IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry had organized a Book Launch of the book “Honour Bound : Adventures of an Indian Lawyer in the English Courts” authored by Mr. Sarosh Zaiwalla, Sr. Partner at Zaiwalla & Co., International Lawyer, Arbitrator and Mediator based in London on 5th February, 2020 in F. E. Dinshaw Library, at IMC, Churchgate, in Mumbai.
IMC’s F.E. Dinshaw Commercial & Financial Reference Library was established in 1967, as part of the Diamond Jubliee Celebrations of the Chamber. It was inaugurated by Late Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi in the year 1967. The library caters not only to IMC members but at public at large. The library is inhoused with history of Mumbai city books with rare, selective and up-to-date source materials on major economic, legal, commercial and other developments in India and abroad.
Special Guest of Honour: Mr. Ashis Ray, Indian Foreign correspondent based in London who is been serving in BBC , ITN, Times of India moderated the session along with Special Guest Mr. Jimmy Pochkhanawala, Senior Counsel, Supreme Court of India.
Mr. Zaiwalla is a parsi lawyer from Dahanu and Mumbai studied in St. Xavier’s High School, Bombay, studied his law and graduated from Government Law College in 1972 and founded Zaiwalla & Co. Solicitors in April 1982. He is the Senior Partner of Zaiwalla & Co. Solicitors which has been in the City of London for the past 35 years. He shares his adventures and experiences of his life and career through his book “Honour Bound: Adventures of an Indian Lawyer in the English Courts”. There are about 104 reported judgments in the English law reports where his firm had acted for one of the parties. A judgment is only reported in the law reports if it affects the development of law. Today, the firm is one of the leading firms in the field of International Arbitration.
The book looks back on his career – from his passage to England at a time when diversity had barely begun to take root in its legal circles to now leading a groundbreaking law firm. This is the story of a solicitor who made his way on his own terms, with creativity but without ever compromising on his values.
(Left to Right) Ms. Emily Simons, Associate, Zaiwalla & Co Solicitors; Mr. Ashis Ray, Indian Foreign Correspondent; Mr. Ashish Vaid, President, IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Mr. Sarosh Zaiwalla, Author and Senior Partner at Zaiwalla & Co., Solicitor and International Arbitrator and Mediator; Mr. Ajit Mangrulkar, Director General, IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Some of the cases concluded have created a storm in India.
Mr. Zaiwalla’s memoir is filled with drama and intrigue, from instructing a young barrister to deal with some of the biggest cases ever heard. Some of the International Arbitration:
• Participated in over 1,200 International Arbitrations either as Solicitor, Counsel, Party-Appointed Arbitrator or Sole Arbitrator.
• Conducted a major Energy Arbitration in London on behalf of Chinese Petroleum Corporations CNPC and CPTDC, which concerned a joint venture with LG Caltex for the construction of an LPG storage tank in Maoming, China.
• Conducted for CPECC (China Petroleum and Engineering Construction Company): An Arbitration in London concerning the construction of a gathering station for the Kuwait Oil Corporation.
• Conducted a large two-week Maritime Arbitration before Cedric Barclay as Sole Arbitrator in New Orleans.
• Conducted numerous International Arbitrations in London for the Government of India, ONGC, IOC and other Indian multi-nationals.
• Handled Arbitration for the National Iranian Oil Company in London concerning the Russian Oil Rig Sakhalinskaya.
While he still has many chapters ahead of him, he quotes “A lawyer never retires after all”.
The session followed by discussions, Q&A’s with the audience. The launch was a big hit with a large crowd of participation from readers from law, business, chartered accountants, journalists and other industry areas.