Mr. Raian N. Karanjawala

Current position: Managing Partner

Practice Area: Dispute Resolution/Litigation Advisory

Mr. Raian N. Karanjawala is the Managing Partner of Karanjawala & Company. An alumnus of St. Columba’s School, Shri Ram College of Commerce, and Government Law College, Mumbai, Mr. Karanjawala co-founded Karanjawala & Company in 1983 with his wife Mrs. Manik Karanjawala who is a noted advocate in India in her own right. During his college days at Shri Ram College of Commerce, Mr. Karanjawala was the President of the College Union. In 2014, Mr. Karanjawala was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate in Law by the Amity University.

With Karanjawala & Company consistently rated as a Tier 1 Dispute Resolution Firm in New Delhi and Mr. Karanjawala consistently rated as a “Band 1” Lawyer in Chambers & Partners ‘Dispute Resolution: New Delhi’, Karanjawala & Company and Mr. Karanjawala enjoy an immense presence in the dispute resolution market in India, especially New Delhi which is the seat of the Supreme Court, one of India’s most active High Courts, and all major Tribunals (National Green Tribunal, National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, Competition Appellate Tribunal, Telecom Disputes Settlement & Appellate Tribunal, etc.).

Some of India’s – often even the world’s – biggest business houses and public institutions such as the Tata Group; DLF; Hindustan Times; the Birlas; the Adani Group; Astro; Bombay Dyeing; Britannia; Hindustan Unilever; Procter & Gamble; Colgate; Coca Cola; Vodafone, Price Waterhouse Coopers; GVK; Mafatlal Industries; Piramal; Ambuja Cement; GMR; Morgan Stanley; Star TV; Board of Cricket Control in India; Coffee Board; amongst many others, turn to Mr. Karanjawala when in legal trouble.

Apart from leading business houses, noted individuals from all walks of life, such as the scion of the Scindia Royal Family, Mr. Jyotiraditya Scindia; leading business luminary, Mr. Ratan Tata; Former Prime Minister of India, Late Mr. V.P. Singh; three-time Chief Minister of Haryana and Former Union Minister for Agriculture, Late Mr. Bhajan Lal; noted industrialists, Mr. Nusli Wadia, Mr. Suresh Nanda, and Mr. Gopal Raheja; three-time Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Former Union Minister of Defence and Agriculture, Mr. Sharad Govindrao Pawar; Former Union Minister of Defence, External Affairs, and Finance, Mr. Jaswant Singh; former Attorney General of India, Late Mr. Goolam E. Vahanvati; the royal family of Baroda; famous actress, Ms. Karisma Kapoor; erstwhile editor-in-chief of Tehelka, Mr. Tarun Tejpal; leading film producer, Mr. Karim Morani; amongst many others, have all turned to Mr. Karanjawala when in need of top-notch legal advice.

With a larger than life personality and an even bigger heart, Mr. Karanjawala has managed to remain close to public causes and continues to drive the Firm’s pro bono practice which includes having acted on behalf of the Bombay Hawker’s Union in defence of the fundamental rights of 15,000 traders; having secured bail for Mr. Binayak Sen who was detained for being a Naxalite; persisting with world renowned oncologist Dr. P.B. Desai’s case who was ultimately acquitted by the Supreme Court of India; and appearing for the Dawoodi Bohra community.

Described by Clients as a ‘big picture guy’ and undisputedly the top rain maker at the Firm, Mr. Karanjawala is the go-to litigator and strategist in India for complex litigation as well as notable causes.