Delhi HC designates 55 new seniors, including ex-law firmers Percy, Satvik Varma

Friday, 19 March 2021 By Legally India Bar, Bench & Litigation

The Delhi high court has designated 55 new senior counsel under the new High Court of Delhi Designation of Senior Advocate Rules 2018, reported Bar & Bench.

Amongst the list are at least two former law firm firm partners - former Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM) and AZB & Partners Percival Billimoria, who had left as CAM Delhi head and chair of its disputes, regulatory, advocacy and policy practice in 2018 to become arguing counsel.

Also included is Satvik Varma, who was a partner at erstwhile Amarchand Mangaldas until 2010 before going independent.

If you know of any other names or interesting or unusual backgrounds for the bar, please let us know in the comments and we will update.

The full list below:

  1. Abhaya Kumar Behera
  2. Ajay Verma
  3. Akshay Makhija
  4. Alok Kumar
  5. Amit Sharma
  6. Anish Dayal
  7. Arun Bhardwaj
  8. Arvind Minocha
  9. Ashish Dholakia
  10. C Mohan Rao
  11. Chinmoy Pradip Sharma
  12. Deepika V. Marwaha
  13. G Tushar Rao
  14. Garima Prashad
  15. Jagdeep Singh Bakshi
  16. Jayant Kumar Mehta
  17. Kamal Nijhawan
  18. Krishnendu Datta
  19. Lovkesh Sawhney
  20. Malvika Trivedi
  21. Maninder Singh
  22. Manish Vashisht
  23. Nagesh Puthige
  24. Naveen R. Nath
  25. Neelima Tripathi
  26. Nitya Ramakrishnan
  27. Pawanjit Singh Bindra
  28. Percival Billimoria
  29. Pramod Kumar Dubey
  30. Rahul Mehra
  31. Raj Kumar Sanghi
  32. Rajeev Sharma
  33. Rajesh Yadav
  34. Rajshekhar Rao
  35. Ramesh Singh
  36. Ratan Kumar Singh
  37. Salil Aggarwal
  38. Sanjeev Anand
  39. Sanjeev Kumar Dubey
  40. Sanjeev Rali
  41. Sanjiv Kakra
  42. Sanjoy Ghose
  43. Satvik Varma
  44. Saurabh Kirpal
  45. Siddharth Aggarwal
  46. Siddharth Yadav
  47. Sunil Dalal
  48. Suruchi Aggarwal
  49. Sushil Dutt Salwan
  50. Trideep Pais
  51. Vikas Dhawan
  52. Vikas Mahajan
  53. Viraj R. Datar
  54. Vivek Chib
  55. Vivek Sibal
Percival BillimoriaSatvik Varmasenior counsel

Comments

Guest 19 Mar 2021, 12:54
+5 -29
I can spot at least 1 NLSIU alum. Yet another achievement by NLSIU alum!!
Guest 19 Mar 2021, 13:22
+38 -26
I can spot at least 4 DU alum! No wonder people say that no NLU including NLSIU can come even close to DU in achievements that count!
Dgdh 19 Mar 2021, 13:26
+12 -5
There are around 5-6 nls alums in this list
Guest 19 Mar 2021, 13:36
+4 -6
There are several alum from Calcutta University too, like Suruchi.
Guest 19 Mar 2021, 13:51
+1 -6
Sorry, that's a different Suruchi.
Raos 19 Mar 2021, 16:41
+23 -4
Sanjoy Ghose, Rajshekhar Rao, Trideep Pais, Siddharth Agarwal... Are from NLS in the list
More 19 Mar 2021, 17:49
+16 -3
Jayant Mehta, Alok Kumar also NLS.
DU student 20 Mar 2021, 16:47
+25 -9
Jo tumhari liye achievement mein, vo hamari Normal aadat hei.
Hmmmmm 19 Mar 2021, 13:30
+11 -0
Some well deserved names and then some. Let's wait for the petitions challenging this. I bet drafting going on this very minute.
Credit where due 19 Mar 2021, 13:49
+8 -2
Congratulations to Mr. P.K. Dubey. One of the best cross examiners. Well deserved.
PkK 20 Mar 2021, 08:01
+0 -1
who would be the "deserving" names?
Genuine 19 Mar 2021, 14:08
+23 -0
Some most deserving names & some as usual from the coterie where families are filled with senior advocates & judges. So nice to see humans helping in each other's progress.
Rightist 19 Mar 2021, 14:34
Troll
+18 -20
Looks like some leftists did not make it.
40+ from Law Faculty 20 Mar 2021, 03:18
+7 -2
Out of 55 designated seniors, 40+ could be only from Delhi University law faculty. Except NLS, no other NLU had any chance as its minimum 20-25 years of practice experience with most of them.
DeeOoo 20 Mar 2021, 07:48
+5 -0
Fact

Most NLUs are younger than DU by decades. For insurance, the first batch of NLU J was 2006. So obviously, the coming of age would take time.

Plus, NLU kids have historically been more inclined towards corporate law. Hopefully in the future we will see better numbers.

That said, if DU folks feel better with counting their numbers. We are all for hedonism.
aaorov 20 Mar 2021, 07:48
+4 -0
Happy to see so many first generation lawyers in the list, who has had the least amount of practice?
Long awaited 20 Mar 2021, 10:07
+12 -3
All practicing in Delhi would be elated to find the names of Rajshekhar Rao, Jayant Mehta and Siddharth Agarwal. Very humble and brilliant counsels. Also great human beings, all of them.

DU v. NLS

GLC and LawFac will have their advantage for next 10 years also because as rightly said by someone above that first batch of NLUJ passed out in 2006, who today have only 15 years of practice. In next 5-6 years, we will see many from NALSAR, Jodhpur and Bhopal being on verge of designation. Haven't found many from NUJS in Delhi (could be lack of information). As NLUs and other premier 5y law schools have advanced in law firm Partner numbers, they will give tough competition to DU/GLC also. Bet some of these good counsels from DU/GLC would also choose NLS and NLUs if given an option then.
Guest 21 Mar 2021, 02:58
Troll
+6 -4
The oldest NALSAR grads passed out in the early 2000s, yet still no senior designated from NALSAR. It's clear that NALSAR has failed to match NLSIU.
Guest 21 Mar 2021, 05:58
+3 -6
Which of these NLSIU grads designated in this list have graduated after 2000? Plus, it is not rational to expect a university to match via its first batch of grads another one that was producing its 11-12th batch at the same time. The NLUs had originally seen most grads joining the corporate route and once the brand made a name for itself, graduates started feeling more comfortable to opt for other initially less-well paid professions like litigation. Any comparison between graduates of NLSIU and the other older NLU like NALSAR and NUJS should be made at least from 2010-11 onward, once all the institutes have produced at least 5-6 batches. Not a lot of difference between these later bunch of grads.
Raos1 23 Mar 2021, 04:11
+7 -4
Gopal Sankarnarayan graduated in 2001, designated as Senior by SC in 2019.
Time machine 21 Mar 2021, 18:46
+13 -1
Congratulations to all. Each one of them is brilliant and deserved the designation. Law colleges don’t produce Senior Advocates; they get designated because of their hard work and dedication. Both these factors are more individualistic and not law school specific.

Several of our top league lawyers/ Senior Advocates have studied at unknown law colleges and practiced at smaller cities before turning towards Delhi.

So, it’s time for celebration rather than belittling law colleges/ law schools.
Res ipsa loquitor 21 Mar 2021, 20:12
+2 -0
Congratulations to all!
Abraham V 23 Mar 2021, 07:08
+14 -1
Undoubtedly, Mr Rao is the best on the list. Great lawyer, and an even better human being. All his ex-juniors keep saying how he supported them even after they left his chambers - sent briefs, sent clients, kept engaging them. Wonderful news!
Abraham V 23 Mar 2021, 18:48
+12 -0
I meant Mr Rajshekhar Rao.
Raj Fan 22 Mar 2021, 12:45
+17 -0
Rajshekhar Rao is the best and brightest on that list. Unlike most has no chip on his shoulder.
PkK 22 Mar 2021, 13:09
+12 -4
Who here has a chip on their shoulder? please provide facts instead of just spitting bullshit
Comp lawyer 22 Mar 2021, 13:55
+12 -0
Have never briefed him but have heard only praises.
He will perhaps be the only senior advocate who understands the intricacies of competition law. Most others just faff or read out notes given by briefing counsel.

Also, will agree with the positive part of the comment. He is extremely down to earth.
Guest 22 Mar 2021, 13:50
+0 -5
Isn't Arun Bhardwaj already a senior advocate? The person related to HR Bhardwaj, ex-law minister of India? Who is this Arun Bhardwaj?
Crim Law 24 Mar 2021, 03:45
+18 -0
Good to see someone like Trideep Pais on the list. Unlike most of his contemporaries he does a lot of what will be colloquially described as pro-bono human rights cases and has still has a big presence in district courts for criminal cases. Good to know that people can be recognised and rewarded even for such work.
RoboCop 26 Mar 2021, 16:06
+3 -6
Truth has hit home it seems. No other HC mint so many so-called "seniors". One can imagine what the rot must be like.
RoboCop 25 Mar 2021, 06:59
+4 -9
Most of these newly minted seniors/silks have little work. Some rumours say they give commissions/cuts to AOR only to be seen in more matters in courts. May be true given such seniors by dozens are unlikely have a red carpet of work before them given existing count of seniors.
Realist 25 Mar 2021, 08:28
+3 -2
Sour grapes much?
kuuh 25 Mar 2021, 09:14
+9 -1
Someone is jealous lol
Rightly 25 Mar 2021, 15:49
+8 -2
Would you rather have people who go around exhorting strife and give red salutes?

The troll strikes back Kian!
Commenting is closed for this article.