Allen & Overy appoints Sheila Ahuja and Pallavi Gopinath Aney as joint chairs of its India group

By: WE Staff | Wednesday, 26 May 2021

Following the departure of London-based former India head Sanjeev Dhuna, Allen & Overy (A&O) has appointed two Singapore-based partners, Sheila Ahuja and Pallavi Gopinath Aney, as joint chairs of its India group.

According to the firm, the India group has more than 100 partners and associates worldwide.

Ahuja leads the firm's India arbitration vertical and has been with the firm since graduating from the University of Hong Kong and Cambridge University.

Aney leads the firm's India capital markets practise, having joined from Baker & McKenzie in 2019. He worked in India for two years after graduating from NLSIU Bangalore in 2004 before moving to Singapore.

Ahuja commented in a statement: “We are proud to be fronting a diverse and successful group in the form of Allen & Overy’s India Group and look forward to leading it with a new perspective.”

Aney added: “Our core focus will be to provide our clients with a combination of quality legal services and innovative solutions against the backdrop of our lawyers’ deep-rooted understanding of India.”

A&O senior partner Wim Dejonghe continued: “Sheila and Pallavi’s expertise and knowledge of the Indian market makes them two of the top India-focused lawyers. They offer complementary skills with their respective disputes and transactional focused backgrounds and will together build on an already highly successful India practice.”

Aney is the firm's second NLSIU graduate to join management this year, following Gautam Narasimhan, who was named co-managing partner of the Singapore office.

Prior to A&O Aney was partner at Singapore based Baker McKenzie Wong & Leow. She has worked as a Managing Associate at Linklaters and was an Associate at Pathak and Associates, S&R Associates. Aney graduated from National Law School of India University.

Sheila Ahuja was an undefined Associate at Allen & Overy. She did her Master of Arts – MA in  Law in University of Cambridge The University of Hong Kong.