Zia Mody

Practice Areas

Compliance & Investigation / White–Collar Crime, Corporate / Mergers & Acquisitions, Dispute Resolution, Private Client Practice, Private Equity & Venture Capital, Regulatory & Securities

Career

Zia J. Mody, Co–Founder and Managing Partner of AZB & Partners, is one of India’s foremost corporate attorneys. Zia is widely acknowledged for her expertise, ranking No. 1 in Fortune India’s ‘India’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business’ list in 2018 & 2019, on which she has consistently ranked since 2011. It has been said that few of Zia’s peers can match her skills when it comes to acquisitions, joint ventures, company restructuring, foreign inward investment related practice and corporate law. According to the RSG India Report, clients praise Zia as a “problem solver,” who is “meticulous,” “thorough” and “accessible,” and comes highly recommended for “any complex legal matter.” Zia is dually licensed to practice law in India and the United States, holding an LL.M. from Harvard Law School and having passed the New York State Bar.

Professional Memberships

• Member, Maharashtra’s Economic Advisory Council (2023)

• Independent Director (2018 – Present), Member of Audit & Risk Committee (2018 – Present) and Member of Investment Committee (2019 – Present)– Ascendas Property Fund Trustee Pte. Ltd., Singapore

• Non–Executive Member of the Governing Board – International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) (2017 – Present)

• Member – CII National Council (2015 – Present)

• Independent Non–Executive Director and Member of Human Resources & Remuneration Committee of the Board – China Light and Power Holdings Limited , Hong Kong (2015 – 2024)

• Special Invitee – Competition Law Review Committee set up by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (2018)

• Member – Committee on Corporate Governance formed by SEBI, under the chairmanship of Uday Kotak (2017)

• Expert Committee Panel – Law Commission of India on ‘Amendment to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996’ (2014)

• Vice President & Member – London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) (2010 – 2013)

• Member – World Bank Administrative Tribunal, Washington D.C. (2007 – 2012)

• Member – Reserve Bank of India Committee on Comprehensive Financial Services for Small Businesses and Low–Income Households, chaired by Dr. Nachiket Mor (2013)

• Member – Godrej Committee on Corporate Governance, set up by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (2012)

• Member – Raghuram Rajan Committee on Financial Sector Reforms, constituted by the Government of India (2007)

• Honorary Fellow, Selwyn College, University of Cambridge (2019 – Present)

Education

Awards

Work Highlights

• HDFC Limited on its US$ 61 billion merger with HDFC Bank Limited

• Reliance Industries Limited – Jio Platforms on a series of 14 investments from 13 leading global investors, including Facebook, Google, Silver Lake Partners, General Atlantic, KKR, Vista Equity Partners and TPG, the largest FDI transaction into India, amounting to over US$ 20 billion

• Tata Steel on its US$ 7.4 billion acquisition of Bhushan Steel, the first resolution of a large defaulter under the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code

• Larsen & Toubro on its majority share purchase of Mindtree for US$ 1.5 billion

• Citibank on the sale of its Indian consumer business to Axis Bank for US$ 1.6 billion

• Total Group on its acquisition in and joint control of Adani Gas for US$ 850 million

• Advent International on its majority stake acquisition of Bharat Serums and Vaccines

• Carlyle on its largest control deal in India, where it acquired 74% in SeQuent Scientific for US$ 210 million