Biography: Corporate Governance

Mr Dua is the founder of Dua Associates, which is one of the prominent law firms in India with presence in eight cities namely Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Chandigarh. Mr Dua has successfully established and developed the firm, which has the ability to focus on client requirements with service from various specialty practice groups within the organisation and across offices.

Today, Dua Associates has over 200 professionals, including 50 partners and counsel and a total strength in excess of 300 employees. For almost a quarter century, Duas has provided a broad range of legal, consulting and now legal process services to a diverse Indian and international clientele, including private and listed companies, government agencies, Fortune 500 companies and readily recognisable brand names from the US, Europe, Japan and ASEAN.

The firm has advised clients on regulatory compliance and governance issues and has undertaken legal audits to ensure compliance both for publicly listed companies in India and government-owned undertakings. Mr Dua has also helped clients in establishing whistle-blower policies and setting up procedures and systems to ensure governance. Under his supervision the firm has also undertaken internal investigations for major international clients under FCPA requirements.

Mr Dua also has a vast breadth of experience in the fields of corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, privatiations, project finance, public issues, entry strategies, foreign investment, corporate structuring/restructuring, infrastructure projects and commercial aspects of doing business in India. He has been actively involved in the process of regulatory reforms in India consistent with India's multilateral trade policy commitments. He has advised clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies such as GE, General Motors, AT&T, Rio Tinto, Alcoa, Estee Lauder, Dupont and Dow Chemicals, to closely held and privately owned Indian and foreign companies, public sector undertakings, listed companies, government companies, banks, international funding institutions and other financial institutions in India. He also sits on the boards and audit committees of listed Indian companies and Indian subsidiaries of multinational clients.

In the early 1990s, Mr Dua took the initiative in establishing Dua Consulting, an organisation specialising in assisting various multinational and domestic clients in the areas of public policy and regulatory affairs, corporate finance, technological and physical security and strategic international advisory services. The members of the consulting practice have all attained national and international recognition and prominence in their respective fields based on experience and integrity.

Mr Dua has been a member of the advisory committee on competition advocacy and also of the Competition Commission advisory committee on regulations of the Competition Commission of India. He was also a member of the high level committee to suggest a scientific and rationale regulatory environment for companies/firms.

Mr Dua is a founder member of the American Chamber of Commerce in India and continues to be an invited member on their executive board. He is currently a senior vice president of The Society of Indian Law Firms (SILF) and a member of BNP Paribas Group India advisory board. He pursues philanthropic interests by participating as a trustee in organisations engaged in education, welfare and cultural activities. Mr Dua continues to pursue his interest in tennis and is an invited member on the executive committee of the International Lawn Tennis Club of India.

An honours graduate of St Stephen's College, Mr Dua holds a Masters degree in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics and a Law degree from the Faculty of Law, University of Delhi.

He is married with one daughter and resides in New Delhi.