Core Team

SHANTANU MOHAN PURI
Managing Partner, SMA Legal

Born and raised in Chandigarh, India but with extensive travel experience from a young age to North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East, Shantanu is a practicing lawyer in the Indian Legal System over the last 11 years and has indepth knowledge and experience in Corporate and Commercial Laws. Adept with Court Procedures, Regulatory affairs, Compliance issues, Banking norms, etc., Shantanu is familiar with cross border issues pertaining to setting up of a new business by a foreign company in India, joint ventures, business collaborations, valuations of businesses, formation and incorporation procedures, private equity and venture capital investing.

Shantanu has been regularly engaged as an expert witness in Indian law by solicitors and courts in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries. Familiar with matters pertaining to civil, criminal and administrative law, his services have been retained by a large number of public sector undertakings of the neighboring states and the Central Government. He renders opinion on matters pertaining to Indian corporate and commercial law for an international clientele specifically focusing on project structuring, investment, joint ventures, technology transfer agreements and a sector wise impact of WTO. SMA Legal, under his stewardship, has been able to venture forth in newer areas, namely rendering advisory services to foreign consulates and embassies in Delhi, Debt recovery for international clients and Advise on UK, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Immigration Laws. A practitioner in Alternative Dispute Resolution as well as court litigation, he appears before appellate authorities and courts throughout India.

Shantanu writes on trade and immigration issues for various publications including the Tribune, a national daily published at Chandigarh.

Education

A graduate with Honours in English, Shantanu enrolled as a member of the bar after completing his law degree in 1999 from Punjab University, Chandigarh. Shantanu did his L.L.M from the University of London after having been awarded the prestigious Felix Fellowship to study for an L.L.M. at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Memberships

  • Associated Lawyers, an international law firms network
  • The International Bar Association (IBA), the world’s leading organization of international Legal practitioners, bar associations and law societies
  • Indo-German Chamber of Commerce
  • The Association of British Scholars
  • OSEC Business Network Switzerland
  • TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs)
  • The Capital Foundation Society of India and various Industry bodies representing Indian companies and small businesses

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GUNDEEP SINGH GILL

Gundeep qualified as a lawyer after completing his LL.B. from the Bombay University in 1988. Versatile and extremely hard working, he soon thereafter completed his Chartered Accountancy and was a made a Fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Thus not only does he use his knowledge of Law but couples it with financial acumen thereby assisting our clients with the most complex and intricate financial issues which have significant legal ramifications.

His areas of interest include financial and project structuring, Double Taxation and Transfer pricing, Securities law, Investment laws, Bankruptcy and re-organization and Private Equity and Venture Capital funding. He is on the boards of various companies who use his skill and expertise to navigate through the maze of legal issues they are confronted with. Amongst the various reasons for Gundeep’s success is his interest in the teachings of Osho to which he devotes significant amounts of time.

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VIKAS JAIN

A seasoned litigator appearing at all foras, Vikas qualified for the Bar in 1998 and has a Bachelor’s Degree with Honors. He specializes in Civil law and the various areas of law falling thereunder. His range of experience spans across Constitutional matters, labour & industrial disputes, civil law pertaining to rent matters, urban and rural property, direct & indirect taxes, copyright, trade marks & patent laws. He is well versed with issues pertaining to urban and rural property, land and building laws especially from the point of view of a litigator. He appears at all fora including the District Court, High Court and Supreme Court of India. Amongst his most noticeable achievements has been the quashing of the notification amending the Punjab Urban Rent Restriction Act, as applicable to Chandigarh, by the Supreme Court of India. He advises and acts for international clients especially in real estate and property matters.

In his spare time, Vikas likes to play the 12th man in Cricket and involves himself with social issues which are of contemporary relevance.