Member Profiles

Pooja Ramchandani heads the Labour and Employment Law practice of the Firm. She is based out of its Delhi office. Pooja’s area of expertise encompasses a range of matters in the field of employment and labour laws. She has advised on structuring of workforce, social security, pensions, benefits and compensation, transition of employees and implications in a corporate restructuring, integration of benefits and compensation, employee welfare benefits, employee stock options and other performance incentive schemes, contract labour analysis, closure of factories and establishments, breach of secrecy, non-compete and non-solicitation obligations, HR policies, key and non-key employment contracts, confidentiality agreements, secondment agreements, consultancy agreements, downsizing of workforce, disciplinary proceedings,  data retention, background checks, hiring, transfer and termination of employees, general compliances under employment and labour law amongst others. Pooja assisted United Nations Development Programme with an in-depth analysis of the Indian Apprentices Act, 1961 and the Apprenticeship Rules, 1992 to advise the government on necessary changes required in the legislation for introducing to meet the objectives set out by the Indian Prime Minister in the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme and introduction of third party agencies in the scheme of the legal framework on apprentices. Pooja has built a strong team focusing on employment laws and has successfully led and advised various multi-nationals and large corporations on matters relating to closures, employee stock options, integration issues emanating from mergers, business transfers, industrial disputes, strikes, employment policies etc., over the last year across sectors such as manufacturing, automobiles, healthcare, retail, insurance, IT, financial services, FMCGs etc. She has been actively advising the clients on the new Labour Codes and assisting in restructuring of compensation structures and policies to ease with the transition to the new regime. Pooja’s contribution was phenomenal in providing effective and practical solutions and strategies to clients to deal with the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing impact on the business operations. Expertise General Corporate

Michelle Solomon Le Page is a dual qualified Advocate and Solicitor in India and in England, who is based primarily in Paris, and shares her time between France and India. She speaks English, French and Hindi.  Michelle’s practice is focused on advising European and other international companies and individuals with their business interests in India including all aspects of operating a subsidiary or joint venture in India, from investing and setting up operations in India, purchasing or leasing land and building, employing and terminating workforce, managing shareholder and director relations, executing contracts, distributing and selling products in India, complying with competition laws and related litigations and arbitrations like debt recovery and shareholder disputes. Since 2012, she has been advising clients on Indian operations, acquisitions and dispute resolution across diverse sectors including construction, steel manufacturing, packaging manufacturing and distribution, hearing aids and cochlear implants, medical diagnostics sector, insurance sector, dry bulk shipping, cyber security and hacking, marinas and floating solutions and garment manufacturing and distribution. Michelle read law for 3 years at the Government Law College in Mumbai, and then completed a 3 year Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies. She subsequently completed the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in London before joining Clifford Chance London in 2007. She has been a practicing Solicitor of England & Wales from 2009. She joined Solomon & Co. in 2012 after practicing law at Clifford Chance for 5 years, both in their London and Paris offices. Michelle Solomon Le Page’s expertise includes: Corporate & Business Laws including M&A, Joint Ventures & Collaborations Litigation and Arbitration Competition & Consumer Protection Laws Real Estate & Construction Laws Succession & Inheritance Laws

Sanjeev chairs the litigation practice of the firm. He specializes in enforcement, protection and dispute resolution in the areas of Patent, Design, Plant Varieties and Biological diversity laws. Besides, he handles transactional work including technology transfer and licensing agreements.  Sanjeev has extensive experience of over 20 years in handling a broad range of intellectual property disputes with particular emphasis on patents & designs litigation. He regularly renders opinions on the validity and enforcement of patents and designs, freedom to operate, infringement analysis and due diligence, apart from managing patent portfolios of clients. Sanjeev regularly appears before the Indian Patent Office, Intellectual Property Appellate Board and various District and High Courts as well as the Supreme Court of India in connection with enforcement of patents and designs. Sanjay serves as a Member of the International Chamber of Commerce India's Working Group on Intellectual Property  and as an Executive member of the Asian Patent Attorney Association (APAA) India Group. Prior to joining the firm in 2008, Sanjeev practiced as an independent lawyer before the High Court of Delhi for nine years, handling commercial and corporate litigation. Achievements and Honours Asialaw Leading Lawyers 2017- listed as Leading Lawyer for IP Asialaw Profiles - Notable practitioner (Dispute resolution and IP) ranked in 2020, 2021 & 2022 IAM Patent 1000 - The World’s Leading Patent Professional (Litigation and transactions) ranked in 2019, 2020 & 2021 Benchmark Litigation Asia-Pacific 2019 – Listed as Key Contact Professional Membership(s) Asian Patent Attorney Association (APAA) India Group Bar Council of Delhi Delhi Hight Court Bar Association Member of ICC India Working Group on Intellectual Property

Regarded as a renowned restructuring, bankruptcy, infrastructure and project finance attorney, Bahram Vakil was appointed as a key member of the Bankruptcy Law Reforms Committee (BLRC), chaired by Dr. T K Viswanathan and constituted by the Ministry of Finance to draft the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC). Bahram is also a member of the Insolvency Law Amendment Committee, constituted by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs for recommending amendments to the IBC. As part of his restructuring and bankruptcy experience, Bahram has advised bidders, insolvency professionals, domestic and international banks, hedge funds and interim financiers under the IBC, including the large stressed accounts referred to insolvency resolution by the RBI. Considered by multiple leading publications amongst the most well reputed restructuring and banking & finance lawyers in the country, Chambers Global states that, “Bahram Vakil is an instantly recognizable figure who is commended for his being able to ‘get into the details’ of more complex matters. Vakil’s strength lies in his ability to bring the commercial point of view to the table.” Bahram also served on the U.K. Sinha Committee – Working Group on Foreign Investment in India, Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Committee (FSLRC) – SEBI Advisory Group and SEBI Sub – Group on Regulatory Guidelines for Redeemable Non – Convertible Preference shares.

ZARIR BHARUCHA, a third-generation lawyer is a leading dispute resolution professional in India, with over 20 years’ experience and previously worked at magic circle firm, Linklaters in London. Zarir has acted in a number of ground breaking cases in the Bombay High Court and Supreme Court of India and regularly litigates international disputes in courts and tribunals throughout India. Zarir is also nominated by the LCIA as an arbitrator on India related disputes and has frequently given expert evidence in foreign arbitration and before courts outside India. Zarir frequently contributes articles for the trade and legal press, participates in policy contribution and on committees for new legislation (particularly in the marine area) and is a regular speaker at a number of specialist conferences such as the IBA.