Biography: Franchise

Zia Mody gained her Law degree from the University of Cambridge, UK in 1978. She was enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa in 1978 and did her LLM from Harvard Law School. Zia was admitted as a member of the New York State Bar by examination in 1980. She started her practice as a corporate associate with Baker & McKenzie in New York from 1979 to 1983. In 1984 she started her own practice and later went into partnership with the law firm that is today called AZB & Partners, Advocates & Solicitors. AZB & Partners is one of the prominent law firms in India with offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai. The firm has approximately 400 personnel, which includes an integrated team of approximately 225 legal professionals.

Zia was part of the Raghuram Rajan high-level committee on financial sector reforms constituted by the Planning Commission. Zia is a member of the CII national council on corporate governance and regulatory framework, the CII committee on capital markets, the CII committee on financial services, the CII committee on legal services and the committee on CII mutual funds. She is a trustee of the Baha'i School, New Era High School, in Panchgani.

Zia has been awarded 'Business Woman of the Year, 2010' by Economic Times and also been selected as one of the world's pre-eminent commercial arbitration specialists by The International Who's Who of Commercial Arbitration and The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers 2010. She has also been awarded the 'Business Woman of the Year' by the Financial Express in the category of 'The Best Knowledge Manager'. She has been selected as one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Indian Business by Business Today (a prominent Indian business publication) in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. She was selected as one of India's 100 Most Powerful CEOS by the Economic Times in the year from 2004 to 2008 and as one of India's 15 Most Powerful Women Leaders by the Economic Times in 2010. The American Lawyer has identified Zia Mody as being one of 'country's leading stars'. She was nominated as one of the world's leading practitioners by The International Who's Who of Private Funds Lawyers 2006, 2008 and 2009. She has been awarded the 'Lawyer of the Year 2009 – India' at the ACQ Country Awards for Achievement. She has been featured in Asian Legal Business, 2009 edition as one of Asia's top 25 M&A Lawyers. Zia was appointed as a director of 'The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited' in January 2006 and has also been appointed as a member of the World Bank administrative tribunal by the World Bank in 2007. She has been vice president and a member of the London Court of Arbitration since 2008.

The Asia Pacific Legal 500 and Chambers Global have ranked Zia Mody as among the leading individuals in the mergers & acquisition sector, private funds, private equity, litigation and infrastructure sectors, and Zia has been identified as a Highly Recommended Lawyer by Global Counsel 3000.

Biography: Private funds

Zia Mody gained her Law degree from the University of Cambridge, UK in 1978. She was enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Maharashtra & Goa in 1978 and did her LLM from Harvard Law School. Zia was admitted as a member of the New York State Bar by examination in 1980. She started her practice as a corporate associate with Baker & McKenzie in New York from 1979 to 1983. In 1984 she started her own practice and later went into partnership with the law firm that is today called AZB & Partners, Advocates & Solicitors. AZB & Partners is one of the prominent law firms in India with offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai. The firm has approximately 400 personnel, which includes an integrated team of approximately 225 legal professionals.

Zia was part of the Raghuram Rajan high-level committee on financial sector reforms constituted by the Planning Commission. Zia is a member of the CII national council on corporate governance and regulatory framework, the CII committee on capital markets, the CII committee on financial services, the CII committee on legal services and the committee on CII mutual funds. She is a trustee of the Baha'i School, New Era High School, in Panchgani.

Zia has been awarded 'Business Woman of the Year, 2010' by Economic Times and also been selected as one of the world's pre-eminent commercial arbitration specialists by The International Who's Who of Commercial Arbitration and The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers 2010. She has also been awarded the 'Business Woman of the Year' by the Financial Express in the category of 'The Best Knowledge Manager'. She has been selected as one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Indian Business by Business Today (a prominent Indian business publication) in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. She was selected as one of India's 100 Most Powerful CEOS by the Economic Times in the year from 2004 to 2008 and as one of India's 15 Most Powerful Women Leaders by the Economic Times in 2010. The American Lawyer has identified Zia Mody as being one of 'country's leading stars'. She was nominated as one of the world's leading practitioners by The International Who's Who of Private Funds Lawyers 2006, 2008 and 2009. She has been awarded the 'Lawyer of the Year 2009 – India' at the ACQ Country Awards for Achievement. She has been featured in Asian Legal Business, 2009 edition as one of Asia's top 25 M&A Lawyers. Zia was appointed as a director of 'The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited' in January 2006 and has also been appointed as a member of the World Bank administrative tribunal by the World Bank in 2007. She has been vice president and a member of the London Court of Arbitration since 2008.

The Asia Pacific Legal 500 and Chambers Global have ranked Zia Mody as among the leading individuals in the mergers & acquisition sector, private funds, private equity, litigation and infrastructure sectors, and Zia has been identified as a Highly Recommended Lawyer by Global Counsel 3000.

Other Practice Areas

Zia Mody also features in the following practice areas:

• Arbitration
• Mergers and Acquisitions