka bhalla & papdi h 30 Jun 2016, 13:04

+1 -7

@Agram Bagram, jalo mat barabari karo dude.

NR 30 Jun 2016, 14:04

+5 -24

Sumit is an excellent lawye.r with amazing soft skills. He is very smart and I am sure that he didn't take the entrepreneurial plunge without being sure about it.

I am sure that he will do more than well

CL 30 Jun 2016, 18:23

+2 -10

It is always good to have a niche firm in specialized areas of law, especially regulatory and corporate litigation. More so considering there only a handful of firms practicing in the same. I'm sure given the experience and expertise that he has in the field, it'll be a highly successful venture.

Is he 30 Jun 2016, 21:03

+4 -1

He came into the market just now.. How about ex sebi investigation officers like shantanu who quit long back.. he was from nujs.. as we are aware, legal affairs dept of sebi is more like a post office.. what did sumit do that shantanu aashay amd d likes did not..

SEBI Action Defense.. 30 Jun 2016, 21:08

We trust SOM and SOM only..

Love startup firms? 30 Jun 2016, 21:15

+5 -0

Did you cover Shantanu when he started up? Advised Acuity Law and Phoenix Legal before merging into Phoenix in September 2014 as Counsel? BTW.. Shantanu Mmitra - Ex SEBI - has quit Phoenix and started SMA Advocates since May 2016.. Have you reported that Kian????

Guest 1 Jul 2016, 01:57

+3 -9

the guy's the nations leading authority on the SEBI act. woukdbt be surprised if they go on to become a heavyweight in the industry.

NLUJ 1 Jul 2016, 06:38

+17 -1

Dude! Have you read that book?? It's like a Times of India Saturday Edition - full of mistakes and grammatical errors.

I brought it thinking that it's something good but [...]

NLU What 2 Jul 2016, 10:56

+3 -6

'Brought' it huh? Wow!

NLUJ 1 Jul 2016, 10:17

+12 -3

Commentary only on the SEBI Act is not that useful. Especially considering the fact that the SEBI Act is only a parent legislation (with around 30 sections) and the real meat/content is contained in the Regulations and Rules framed under the SEBI Act. This is the specific reason no one previously wrote a book on SEBI Act specifically as it was just not useful..

The book lacks good content and of course has lot of grammatical mistakes.. !!

Guest 1 Jul 2016, 11:58

+0 -4

Having said that!!

Commenting is closed for this article.